One year visit visa for Baharain

The first thing you need to know is that "evisas" are not valid for travel via the causeway which is why they are asking for a return air ticket. You can put a 3 month return. Secondly, if she is a Thai national and applies for an un-sponsored e-visa, she is not likely to get the 1 year one (or she could; I am just giving probabilities based on recent experiences of people).  Even if she does get it, the turn-around on the causeway won't be possible as already highlighted; you can exit to Saudi via the causeway but will have to fly back in unless they allow otherwise which is usually arbitrary and a risk.

If you have Saudi iqamas, then she can enter and exit Bahrain via visa on arrival for up to two weeks.

In these situations, usually the quickest (and cheapest) option is to get NOC from the Saudi sponsor, submit documents and get a longer term visa for Bahrain with a paper CPR which is what I assume your agent is doing for you.  These allow you to travel via the causeway. The other options is to sponsor yourself and family for Bahrain visas via buying property or setting up a company.

Nads! I thought it was too good to be true

Looks like I am going to have to see if the CR issue resolves itself at work.

Yes, my visa agent is trying to get a two year entry exit visa for my wife. He has asked for a lot of information, but I think it's all standard, right?

NOC
Lease agreement copy
iqama copy
passport copy
multiple reentry 5 year visa
copy of saudi reentry
marriage certificate
wife’s passport copy
iqama copy
multiple reentry
Company Registration copy for the company

Unfortunately, on my iqama I am part of a 'charity' organisation, so the CR doesn't actually relate to the charity part of our company, but to the main entity. So, getting a CR from my company is difficult for me, specifically.

The agent has aked for the nine digits that are required from the CR to put into the computer system at the NRPA, and he said without this it's going to be impossible.

Thankfully, someone from my company will talk to him this week, but I fear I might have to start looking at other options

SM@

Yes this is all standard.  There is nothing extra as far as I can see.  Most important are NOC, lease agreement, marriage certificate and CR.  They co-relate NOC and CR.

Look, my personal view is that if you ever want to live in a country which you are not working in; never be reliant on someone else e.g. a sponsor.  There are too many variables e.g. if they withdraw the NOC at some later stage, you lose your Bahrain visas and are then stuck with a rented premises & other commitments.

I work in Saudi and live in Bahrain but have set up my own company to provide myself visas.  When I used to work in Bahrain, I was on my employer's visa like everyone else.

Xtang

This is excellent advice. I am seriously considering the business option now, as this might be the simplest way to go and provide the most amount of longevity.

If I may ask, did you do all the set up and registration etc yourself, or did you use a company? I like to do things myself so that I know what's going on, but there are times when you need a local to assist.

From start to finish, how long did it take you to get registered and visas in hand?

I know I have gone off topic

Thanks,
SM@

It's ok.  I did most of it myself but did use an agent for the legwork as I was in Saudi by then.

Have a look at this sticky which I posted on the topic:   https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=739858

I started in Nov.  Wife's visa was in hand by mid Dec and mine by mid Jan.   To be fair, i could have done it all in first week of Dec but we had to travel and then I wasn't able to get off work.

However, to do it this quickly, I had to do proper research and planning.  You will see a lot of threads where people have been stuck for months and months doing it.   So plan and research properly.  This will save you time.

XTang

Thanks very much for the information.

Hopefully, my company can sort something out. Ideally, they can just 'transfer' me back to the main company rather than the charity, and then I can obtain the CR and everything will be rosy. Otherwise.....well, we will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Thanks again for the detailed info

Cheers,
SM@