Visit visas: extension and conversion
This guide sets out the types of visit visa in the Kingdom of Bahrain and their durations, the procedure for extending them, the conditions for converting the holder to a work permit without leaving the Kingdom, and the limits of their use.
A visit visa or a work permit
A visit visa permits entry and temporary stay for a defined purpose. It does not permit work. Work requires a permit issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority in the company's name. Putting a visitor to work before their permit issues is a violation that falls on the company, not on the visitor alone.
Visit visa types and fees
A visit visa is issued electronically, and its fee follows its term and the number of entries it allows.
| Type | Made up of | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Two weeks, single entry | 9 issue + 4 application | 13 BHD |
| Multiple entry, three months | 25 issue + 4 application | 29 BHD |
| Multiple entry, three months — for GCC residents | 25 issue + 4 application | 29 BHD |
| Family visit | — | 39 BHD |
| Multiple entry, five years | — | 64 BHD |
| Issue time | 3 – 5 working days |
Source: the government services directory on the national portal bahrain.bh, read on 2026-09-09. The fees are set by the authority and may change by its decision.
Extension
A valid visa may be extended before it runs out, and the extension is completed in one working day from the point the documents are in order.
- Condition
- The visa must still be valid when the application is filed, not expired.
- Period
- One working day.
- Common error
- Waiting until the visa has lapsed, which turns an extension into a breach.
Conversion into a work permit
Where a company finds its candidate already inside the Kingdom on a visit visa, that person can be converted to a commercial work permit without leaving. The prescribed fee for the conversion is 250 BHD, a government fee the authority publishes, listed in the permit fee table.
What is required before it is what is required for any new permit: room in the company's ceiling, a Bahrainisation rate that is met, and monthly fees settled.
The ninety-day window
A visa issued under a work permit has a window for use. If its holder does not enter the Kingdom within ninety days of issue, it is cancelled automatically and the procedure must begin again, with its fees.
What is not allowed
- Putting a visitor to work before their permit issues.
- Repeated exit and re-entry in place of a proper conversion.
- Leaving an issued visa unused until it lapses, then refiling again and again.
This guide is a general account. Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority are the final references for any condition or fee.
What does a visit visa to Bahrain cost?
Two weeks, single entry: 13 BHD; Multiple entry, three months: 29 BHD; Multiple entry, three months — for GCC residents: 29 BHD; Family visit: 39 BHD; Multiple entry, five years: 64 BHD. GCC nationals need no visa and pay no fee; they enter on their national identity card. The fees below apply to everyone else.
Do GCC nationals need a visa?
GCC nationals need no visa and pay no fee; they enter on their national identity card. The fees below apply to everyone else.
When should an extension be applied for?
Before the visa lapses, not after: once it has lapsed the matter turns from an extension into an irregular position.
Can a visitor be converted to a work permit without leaving?
Yes, at 250 BHD. It requires room in the company’s ceiling, a Bahrainisation rate that is met, and a visa still valid at the time of application.
Investor 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 Procedural guideDependant and family residency
Who may be brought, the attested documents required, and why a dependant residency lapses with the principal.
Read the guide Procedural guideRenewing residency and updating passport details
When residency is renewed and what blocks it, what a new passport requires, and why the records must agree with one another.
Read the guide Converting a visitor to a work permit
Send your commercial registration number and the visa’s status, and we set out whether the ceiling and the rate allow the conversion, and what it requires.