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BAHRAIN: New Visas and Changes Announced
December 14, 2016
As part of the fourth phase of its new visa policy, Bahrain has announced the introduction of two new visas; a single entry visa and a one-year multiple re-entry visa.
These new visas are available to nationals of 114 countries. This number has been recently increased from the original list of 38 countries. Residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are also eligible for the new visas.
The single entry visa is valid for a stay of up to two weeks, and the one-year re-entry visa allows a stay of up to 90 days.
Bahrain Interior Ministry”s department of Nationality, Passport and Residence Affairs (NPRA) has also announced changes to existing visas, which have been introduced to encourage more visitors from Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the USA.
Citizens of these four countries who hold a five-year multiple re-entry visa to Bahrain can now stay for a period of up to 90 days, as opposed to the previous limit of 30 days.
Bahrain has also increased the number of countries that are eligible for visa on arrival to 67 countries. A list of these countries, along with the list of 114 countries eligible for the newly introduced visas, can be found on the Bahrain eVisas website. Citizens and residents of GCC member states are also eligible for visas on arrival in Bahrain.
Officials also announced that holders of a three-month multiple re-entry visa can now stay in the country for up to one month, compared to the previous limit of two weeks.
The Undersecretary of the NPRA, Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, said “This new round of visa announcements represents another step for Bahrain”s commitment to openness. We have taken great strides in recent years in making the country even more accessible, helping both leisure and business tourists. These developments further aid Bahrain”s standing as a regional hub.”
Bahrain welcomed over 10 million visitors in 2015 and anticipates an 8 percent increase on this figure for 2016. The above-mentioned changes are intended to facilitate this.
For information and advice on Bahraini immigration, please contact us at [email protected].
