Work Permits for Bahrain
In order for expats to legally work in Bahrain it's necessary to obtain a work permit.
With a workforce consisting of roughly 77% (Trade Arabia 2010) foreigners, most from the Asian sub-continent, it would seem that this sort of documentation isn't too difficult to pin-down. And in fact, when compared to the UK, the US and Australia, getting a work permit for Bahrain is considerably easy - the Catch-22 being the fact that this documentation hinges on employer sponsorship.
Once a job offer is solidified though, in nearly all cases the hiring company completely bears the burden of organising visas and paperwork. The employer applies for a permit with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), expats merely need to help supply the following documents:
Employers can obtain work permits up to a year in advance without having to assign them to a specific individual. Thus, if lucky, the gap between signing a contract and legally being able to relocate and begin working can be minimal.
Do be sure to confirm that the issued work permit is for the actual position for which you've been hired; sometimes companies have extra work permits for different positions. Though accepting a work permit for a position other than your own is a quick fix to the problem of coming across and starting your job, it can cause hang-ups after two years when renewal is necessary.
Self-employed individuals and those that own their own business can apply for work permits with the help of a Bahraini national, only these individuals are legally allowed to make an application for a work permit. Thus, it's advised to enlist the help of an agency for this task.
Work permits are good for two years, at which point they need to be renewed.
Once you arrive in Bahrain with a work permit - stamped into your passport, apply for a residency visa as well as a Central Population Registry (CPR) card.
In the past, it has been a general rule of thumb that the workforce was divided 50/50 between foreigners and local Bahrainis. Now that expats have usurped the balance, Bahrain's labour minister is calling for a cap on work permits available.
The proposed ceiling would limit the number of permits granted, would look to ensure that permits were only granted to those expats with skills not satisfied by the local population, and would look to put a cap on the maximum-stay of foreigners in one GCC country.
Nothing has been approved as of late 2010, but it should be noted that precaution is being taken to protect national interests.
With a workforce consisting of roughly 77% (Trade Arabia 2010) foreigners, most from the Asian sub-continent, it would seem that this sort of documentation isn't too difficult to pin-down. And in fact, when compared to the UK, the US and Australia, getting a work permit for Bahrain is considerably easy - the Catch-22 being the fact that this documentation hinges on employer sponsorship.Once a job offer is solidified though, in nearly all cases the hiring company completely bears the burden of organising visas and paperwork. The employer applies for a permit with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), expats merely need to help supply the following documents:
- Passport
- Passport size photograph
- Health record from an authorised clinic
Employers can obtain work permits up to a year in advance without having to assign them to a specific individual. Thus, if lucky, the gap between signing a contract and legally being able to relocate and begin working can be minimal.
Do be sure to confirm that the issued work permit is for the actual position for which you've been hired; sometimes companies have extra work permits for different positions. Though accepting a work permit for a position other than your own is a quick fix to the problem of coming across and starting your job, it can cause hang-ups after two years when renewal is necessary.
Self-employed individuals and those that own their own business can apply for work permits with the help of a Bahraini national, only these individuals are legally allowed to make an application for a work permit. Thus, it's advised to enlist the help of an agency for this task.
Work permits are good for two years, at which point they need to be renewed.
Once you arrive in Bahrain with a work permit - stamped into your passport, apply for a residency visa as well as a Central Population Registry (CPR) card.
Expat cap in Bahrain
In the past, it has been a general rule of thumb that the workforce was divided 50/50 between foreigners and local Bahrainis. Now that expats have usurped the balance, Bahrain's labour minister is calling for a cap on work permits available.
The proposed ceiling would limit the number of permits granted, would look to ensure that permits were only granted to those expats with skills not satisfied by the local population, and would look to put a cap on the maximum-stay of foreigners in one GCC country.
Nothing has been approved as of late 2010, but it should be noted that precaution is being taken to protect national interests.
