Bahrain
Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA)
The authority that issues work permits for foreign workers in Bahrain.
Call centre 17506055, used by the LMRA to receive reports of labour violations (from an LMRA press release, read 8 October 2026)
— Before You Fly
Before you fly to Bahrain
Four things to do before you board: check the offer with the destination's own authority, know your rights, carry the right papers, and get the practical details in writing.
Who to check with in Bahrain.
Last checked 29 September 2026. Links go to official sites we do not control; treat each site as the authority, not this page.
Your Rights, From Official Sources
What the government and the ILO publish, in plain words. Laws change: your contract and the official page always win over this summary.
Recruitment fees and your documents
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It is prohibited for an employer to confiscate a worker's passport (Penal Code, article 395).
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
The factsheet notes that charging recruitment fees to workers is not explicitly prohibited by law. Check what a recruiter charges against the rules of your own country.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Contract and pay
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The employment contract must be in Arabic in two original copies, with any other-language version attached. There is no legal minimum wage for private-sector workers.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Employers have met their duty to pay wages only once they are paid in full through the Wages Protection Scheme (Decision No. 68 of 2019), and monthly-paid workers must be paid at least once a month.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Hours, rest and leave
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The Labour Law (Law No. 36 of 2012) sets a working day of eight hours or 48 hours a week, and six hours a day in Ramadan for Muslim workers. There is one weekly rest day, Friday unless otherwise agreed.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Working on a rest day earns 150 per cent of normal pay or an extra rest day, at the worker's choice. Annual leave is 30 days.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
After three consecutive months with an employer, a worker is entitled to 15 days of sick leave at full pay each year.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Health, safety and housing
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Non-Bahraini workers' private health insurance must be provided and paid for by the employer.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023) -
Outdoor work is banned between 12.00 and 16.00 from 1 July to 31 August, except for oil and gas workers doing emergency maintenance.
ILO factsheet: Bahrain, regulatory framework governing migrant workers (updated December 2023)
Compare all six Gulf countries side by side →
Checked against the linked pages on 2026-09-30. This is general information, not legal advice.
What goes in your hand luggage.
Papers, originals
- Your passport, with your visa or entry documents ready
- Your medical and any clearance certificates your destination required
- Your flight details and the address you are going to
Papers, copies
- The employment contract exactly as you signed it, printed and on your phone
- Education and trade certificates, kept apart from your main folder
- A photo of your passport photo page saved where your family can also reach it
People and health
- Phone numbers for your specialist, your employer contact and your family, written down
- Any prescription medicine in its original packaging, with the prescription
- A small amount of cash for the first day, not a large sum
Keep your own passport with you. If anyone asks to hold it, do not hand it over before you have checked the rights above and talked to your specialist.
Ask these before you board, and keep the answers.
Details such as pickup, housing and how pay reaches you differ by employer and city. We do not guess them for you; ask, and get the answer in a message or document you can show later.
- Who meets me at the airport? A name, a phone number that works from abroad, and where they will be standing.
- Where will I sleep on the first night, and after? The address, who pays for it, and whether it matches what the contract says.
- Who is my contact on the first day? A named supervisor or HR contact, not just a company name.
- How and when is my salary paid? Into which bank account, on which date, and in which currency. Paid to you directly, not to someone else.
- Who pays for the flight, the visa and the medical? It should match your contract. If something is charged to you that the contract does not mention, ask why before you pay.
- What happens if the job is not the one in my contract? Know who to call first, and keep the authority above and your specialist's details to hand.
Your first days.
- Tell your family you have arrived, and send them the address you are staying at.
- Check what you were given against your contract: job, pay, hours, housing. If they differ, tell your specialist the same day.
- Keep every document you are given, and take a photo of each one.
- If something is wrong, contact your specialist first, then the authority in Step 1.
Local practicalities such as phone plans, banking and transport are not covered here because we do not publish anything we have not verified. Your specialist and employer can tell you what applies to your city.
Routes into Bahrain
- India → Bahrain
- Brazil → Bahrain
- Bangladesh → Bahrain
- Nepal → Bahrain
- Bhutan → Bahrain
- Sri Lanka → Bahrain
- Indonesia → Bahrain
- Philippines → Bahrain
Full pre-departure checklist · Sending money home · When your contract ends · For your family