Staff and visas in Bahrain

01Contracts

Employment contracts are in writing, in Arabic and in two copies. A contract in another language has an Arabic copy attached.

• Labour Law 36 of 2012 covers the private sector.
• The Labour Market Regulation Law 19 of 2006 covers work permits.
• Foreign workers need an employer-sponsored work permit.
• A contract is fixed term, open ended or for a specific job.

02Probation, notice and termination

Probation applies only if the contract states it. After probation, either side gives 30 days' notice in writing.

• Probation: up to 3 months, or 6 months for occupations the Minister lists. Either side gives one day of notice. Probation applies once per employer.
• Notice: 30 days in writing from either side after probation. Pay in lieu applies if notice is skipped.
• Unfair dismissal: for an open-ended contract ended without valid reason after probation, compensation is two days' wage per month of service. The minimum is one month's wage and the maximum is 12 months. An extra half applies for unfair dismissal unless the contract gives more.
• Return ticket: foreign workers are owed an air ticket home from the last employer.

03Working time and weekend

Working time is a maximum of 48 hours a week and 8 hours a day, and never above 10 actual hours. The business weekend is Friday and Saturday.

• Ramadan: Muslim workers work at most 6 hours a day or 36 hours a week.
• Weekly rest: at least 24 hours.
• Government offices: Sunday to Thursday.
• Overtime: normal wage plus at least 25% by day and 50% by night (7 pm to 7 am). Work on a rest day is paid at normal wage plus 150% or replaced with a day off.

04Leave and public holidays

Annual leave is at least 30 days of paid leave after one year. Islamic holiday dates follow the moon sighting.

Public holidays 2026

Public holidays 2027

05End-of-service payment

The end-of-service payment under Article 116 applies to foreign workers and to Bahrainis earning above BHD 4,000 a month. It is half a month's wage per year for the first three years and one month's wage per year after that.

• Partial years are paid pro rata.
• Workers inside the pension of the Social Insurance Law are outside Article 116.
• Since 1 March 2024 (Edict 109 of 2023), private employers pay it for non-Bahraini, non-GCC employees through monthly contributions to the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO). The contribution is 4.2% of monthly wage in years 1 to 3 and 8.4% after that.
• The employee claims the payment from the SIO on leaving.
• Bahraini and GCC workers stay under the direct employer-paid system.
• Entitlements built up before March 2024 are still paid by the employer.

06Wages, unions and strikes

Wages are paid in BHD through banks under the LMRA Wage Protection System. Workers have the right to strike under Article 8.

• Dismissal for union membership or activity is unfair under Article 104.
• Collective bargaining runs at company, sector and national level under Articles 137 and 138.
• A collective contract binds all workers where the union has at least half of them as members.

07Social insurance

Bahrain has no personal income tax. Social insurance is charged through the SIO on basic wage and fixed allowances up to BHD 4,000 a month.

• Law: Social Insurance Law 24 of 1976, as amended by Law 14 of 2022.
• Employer rate path for Bahrainis: 14% from May 2022, then 1 point more each January from 2023 to 2028. The rate is 18% in 2026 and reaches 20% in 2028.
• Remittance: monthly by the 15th of the following month. The employer deducts the employee share.
• Women's retirement age: it rose from 55 to 60 under Law 14 of 2022.
• Decree-Law 44 of 2026: issued on 5 October 2026 and published in Official Gazette 3909 on 8 October 2026. It takes effect the day after publication, which is 9 October 2026. It adds Article 19 bis to the Social Insurance Law. For persons insured for old-age, disability and non-occupational death insurance, contributions for all branches of insurance are calculated on a minimum wage set by Cabinet decision. Article 19 bis applies to each insured person whose registration conditions are first met after the law takes effect.
• Bahrainis working abroad: Decree-Law 44 of 2026 lets Bahrainis working abroad, or in Bahrain for an employer outside the Social Insurance Law, choose between Law 31 of 2005 with the minimum contribution basis and a special insurance system to be set by Cabinet decision. Those already benefiting under Law 31 of 2005 are excluded.

08Work permit fees and monthly fee

A 12-month work permit costs BHD 195 in 2026. The employer also pays a monthly fee per foreign worker.

The LMRA commercial services fee page, last updated on 30 October 2026, sets the 2026 permit fees. Each total is the work permit fee plus medical insurance.

Permit fees in 2026, in BHD

Monthly fee per foreign worker, in BHD

• Edict 79 of 2025 takes effect on 1 January 2026. It sets the monthly fees above for 2026 to 2029.
• Edict 79 of 2025 sets an annual issuance or renewal fee of BHD 111 from 1 January 2027, BHD 118 from 1 January 2028 and BHD 125 from 1 January 2029. The fee is collected in proportion to the duration of the permit.
• Domestic workers are excluded from the monthly fee.

09Bahrainisation

The LMRA sets a minimum share of Bahraini staff for each approved activity and for five size bands. A Bahrainisation certificate is required in a government tender bid.

The LMRA 2026 table is titled "Bahrainization target rate and minimum and maximum number of foreign workers by economic activity and size of economic unit". The size bands are 6 to 9, 10 to 19, 20 to 99, 100 to 499 and 500 or more workers. The table below gives examples from it.

• Many activity codes carry 0% in the 6 to 9 band.
• Compliance is checked electronically on each permit transaction.
• Parallel fee: the LMRA lists an optional parallel fee for a permit issued beyond the required Bahrainisation ratio. It is BHD 500 for a two-year permit, BHD 250 for a one-year permit and BHD 125 for a six-month permit. It is charged on top of the permit and medical fees. It applies to new permits, renewals and transfers.
• LMRA collected BHD 7.88 million from 2,200 companies through the parallel fee in the first ten months of 2025.

10Visas and work permits

Work and residence permits tie to the sponsoring employer and are issued by the LMRA. The employer applies to the LMRA for a named worker.

• The permit cannot be moved to another party.
• Secondment: LMRA Resolution 2 of 2026 lets an employer assign an authorised foreign worker to an affiliate or to another employer for up to three months. The worker must consent and both employers and the LMRA approve. The receiving entity must meet Bahrainisation rules. The rule took effect on 25 September 2026.
• Dependants: since 1 September 2026 new dependent visa applications need private medical insurance valid for at least two years.

11Golden Residency

The Golden Residency is a permanent residency. The Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) administers it under the Ministry of Interior.

The NPRA lists five routes.

• Term and fees: the application fee is BHD 5 per person and is not refundable. The issuance fee is BHD 300 per person every 10 years.
• Health insurance: the applicant holds valid health insurance in Bahrain when the residency is issued.
• Processing time: 5 working days for the employee, property owner and non-resident retiree services.
• Documents: a passport valid for more than 6 months, a medical insurance certificate issued in Bahrain, a 6-month bank statement and the route document. The route document is a salary certificate for employees, the ownership title deed for property owners and a pension certificate for retirees.
• Property threshold: the NPRA announced the cut from BHD 200,000 to BHD 130,000 in November 2025.