Bahrain New Visa Regulations

This is very good news Gunner757.
Thanks for sharing and updating us with this very useful information.
Bedh

very good news ! thumbs up !

Thanks for sharing the info gunner!! your the man!! 

so... the question. As a Bahrain <-> Saudi commuter, does this mean I will no longer collect passport stamps seeing as how the visa I got today coming home should be valid for longer and multi-entry (according to the info above)?

Also, if someone I know (Brit.) came to Bahrain on a tourist visa last month, will their visa still be single entry or can it be converted to multi-entry?

suburbansam wrote:

so... the question. As a Bahrain <-> Saudi commuter, does this mean I will no longer collect passport stamps seeing as how the visa I got today coming home should be valid for longer and multi-entry (according to the info above)?

Also, if someone I know (Brit.) came to Bahrain on a tourist visa last month, will their visa still be single entry or can it be converted to multi-entry?

It depends on factors

Do you have an Iqama? If yes then you need a paper Bahrain CPR and residence permit, that stops the passport stamps. You can also get a causeway book.

Regarding the multi entry exit visa you normally have to leave Bahrain every 28 days and for wives and kids that can't get in to Saudi that means a flight out. Visit visa means a flight every 6 months

I appreciate the attempted answers...

I have an iqama and will shortly have the CPR paper. When you say residence permit, what do you mean? Bahraini residence? I didn't know I was eligible not having a sponsor in Bahrain. I'm also wondering whether the 5 year multi entry which I just applied for will be a waste of money now. If all this stops the passport stamps, why get a causeway book? Wouldn't that be superfluous?

A visit visa was, until the 1st of April, single entry. But if things have changed while you are here on a visit visa, will they now be regarded as multientry or not or will someone who arrived prior to the 1st leaving now have to buy another one on re-entry? That was more my quesition.

These new visa regulations won't stop passport stamps !
But yeah to be free from passport stamps , get a Causeway Booklet , am not sure about how one can get it !

Those issued visit visas as Single before April 1st , would be considered single !
There won't be a change in the visas issued before April 1 !


A visit to NPRA would be better to get an answer !
I guess they'll cancel "Single Entry" visit visa to "Multiple Entries "
Now all those coming after April 1st in the Airport are issued Multiple Entry visas !
Not sure about the causeway !

Anyways , in the image below , you'll find the Stay Limits and Number of Entries accordingly for a UK Citizen with a Saudi Iqama  !

Thank! You! gunner757! 

Assalam O Alaikum everyone, something I am looking into: I have a US passport & I am on a Visit Visa in Bahrain, I got an on-arrival 2 weeks Visit Visa later I applied for & obtained a 5 year multiple Visit Visa.  The problem: I have to leave Bahrain every 4 weeks, then I can enter Bahrain again & the 4 weeks cycle would restart.  I know that I cannot get a Saudi Visa on the causeway with my situation, can I just exit Bahrain via causeway & re-enter Bahrain making a U-Turn without entering Saudi Arabia?

Possibility:  I can have a Bahraini citizen in the same car if it makes any difference for me to get a Saudi Visa or something.

Any & Every suggestion is appreciated, I'm trying to avoid going to Dubai for no reason & come right back to Bahrain...

Jazak Allah

That won't work !
I'll tell a story of mine !

I entered Bahrain via causeway after few hours got an exit immigration stamp from the airport as I was catching a flight !
Flight was cancelled after 6 hours stay in the airport , and while entering immigration , he just wrote cancelled on my "Exit Stamp" !

I don't know about the causeway procedures if you're just turning back !
Such loopholes may exist !

You could've opted for a 3 months visit visa instead !

I just posted a similar issue here , read it Visit Visa

This won't work. You should never have applied for the 5 year if you don't have a sponsor in Bahrain because visit visas allow you to stay longer than the 5 year multi entry.

You will have to fly out every 28 days. Sorry, but at least you'll get some decent air miles.

Jazak Allah gunner757 & suburbansam, in that case I'll keep going out & returning back same/next day. I didn't know that 3 months visa did exist, I still can't find any info about that. Oh well, I guess I'll get to sit in a damn flight every 28 days

Again, thanks for your help.

Assalam O Alaikum.

Thank you gunner757 for this info.

islandmacaw wrote:

Assalam O Alaikum everyone, something I am looking into: I have a US passport & I am on a Visit Visa in Bahrain, I got an on-arrival 2 weeks Visit Visa later I applied for & obtained a 5 year multiple Visit Visa.  The problem: I have to leave Bahrain every 4 weeks, then I can enter Bahrain again & the 4 weeks cycle would restart.  I know that I cannot get a Saudi Visa on the causeway with my situation, can I just exit Bahrain via causeway & re-enter Bahrain making a U-Turn without entering Saudi Arabia?

Possibility:  I can have a Bahraini citizen in the same car if it makes any difference for me to get a Saudi Visa or something.

Any & Every suggestion is appreciated, I'm trying to avoid going to Dubai for no reason & come right back to Bahrain...

Jazak Allah

Hi,

I have a friend with US passport with the same situation as yours. He has a Saudi visa and commutes to work. He takes his wife for a u turn every 30 days without any problems. However, he was warned once by one guy. Most of the guys at the immigration stop are generous enough. However you might on a bad day end up with a grumpy one. Sweet talk your way out.

If you can manage it there should be no trouble making a u turn. I also know some Brits doing the same for their family.

Regards

live.ali wrote:

islandmacaw wrote:

Assalam O Alaikum everyone, something I am looking into: I have a US passport & I am on a Visit Visa in Bahrain.... for me to get a Saudi Visa or something.

Hi,

I have a friend with US passport with the same situation as yours. He has a Saudi visa and commutes to work.

well, then he's not in the same situation as the OP who has indicated that he doesn't have a Saudi visa. I think the fact that your friend is the driver, has an iqama and is doing this for a dependent might make the difference for him from the OP.

islandmacaw... why not try it and let us know if it works? The worst that can happen is a lecture and a forced turnaround. the best is a simple solution to your problem.

  wowwwwwwwwww good initiative 

suburbansam I read your last comment few minutes ago, btw I took a flight last month to go out & come back in.  I was approaching that time this month as well but I met a family friend last night who is a Bahraini citizen & agreed on taking the risk to atleast try.  Guess what fellows, it worked!!!!  I was able to exit at the causeway, no questions asked, I handed over passports myself along with Bahraini's CPR to the immigration guy in the booth saying "Assalam O Alaikum" & in few minutes I was heading towards re-entry making a U-Turn.  Same exact thing at re-entry, only odd thing was that I got an exit stamp on the passport but no stamp of re-entry, I got the car parked & went back to the same booth & told the guy sitting inside about this, he said no problem as in don't worry about it (since he entered the information in their computer I am guessing).

SO, let's see what happens next month, if you guys don't see another post from me next month, don't try it   

Al-hamdu-lil-lah

Jazak Allah.

thanks for that helpful sharing of experience islandmcaw

BTW... for Brits who want tourist visas: the same old 3-month single-entry visa is available at the airport (20BD). But if you want the new multi-entry tourist visa, bear in mind that it only allows you to stay for 14 days at a time. I'm glad the guy mentioned this at immigration as it would have caught us out.