Bahrain · Work
Bahrain Work permit
Work permit for expatriate employees (LMRA)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Work permit is a work route for Bahrain. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- BHD 195 ≈ $520 · BHD 5 ≈ $13
Cost, time and long term
Government feesBHD 195 ≈ $520 · BHD 5 ≈ $13
- BHD 195 (≈ $520)Service fee for a one-year work permit; BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years and BHD 97.5 (≈ $260) for six months (for employees already inside Bahrain with a cancelled permit). Dependants BHD 90 (≈ $240).
- BHD 5 (≈ $13)Administration fee; a BHD 30 (≈ $80) job advertisement fee applies to applications from outside Bahrain.
RenewalRenewable
The work permit is renewable and is issued for 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, matching the employment contract.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Bahrain
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- A Bahraini employer applies for the permit for an employee to be hired on its commercial registration.
What you must show and pay2
- A fee of BHD 195 (≈ $520) · Service fee for a one-year work permit; BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years and BHD 97.5 (≈ $260) for six months (for employees already inside Bahrain with a cancelled permit). Dependants BHD 90 (≈ $240).
- A fee of BHD 5 (≈ $13) · Administration fee; a BHD 30 (≈ $80) job advertisement fee applies to applications from outside Bahrain.
Documents4
- A passport valid for at least 6 months is required.
- A positive medical examination report from the employee’s home country or current country of residence is required, not older than two months.
- An employee applying from abroad needs the medical report from a centre accredited by the Gulf Health Council (Wafid); no report is needed if the employee already lives in Bahrain.
- A no-objection letter from the relevant authority is needed for certain occupations such as teachers, doctors, engineers and banking positions.
Steps3
- The employer applies on the LMRA Expat Management System and the permit period matches the employment contract.
- Processing takes 3 working days inside Bahrain and 21 working days from outside Bahrain.
- The service fee is BHD 195 (≈ $520) for one year and BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years, plus a BHD 5 (≈ $13) administration fee.
When you become tax resident
How Bahrain decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
the 0% income-tax statement comes from the Golden Residency FAQ, not a tax authority page.
- Foreign-source income
No personal income tax
All tax rules for Bahrain Tax records checked
Full official text
Employer-sponsored work permit issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority for expatriate employees hired on the employer's commercial registration. 1
What you must show and pay
- A fee of BHD 195 (≈ $520) · Service fee for a one-year work permit; BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years and BHD 97.5 (≈ $260) for six months (for employees already inside Bahrain with a cancelled permit). Dependants BHD 90 (≈ $240). 1
- A fee of BHD 5 (≈ $13) · Administration fee; a BHD 30 (≈ $80) job advertisement fee applies to applications from outside Bahrain. 1
Requirements
- A Bahraini employer applies for the permit for an employee to be hired on its commercial registration. 1
- A passport valid for at least 6 months is required. 1
- A positive medical examination report from the employee’s home country or current country of residence is required, not older than two months. 1
- An employee applying from abroad needs the medical report from a centre accredited by the Gulf Health Council (Wafid); no report is needed if the employee already lives in Bahrain. 1
- A no-objection letter from the relevant authority is needed for certain occupations such as teachers, doctors, engineers and banking positions. 1
- The employer applies on the LMRA Expat Management System and the permit period matches the employment contract. 1
- Processing takes 3 working days inside Bahrain and 21 working days from outside Bahrain. 1
- The service fee is BHD 195 (≈ $520) for one year and BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years, plus a BHD 5 (≈ $13) administration fee. 1
Stay
- Work permit for 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, matching the employment contract.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Work
Work for the sponsoring employer under the permit.
Official sources
- New Work Permit · Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Bahrain · checked 2026-10-12
Work permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit | – | – | – |
| LTR · Highly Skilled Thailand | Needs income of $80k+ a year | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Engineer/Specialist visa Japan | – | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Golden Visa · Parent rep $25M Indonesia | Needs an investment from $25M | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Green · Skilled worker United Arab Emirates | Needs income of AED 15k+ a month ≈ $4,080 | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Work permit?
A fee of BHD 195 (≈ $520). Service fee for a one-year work permit; BHD 390 (≈ $1,040) for two years and BHD 97.5 (≈ $260) for six months (for employees already inside Bahrain with a cancelled permit). A fee of BHD 5 (≈ $13). Administration fee; a BHD 30 (≈ $80) job advertisement fee applies to applications from outside Bahrain.
How long can I stay on the Work permit?
Work permit for 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, matching the employment contract.
Can I work on the Work permit?
Work for the sponsoring employer under the permit.
How are Work permit holders taxed in Bahrain?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Work permit. The standard rules apply: Bahrain's National Bureau for Revenue applies VAT at a standard rate of 10% from 1 January 2022 and a Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax to multinational groups with annual global revenue of EUR 750 million (≈ $838,000,000) or more; the Golden Residency programme states 0% income tax.
More in Bahrain
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 1 official source. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- New Work Permit · Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), Bahrain · checked 2026-10-12
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.