Title

Bahrain: Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 1976 as Amended by Ministerial Decision No. 39 of 1986 Regarding Entry Visa to Bahrain

Date of adoption

3 August 1976

(Last amended: 16 September 1986)

Entry into force

Text versions

Source:

– Official Journal Issue No. 1187 (5 August 1976), pp. 5-6, Legislation & Legal Opinion Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain, accessed: 15 July 2014, http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/Media/LegalPDF/RINT2576.pdf

–  Official Journal Issue No. 1712 (18 September 1986), pp. 4-5, Legislation & Legal Opinion Commission, Kingdom of Bahrain, accessed: 15 July 2014, http://www.legalaffairs.gov.bh/Media/LegalPDF/RINT3986.pdf

Abstract

A non-Bahraini may not enter the Kingdom of Bahrain unless s/he holds a valid passport and a visa issued by one of the country’s embassies abroad (Art. 1).

An entry visa shall not be issued to a non-Bahraini entering the country for the purpose of work until a non-objection certificate is issued by the Immigration and Passports Administration. The certificate may only be issued after obtaining a work permit from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs or through the sponsorship of the contracting governmental body. A visit entry visa shall not be issued to a non-Bahraini if it is suspected that s/he intends to work in Bahrain (Art. 2).

Art. 3 (amended) lists the cases that may be exempted from the conditions set out in aricle 1 of this decision. Passport Control employees at Bahrain International Airport may issue entry visas valid for 72 hours or 7 days to non-Bahrainis who do not hold an entry visa. The conditions for obtaining these visas are:

1. Having a valid passport and a return ticket
2. The visitor is not banned from entering the country
3. The purpose of entry is not work.

The 72-hour visa may be granted to the following categories:

1. Tourists
2. Business Owners
3. Merchants
4. Transit Passengers
5. The Wife and Children of those employed in Bahrain
6. Individual Cases as determined by the Immigration and Passports Administration.

The 7 days visa may be granted to those requesting it from the following categories:

1. Business Owners
2. Merchants
3. Businessmen holding meetings, conferences and exihibtions.
4. Tourist groups based on prior arrangements with tourism agencies or the Tourism Administration.
5. Service employees accompanying GCC families and residing in one of the GCC countries.

Passport Control employees at the Bahrain International Airport may request the signature of a Bahraini sponsor if necessary (Art. 4).

Art. 5 allows for the extension of the 72 hours/ 7 days visas on a case by case basis.