Saudi work visit visa exit-entry via Bahrain causeway

The rules have not changed but are just being enforced.

If your visa says OPEN in mode of travel, you can travel by road.  If it says AIR, then you cannot.   In the past, after making first entry via air, you could travel via road on subsequent entries.

Thanks for the reply. After my first entry via Airport, I did cross the border via causeway in Aug 2018. However, someone is telling that it is no longer possible. Anyone have any experience after August 2018? may be in September or October 2018?

As I said, they were lenient in the past and let you travel from second entry onwards via the road even if the visa said Air. Not anymore.

Any idea if this has become a bit more lenient? Planning a trip with the Mrs (i am a resident, she is on a multiple visit visa - American passport).

I'd appreciate a feedback.

Thanks

No.  Same as before.

So you wouldn't suggest i'd just take the risk and go?

I wouldn't.  It was lenient for years and years until recently.  So the change seems well thought out.  I don't expect it to reverse overnight. 

If you want to take the risk, you can.  Just have a backup plan in place.

You can exit Saudi via the causeway but they will deny entry back into the Kingdom via the causeway. This happened to my colleague a few weeks back and he had to fly back

Your colleague was still lucky i.e. that he was allowed to exit.  For a lot of others, they stopped them from even exiting.

Just called the Causeway’s passport control to confirm.
The answer was short and straight
If your visa states air as the mode of transport, then you can only fly out and in of the country.

Yep.  That is what I have been saying repeatedly over the last two months on many threads like this.  But people just don't want to believe any news that causes them inconvenience

I guess because it’s more of a silly rule that is never heard of before anywhere else :s

Actually no.  This rule was always in place - they were just not enforcing it.  Yeah it  doesn't make sense but they are not the only country doing it - I have seen similar issues on the land borders in Asia e.g. Malaysia / Singapore etc.

I am an American on a biz (visitor) visa that says "flight" and was allowed to leave KSA via the causeway 2 weeks ago, and was told I could drive back in but only because I'm American. I'm due a visa run soon and will encourage my company to research the options, since it's their dime, not mine.

You are lucky. My american colleague was stopped. And so were other Americans on this forum. The enforcement is up to the person at the counter in this part of the world.

Got confirmation today that an American colleague crossed into KSA without incident. Again, the US consulate has been working on getting this reversed. Looks like American weight has won the day for us. I hope the Saudis relax on this for everyone though.

were you able to drive back to Saudi?

I have just spoken to Immigration on the causeway and the ban has been lifted for British nationals holding fly in/out visa.

Only British passports? Any idea about Australian passport?

Sorry no! But this is the number. (‭013 668 7400‬) Ask for immigration and they will tell you. Good luck!

thanks a lot, mate!

They have started easing it for some nationalities based on the respective clout and who makes the most noise.

The first one to be relaxed was Americans and now British.   As far as I know, for most of the rest, this is still in place.

How to check the mode of travel?

Says so on the top left side of visa in Arabic. Joo for air and maftuu for open.

Thanks XTang.
Visa stamping mentioned Maftuu so I can go by road if having Bahrain visa, right?

Yes

Its is mentioned in your visa. Next to your designation, in your visa, you find in Arabic way of travel. Way of travel depends on the designation in the visa during application.

E.G. I have a 2 yr work visit visa, designation Project Engineer, Way of travel ; by road, air and sea

Regards

Hello Guys, can you confirm if this has been changed for Americans? Multiple Entry visa, mode of entry: Air.
Cheers.

The rule hasn't changed.  They are just not applying it on Americans as per what people are saying

Well fingers crossed then.

Will try it out in the coming weekends and confirm if Americans are actually able to cross without any hassle, even if the visit visa states that the mode of travel is by Air.

Otherwise, it's Khobar all over again hehe.

Good luck.  Let us know

Hi am in al khobar,i have my wife and daughter under 1 year visit visa,after 6 month i want to send them bahrain through king fahad causeway,
Could any ome please explain to obtain the visa for bahrain for Saudi visit visa holders.

I think the visit visa holders can exit via causeway after obtaining a visa from Bahrain. However, they may have to fly back to Saudi

Dear mr Prasanth  staying in khobar , from india kerala I am also  bring my family this month for 1 year can you share your experience or can i get you number or take my number please help ***.

is it possible to extend visa after 3 month ?

did you travel after 6 months via causeway.?

I have a couple questions about crossing from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia via the causeway. For context, I am a US citizen with a 5 year multiple entry business visa. I am flying into Bahrain, and I will get a Visa on Arrival.

1. Is it determined for sure that Americans can now cross even with an "AIR ONLY" visa?

2. Would someone be able to brief on the entire crossing, with as much detail as possible? I will have a rental car from Bahrain, and the company is providing a NOC for me to drive the car in KSA. I also have an AAA International Driver's Permit from the US, for what it's worth. I know that I need to buy insurance, pay toll, and go through immigration and customs.

Where is the insurance booth? Is it something I can miss? Can insurance and toll be paid with a credit card, or should I get cash? I do have some SAR from a previous visit to Saudi Arabia, but I'm not sure I have enough.

Am I likely to encounter any problems with my situation? I am a very experienced international traveler, but I have never done this crossing, or even been in Bahrain before. I was in Saudi Arabia once, but I was with my friends the entire time, from picking me up at the airport to dropping me off at the airport. This time, I will be alone.

Thank you for any information!

1) Nothing is for sure in this part of the world.  But it seems that they have relaxed it for Americans.  Let us know how it goes for you
2) It is straightforward.  The insurance booth is just before the toll counters on the causeway on the right hand side.  Slow down when you see the toll counters (actually slow down as soon as you get under the overhead bridge) and keep to the right.  You CAN miss it as you don't have to go through these, as you have to, when coming back from Saudi.  Have cash handy; either SAR or BHD.  Forget credit cards.

When you arrive at the first set of booths (10+ km from toll), after clearing toll counters, they will give you a slip of paper.  This is the customs paper and is only given if car is insured & you have NOC in your name.  Keep it safe and don't lose it. Then proceed to Bahrain immigration, clear it and cross over to Saudi side.  Go to Saudi immigration and hand over customs paper / passports.  Then exit and proceed to to Saudi customs; they will tell you to pull into a lane on the side (they shout the number in Arabic - but use common sense and follow other cars if you don't speak Arabic).  Do that, open the boot and stand outside with the customs paper in your hand.  They will do a cursory check (depending on your luck) and stamp the customs paper.  Then exit from the last set of booths where they will take the customs paper.  If it wasn't stamped by Saudi customs, they will turn you back. From the first set of booth, till you exit, it is a straight path and if you keep going straight, you won't get lost

The only issues that happen is huge queues at the wrong times or if Saudi customs flag your car for an X-ray or if you lose the customs paper / forget the stamps.

Stay away from lanes which have red lights (at all steps from beginning to end) even if the cars are going into those as it means that the officer at that counter is ending his shift and another one may or may not come to that counter.  The guys going into those lanes are locals who speak Arabic and are going to try their luck to convince the officer to process their car before he goes - chances of success, less than 10% . Fully closed red light lanes will not have any cars in them obviously.

Also, when you enter Saudi immigration side, the counters are not straight drive through as the Bahrain ones are.  They have put in new ones which are parallel to each other i.e. you get into a lane where there are 4-5 counters on your right (accessible through the same lane); when the light turns green on any of them, you go straight, turn right and the counter window is to your left.  You will experience these on Bahrain side as well when coming back into Bahrain.  You will see what I mean when you get there.

Few watch outs: Do NOT carry ANY alcohol whatsoever and not more than 200 cigarettes. One offence will lead to your car being impounded until a huge fine is paid and the other will lead to both you & the car ending up in the lock up. Sometimes, the customs checks are arbitrary and they take offence on the weirdest of items - if in doubt, don't carry.

Thank you sir, this is exactly the information I was looking for!

I have a couple more questions I thought of after reading your reply:

1. How much cash will I need for the crossing, for insurance and toll? Will I need to buy anything besides insurance and toll?

2. I have never visited Bahrain, so I'm not sure about the visa. I know that I can get a visa on arrival. However, I will need two entries. Can I get a multiple entry visa when I fly in that will allow me to cross on the causeway? Or should I get a single entry visa upon arrival at the airport and then get another visa on the causeway when I return from Saudi Arabia?

This trip will all be done in one day, if that makes any difference. I am making a day trip from Dubai. I am very intrigued by the causeway. I want to see it and I also want the experience of driving across it. I have one day to kill in Dubai, hence this strange plan!

I do not plan to spend more than a couple hours in KSA. I am flying in to Bahrain in the morning from Dubai, driving to KSA and back, and flying out of Bahrain back to Dubai in the evening. If it takes me the entire day to drive from Manama to Khobar and back, I'll be happy. Mission accomplished!

Based on this, what are my best options for Bahrain visa? How much will I expect to pay?

1) Toll is 2.5 BD or 25 SAR.  Insurance varies based on the number of  days you want it for.  I think one day is a nominal amount of around a BD or so

2) Get a multiple entry - I think it will be 25 BD.  Or alternatively, get a weekly visa each time, that would be 5 BD or so

Just a follow up here: today, Friday, September 6, 2019 I did what I was hoping to do which I outlined in a previous post.

It was very simple all around! I timed the crossings in both directions, and coincidentally the time required was exactly the same. It took 18 minutes from the Bahrain customs booth to passing by the McDonald's on the Saudi side. Half of that time was spent waiting at Saudi customs.

The return to Bahrain also took 18 minutes, from the first booth on the Saudi side to passing by the McDonald's on the Bahraini side. The processing was generally quicker, but there was more waiting in traffic.

To answer a question about the "Air only" visa, that was absolutely no issue. I have a US passport with an "Air only" 5 year multiple entry business visa. Another thing is that my Saudi Arabian visa is in an expired passport. I handed both passports to the immigration agent, he checked the visa in my expired passport, and stamped my current passport. The entire process was absolutely painless!

When I flew into Bahrain this morning, I told the immigration officer what I was doing. He recommended getting a single entry visa for 5 BD, and getting another one on the Causeway. Otherwise it would have been 25 BD for a multiple entry visa. He said exactly what XTang said. So that's what I did. The total Bahraini visa cost was 10 BD.