Company formation and government transactions in Bahrain
Al Qabas handles company incorporation and follows up government transactions for companies and investors in the Kingdom of Bahrain, from commercial registration and licences to work permits, residencies and recurring renewals.
For the investor from outside the Kingdom Forming a company in Bahrain We handle and follow up the company formation procedures from the start of the application through to the completion of the registration and the required licences, according to the nature of the activity and the legal form of the company.
- Full foreign ownership in most activities, in accordance with the regulations in force
- Commercial registration issued within fifteen to twenty working days from the completion of the documents and requirements
- Residency procedures for the investor and their family members
- Assistance with the bank account opening procedures
For companies operating in the Kingdom Government transactions on a monthly subscription We provide companies with a specialised external service to administer their government transactions and follow up their recurring dates, without the need to deal with each transaction separately.
- The transactions covered by the chosen package
- Following up the expiry dates of registrations and permits
- Notice sixty days before renewal dates
- A designated account manager, and a single monthly invoice
On the commercial register since 1995, based in Manama.
The authorities we follow up our clients’ transactions before
Seven government and official authorities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Follow-up and representation before each of them proceed under the required formal authorisations and documents.
Labour Market Regulatory Authority هيئة تنظيم سوق العمل 8 services 
Sijilat · Ministry of Industry and Commerce سجلات · وزارة الصناعة والتجارة 6 services 
Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs شؤون الجنسية والجوازات والإقامة 5 services 
Information and eGovernment Authority هيئة المعلومات والحكومة الإلكترونية 2 services 
Social Insurance Organisation الهيئة العامة للتأمين الاجتماعي 3 services 
Ministry of Labour وزارة العمل 2 services 
Ministry of Health وزارة الصحة 2 services The full table of services 28 services across 7 authorities, with search and filters. Four areas in which a company’s transactions are administered
Choose an area to see its authorities, the number of services it holds, their completion periods, and which of them a subscription package covers.
Workforce and work permits
The foreign worker’s permits from issue to cancellation, the Bahrainisation rate and the permit ceiling.
- New work permit3 to 21 days
- Work permit renewal1 working day
- Work permit cancellation2 working days
- Transfer between employersBy case
- Visit visa to work permitBy case
Commercial registration and licences
Registering and renewing, amending its details and activities, and what crosses into expertise work.
- New commercial registration15 to 20 days
- Commercial registration renewal1 working day
- Adding a commercial activityBy activity
- Amending registration detailsBy case
- Change of legal form or partnersBy case
Residencies and identity cards
Investor and family residency, visit visas, and the identity card and its renewal.
- Residence permit renewal3 working days
- Dependant and family residency3 working days
- Visit visa extension1 working day
- Passport details updateBy case
- Investor residencyBy category
Insurance, contracts and health
The social insurance file and staff registration, notarising contracts, medical fitness and health licences.
- Company registration1 working day
- Registering staff for social insurance1 working day
- Ending a staff record with social insurance1 working day
- Employment contract authenticationBy case
- Labour case follow-upBy case
Forming a company under foreign ownership in Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain permits full foreign ownership in a large number of commercial activities, according to the nature of the activity and the conditions governing it.
Legal form and trade name
Determining the appropriate legal form according to the activity and the number of partners, then following up the trade name reservation and the preparation and notarisation of the incorporation documents. A number of steps can be completed under an attested power of attorney, according to the requirements of each transaction.
Commercial registration and licences
Following up the activity requirements with the relevant authorities and the procedures for issuing the commercial registration and the necessary licences. Once the documents and requirements are complete, the procedures usually take fifteen to twenty working days, depending on the nature of the activity and the approvals of the authorities concerned.
After the registration is issued
Residency procedures for the investor and their family members, opening the company files with the relevant authorities, and assistance with the bank account opening procedures.
Continuous administration of government requirements
Companies need continuous follow-up of registrations, licences, work permits, residencies and renewal dates. The Al Qabas packages provide a specialised service to administer this work throughout the year.
Following up renewal dates
A record is kept of the expiry dates of permits, registrations and recurring transactions, and a notice is sent sixty days before the expiry date.
Executing transactions
Preparing, filing and following up the transactions covered by the package before the relevant authorities, after receiving the necessary documents and requirements from the company.
A designated account manager
The company has an account manager who follows up its transactions and serves as the main point of contact with the Al Qabas team.
A clear monthly cost
Four packages, rising in headcount and in the scope of transactions together. The company knows its monthly cost in advance.
From receiving the request to delivering the document
Four fixed steps for every transaction, whichever authority it sits with. The periods run from the day the documents are complete and are subject to the authority’s own procedure.
Receiving and checking the documents
The authority’s conditions and the documents are checked before filing, and anything missing is set out in writing.
Before filingFiling and settling the fees
The transaction is filed and its government fees settled on the company’s behalf, against an official receipt in its name.
On the day of filingFollow-up until completion
The transaction is followed up with the authority, and you receive a written update on its status and the reason for any delay.
Until the document is issuedDelivery and the next renewal date
The document and its receipt are handed over, and the next renewal date is entered in the follow-up calendar.
Notice sixty days beforehand
Clear standards in executing transactions
Our work rests on clarity of procedure, cost and the responsibilities of each party from the beginning of the transaction.
Speed of follow-up
A number of recurring transactions, such as certain renewals, are completed within one working day once the documents and requirements are in order, where the authority’s own procedure allows it.
Early renewal notice
For subscription clients covered by the follow-up service, a notice is sent sixty days before a registration or permit expires.
Government fees at their official value
Government fees are settled at the value prescribed by the relevant authority, with the official receipts for the transaction provided.
Formal representation
The company is followed up and represented before the relevant authorities under the required formal authorisations and documents.
A government transaction is not completed by speed alone, but by meeting its condition before it is filed.
The office therefore begins with a review of the documents rather than with filing, and anything missing is set out in writing before the transaction is opened with the authority.What to know before a transaction begins
Written guides setting out the conditions, documents and period of each procedure before the relevant authority, each reviewed on a stated date.
Work permits: issue, renewal and cancellation
Conditions of issue, completion periods, the monthly fee, converting a visit visa, and the cancellation procedure and what follows from it.
Read the guide For the investorInvestor residency and foreign ownership
The limits of foreign ownership in Bahrain, the investor residency route, and how it ties to the registration and the bank account.
Read the guide For an established companyThe Bahrainisation rate and the work permit ceiling
How the rate for your activity is calculated, how the ceiling shifts as the company grows, and what follows when the rate is not met.
Read the guideManar Alomran Scaffolding
Administering workforce transactions and the permits tied to projects
The nature of work in scaffolding and construction companies requires continuous follow-up of workforce permits, transfer and cancellation procedures and identity cards, particularly as projects begin and end and the needs of work sites change. Al Qabas follows up these procedures on the company’s behalf within the agreed scope of services, allowing its management to focus on its operational work while a specialised party follows up its government transactions.
Sector: scaffolding and constructionLocation: Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Record of work A written quotation for your transaction
The transaction you need, or your headcount and the company’s commercial registration number. The Al Qabas team will be in touch during business hours to prepare it.
Saturday to Thursday, 8am to 8pm Bahrain time.