My Bahrain employer will not return my passport. What can I do?

01Which situation are you in?

Start with the passport problem itself. LMRA says withholding an expatriate employee's passport or ID card is illegal. The same official answer directs you to a police station and the Expat Protection Centre.

Use the table to choose the next official route. Treat resignation and transfer as a separate task, because the transfer service applies its own conditions and deadlines.

02Use the official recovery route

The official position is direct: an employer cannot lawfully withhold an expatriate employee's passport or ID card. LMRA also says you have the right to keep your passport with you. If it is kept by the employer, you should be able to access it whenever you want.

If the employer still refuses, report the case to a police station. LMRA also directs workers to the Expat Protection Centre for assistance.

LMRA says the EPC passport retrieval service can help recover the passport within 5 working days. This is the published service target, not a guarantee for an individual case.

1. Ask for access to your passport and make your request clear. LMRA says you should freely access it whenever you want if the employer keeps it.
2. If it is refused, report the case at a police station.
3. Call +973 995, the National Human Trafficking Hotline named by LMRA, or use [email protected] or the North Sehla centre.
4. If you also intend to leave or transfer, open a separate checklist for resignation and the transfer service.

03How to reach the Expat Protection Centre

LMRA says to call 995; its employee FAQ names +973 995 as the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The poster describes the line as free, confidential, available 24/7, and offered in different languages.

You can visit the Expat Protection Centre, Road 4153, North Sehla, Bahrain. The same poster lists [email protected] for email contact.

When you contact the centre, keep the request focused: your original passport is held by the employer and was not returned when requested. The official passport answer confirms that the centre can assist with this exact problem.

For other LMRA help, use the call centre at +973 17506055, the Virtual Centre, or Book an Appointment. If your CPR is lost or taken, report it and request a replacement through bahrain.bh, NPRA online, 17077077, or an NPRA branch.

04Keep the passport issue clear and documented

Practical record-keeping step: write down when you requested the passport, who received the request, and the response. Keep copies of messages you already have. This is editorial preparation, not an LMRA requirement.

Practical preparation: bring an available identification copy and basic employment details when you ask for help. The official issue is that LMRA says withholding the passport or ID card is illegal.

If the employer says keeping passports is company policy or safeguarding, the LMRA answer still directs the worker to police and the EPC. The official right to keep and access the passport remains the relevant starting point.

If you need to travel urgently and cannot get your passport back, ask your own country's embassy or consulate in Bahrain whether it can issue an emergency travel document. This is editorial advice, not an LMRA or Bahrain government rule; the Bahrain National Portal does not set out what foreign embassies in Bahrain offer.

A concise request you can send

Use a calm sentence that states the document and asks for a return time. Save the sent message and any reply. If the employer refuses, move to the official route rather than arguing about company policy.

05Handle resignation and transfer as a separate process

Recovering the passport does not remove the transfer service conditions. The current work permit must be valid for at least 5 days for the transfer route. If the permit has expired, the official service says the worker must apply for a new work permit instead.

The new employer must submit the transfer request to LMRA at least one month before the intended transfer date. During the process, the worker must continue working for the current employer until approval and payment of the new permit fees.

The notice period is 30 days or the period in the employment contract, up to a maximum of 90 days. The worker must submit resignation through Bahrain Post within that notice period unless using an official no-objection or termination letter listed by the service.

Timing near permit expiry matters. A request made during the final 3 months of permit validity is not allowed without the current employer's consent. After approval, the new employer must pay the work permit fees within 30 days or the approval is revoked.

The official transfer rules split employer decisions by whether the worker has completed 12 months under the current permit. After 12 months, a direct transfer can be rejected and seven days of inaction cancels that application. For a transfer after the notice period, seven days of inaction results in automatic approval after the notice period. Before 12 months, the employer can approve a direct transfer.

1. Check that the current permit is not expired and remains valid for at least 5 days.
2. Check whether the request falls within the final 3 months of permit validity, when current employer consent is required.
3. Have the new employer submit the request at least one month before the transfer date.
4. Deliver resignation through Bahrain Post within the applicable notice period if that is the route used.
5. Continue working until the transfer is approved and the new employer pays the required work permit fees.
6. Ensure the new employer pays within 30 days after approval.

06What the official pages don't say

The official pages reviewed do not promise that reporting passport withholding prevents dismissal, retaliation, or another employment dispute. They also do not say that passport recovery automatically approves a transfer. Use the passport recovery route for the document, then follow the transfer service rules for any move.

The LMRA material reviewed does not publish a fee for the EPC passport retrieval service. It does publish the 995 support number and describes that hotline as free and confidential.

07FAQs

Is it legal for my employer in Bahrain to keep my passport?

No. LMRA says withholding an expatriate employee's passport or ID card is illegal.

Where do I report an employer who refuses to return it?

LMRA says report the case to a police station and says you can also visit the Expat Protection Centre for assistance.

How long can passport recovery through EPC take?

LMRA publishes a target of helping within 5 working days through the EPC passport retrieval service.

Can I contact EPC at night or in another language?

LMRA describes 995 as free, confidential, available 24/7, and offered in different languages. Its employee FAQ names +973 995 as the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Does getting my passport back guarantee a job transfer?

No official page reviewed makes that promise. The transfer still depends on permit validity, timing, notice, employer decision rules, and payment.

What if my employer refuses to accept my resignation?

LMRA says to go to the post office and send the notice by registered mail to the company's official address, using the same physical address registered at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. For a transfer, attach the registered-mail proof when that route is used.

Can I transfer if my work permit has expired?

The official transfer service says an employee with an expired permit must apply for a new work permit rather than a transfer.

What if I must travel before the passport is recovered?

If you need to travel urgently and cannot get your passport back, ask your own country's embassy or consulate in Bahrain whether it can issue an emergency travel document. This is editorial advice, not an LMRA or Bahrain government rule; the Bahrain National Portal does not set out what foreign embassies in Bahrain offer.

08Official sources

• LMRA employee passport FAQ
• LMRA General Questions by Employees
• LMRA Working Together passport poster
• Bahrain government Expatriate Employee Transfer

Official details checked 13 October 2026.

Related guides: change employers through LMRA · prepare a Bahrain resignation letter · check your LMRA work permit status