Bahrain digital nomad visa & residency (2026)

Officials confirmed the Schengen-style unified GCC visa—covering Bahrain and the five other Gulf states on a single permit—would launch in 2026 after backend-integration delays, expanding regional mobility for visitors and remote workers.

Bahrain launched a dedicated Golden Residency portal/hotline and allowed Golden Visa holders to apply directly to the LMRA for work permits (~10 working days), turning passive residency into an active right to work.

Bahrain reduced the minimum property/investment threshold for Golden Residency from BHD 200,000 to roughly BHD 130,000, broadening eligibility for investors and entrepreneurs.

At their meeting in Oman, GCC interior ministers unanimously approved a unified tourist visa scheme for the six member states including Bahrain, modelled on Europe's Schengen system.

Under Decision No. 20/2022, Bahrain introduced a renewable 10-year Golden Residency with four pathways (property investors, high earners, retirees, talents), letting holders live, work and sponsor family—the country's flagship long-term residency route.

The LMRA introduced a two-year self-sponsorship permit allowing foreign workers to be their own sponsor and work for multiple employers without a local sponsor—a landmark reform of the kafala sponsorship system.

Bahrain launched its electronic visa system, letting nationals of eligible countries apply online for visit visas (and convert to self-sponsored residence permits)—the practical entry route used by remote workers earning foreign income.

Bahrain created the LMRA under Law No. 19 of 2006 to regulate work permits and residency of foreign labour, forming the institutional backbone for all later residency and work-permit reforms.