🇧🇭Bahrain Visa for Iranian Citizens2026 Requirements, Fees & Documents

Work Visa / Employment Visa

Authorises foreign nationals to reside and work in Bahrain under a specific employer's sponsorship.

• Issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA).
• Requires employer sponsorship.
• Applicants must enter on a visit visa first in many cases, then convert to a residence permit and work permit.
• Golden Residency holders must still obtain a separate work permit from LMRA to legally work.

Journalism Visa

Required for accredited journalists visiting Bahrain to cover news or media events.

Advance application/accreditation is mandatory before travel. Per the official evisa.gov.bh NPRA FAQ, journalists must apply through Bahrain's media authority (the former Information Affairs Authority, now the Ministry of Information, mia.gov.bh) via its correspondent-accreditation form, not the standard eVisa portal.

Golden Residency – Property Owner Track

Long-term residency for foreign nationals who invest in Bahraini real estate meeting the minimum property value threshold.

• Requires personal share value of BHD 130,000 (approx USD 345,000) or more at time of purchase.
• Multiple properties can be combined to meet threshold.
• Application fee BHD 5 (approx USD 13); issuance fee BHD 300 (approx USD 795).
• Same fees apply per dependent.
• No minimum stay requirement to maintain residency.
• Dependents (spouse, parents, children of any age) can be sponsored.
• Work permit from LMRA required separately to work.

Golden Residency – Professional/Employee Track

Long-term residency for skilled foreign professionals with a sustained employment history in Bahrain.

• Requires 5+ years of continuous employment in Bahrain with average monthly basic salary over BHD 2,000 (approx USD 5,300).
• Must maintain continuous Social Insurance Organization (SIO) coverage.
• Bonuses and allowances excluded from salary calculation.

Golden Residency – Retiree Track (Resident)

Long-term residency for foreign nationals who have retired after a long career in Bahrain.

For retirees resident in Bahrain: requires 15+ years of work in Bahrain with average pension of BHD 2,000/month or more. No minimum stay requirement to maintain status.

Golden Residency – Retiree Track (Non-Resident)

Long-term residency for foreign retirees based outside Bahrain who receive a qualifying pension.

For non-resident retirees: requires average pension of BHD 4,000/month or more.

Golden Residency – Talented Individual Track

Long-term residency for entrepreneurs, scientists, researchers, artists, athletes, and other exceptional individuals recognised for their achievements.

• Subject to committee review and approval.
• Eligible categories include entrepreneurs with demonstrated business success, researchers and scientists, artists and creatives with recognised work, technology/business innovators, athletes with notable achievements, and other exceptional talent.
• Processing up to 10 working days.

Diplomatic / Official Passport Visa Exemption

Allows holders of diplomatic or official passports from countries with bilateral agreements to enter Bahrain without a visa.

• Bahrain has bilateral visa exemption agreements with select countries for diplomatic and official passport holders.
• Confirmed for India (signed 15 July 2018, in force 19 December 2018).
• GCC nationals enter using national ID cards regardless of passport type.
• Other bilateral agreements exist but Bahrain's MOFA website (mofa.gov.bh) was inaccessible for comprehensive list.

Family Visit eVisa

Short-term visit visa allowing an expatriate resident or Bahraini national to bring immediate family members (spouse, children, parents) to visit Bahrain.

• Issued by NPRA.
• A resident or citizen sponsor applies on the family member's behalf; kinship documents and proof of income/bank statement (guidance 300-500 BHD/month) required.
• Fee BHD 39 (approx USD 103).
• Processing 3-5 working days.
• A separate 'visa for the relatives of a Bahraini' (father, mother, spouse, children) is also available at BHD 30 issuance + BHD 5 endorsement + BHD 4 application.

Educational Residence Permit (Student)

Residence permit for foreign nationals enrolled as students at a Bahraini university or institute.

• Issued by NPRA (Ministry of Interior) to students enrolled at a Bahraini university or institute.
• Fee BHD 64 (approx USD 170).
• Processing 1 working day.
• Applicant must hold a valid entry visa and maintain valid health insurance.
• Applied for via the bahrain.bh eServices residence-permit form.

Self-Sponsorship Residence Permit & Re-entry Visa (Investor)

Renewable self-sponsored residence permit for foreign investors holding a qualifying share in a Bahraini commercial registration.

• Issued by NPRA for investors with a commercial-registration share (commonly cited minimum around BHD 100,000).
• Requires Commercial Registration pre-approval from the Ministry of Industry & Commerce before applying (confirmed in the official evisa.gov.bh FAQ).
• Issued for 2, 5 or 10 years: BHD 200 / 400 / 600 issuance respectively, plus BHD 5 application and BHD 250 transfer fee.
• fee_usd reflects the 2-year BHD 200 tier (approx USD 530).
• Processing up to 40 working days.
• Distinct from, and lower-threshold than, the 10-year Golden Residency.
• A parallel property-owner track exists for foreigners owning Bahraini property valued BHD 50,000+.