Practical guide
Can I still get a Bahrain flexi permit?
By Gaurav Agarwal · Updated 11 October 2026
No. The Flexi Permit is no longer offered, and no LMRA page we read gives an official end date. LMRA's current route is the Labour Registration Program, which issues a registered worker permit through an approved registration centre. The one-year permit starts at BHD 365 and the two-year permit at BHD 560, plus a BHD 15 monthly fee. Only workers already inside Bahrain can apply.
01Is the Flexi Permit still open?
No. No LMRA page offers the Flexi Permit today; the pages for applying describe the Labour Registration Program instead (checked 11 October 2026).
LMRA's notice of 7 February 2023 told irregular workers and Flexi permit holders to correct their status before 4 March 2023 through the Labour Registration Program (not open to those with criminal offences or permit violations). From March, it warned, violators faced legal action, inspections and deportation.
The end date is not on an official page we could read. MRRORS, a migrant-rights news site, reported on 17 October 2022 that the Crown Prince and Prime Minister ordered LMRA on 5 October 2022 to cancel the programme, with a 3-month grace period for holders. Treat it as a press report; LMRA (+973 17103103) can confirm.
02Old Flexi Permit versus the registered worker permit
The left column is historical, from LMRA's undated Flexi booklet and its sister PDF; none of it is a current rule or fee. The right column is what LMRA's pages show now.
| Old Flexi Permit (historical) | Registered worker permit (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | No longer offered | The route to use now |
| Who it was for | Expatriates with cancelled work permits, expired work permits (no dependants), unpaid salary with a labour court case, or a cancelled workplace registration | Workers inside Bahrain with a terminated permit (the FAQ says no valid permit instead), no criminal record or absconding offence, not in breach of contract |
| Two years, first issue | BHD 749 in the booklet: 500 permit + 144 health care + 15 residence extension + 90 refundable ticket insurance. The sister PDF says BHD 449: 200 + 144 + 15 + 90 | BHD 560 initial total |
| One year, first issue | BHD 427: 250 + 72 + 15 + 90 | BHD 365 initial total |
| Monthly fee | BHD 30, paid at Bahrain Financing Company branches | BHD 15 (LMRA FAQ) |
| Admin fee | BHD 5 for every transaction | BHD 5 when you submit |
| Dependants | Not allowed under a Flexi employee | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Restricted jobs | No work in restaurants, hotels or salons unless you held the Flexi Hospitality type (drivers and receptionists excepted) | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Card to carry | The BLUE CARD, at all times | The work card, at all times |
| Applying | Visit the Sitra branch or text your CPR number to 33 150 150 | Apply at an approved Labour Registration Centre |
03What is the Labour Registration Program?
The Labour Registration Program issues a registered worker permit and a work card. You do not apply to LMRA directly. You apply at an approved Labour Registration Centre, which sends your application to LMRA.
You can choose a permit for six months, one year or two years. The LMRA service page gives these totals.
| Period | Initial total | Renewal total |
|---|---|---|
| Six months | BHD 267.5 | BHD 107.5 |
| One year | BHD 365 | BHD 205 |
| Two years | BHD 560 | BHD 400 |
04What is included in the fees?
The initial total includes a one-time residency extension of BHD 15 and a one-time ticket insurance payment of BHD 150. It also includes a work card fee of BHD 5, and a BHD 5 admin fee that you pay when you submit your application.
The line items on the LMRA page add up to BHD 5 more than each stated initial total. Ask the centre for the exact amount before you pay.
The LMRA FAQ says there is a BHD 15 monthly fee for the registered worker permit. The service page's fee table does not break the monthly fee down by permit length, so confirm the amount for a one-year or two-year permit at your centre.
05Who can apply?
Only workers inside Bahrain can apply. The apply page says your permit must be terminated; the FAQ says you must not hold a valid one. Run the official eligibility check before you pay.
| Your situation | Can you apply? |
|---|---|
| Inside Bahrain, with a terminated permit (apply page) or no valid permit (FAQ), no criminal record or absconding offence, not in breach of your contract | Probably yes. Run the eligibility check to confirm. |
| On a visit visa | No. Visit visa holders cannot apply. |
| Outside Bahrain | No. Permits are limited to workers in the Kingdom. |
| Named on a Commercial Registration ownership list | No. |
06Which route is yours?
Use this table to find your starting point. Where the pages we read give no rule, we say so.
| Your situation | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Former Flexi holder, inside Bahrain | Run the eligibility check for the Labour Registration Program. LMRA's 7 February 2023 notice said Flexi holders inside Bahrain could register unless they had criminal offences or permit violations. |
| Expired or invalid permit, inside Bahrain | Same route: run the eligibility check, then apply at an approved centre if it says you qualify. |
| Worker who wants to change employer | Use LMRA's Transfer to Another Employer service. Your new employer submits the request. See the section on changing employer below. |
| Visitor on a visit visa | Not eligible for the registered worker permit. MRRORS reported on 17 October 2022, citing LMRA's CEO, that visit visas can no longer be converted into work permits. |
| Employer | This guide covers the worker route only. Use the employer services on the LMRA site. |
07Three short scenarios
You still have an old Flexi card. It gives you no route today. Check eligibility by texting your CPR number to +973 33150150 or calling +973 17103103.
You are on a visit visa with a job offer. Visit visa holders are not eligible. Do not pay anyone who promises a conversion.
Your permit expired and you are inside Bahrain. Run the eligibility check. With no criminal record or absconding offence and no contract breach, you may be able to apply at an approved centre.
08How to apply, step by step
LMRA lists a processing time of two working days. The apply page also lists 7 working days for the Information and eGovernment Authority and NPRA, so allow longer overall. The apply page lists two documents: the signed form and a passport copy. The service page also lists a recent bank certificate showing your IBAN, if you have one, and embassy-approved qualifications, if they apply to you.
Follow these steps in order.
- Check eligibility. Text your CPR number to +973 33150150, call +973 17103103, or use the Verification of Eligibility page on the LMRA website.
- Fill in the Registered Worker Permit Service Form (PDF) and sign it.
- Take the signed form and a copy of your valid passport to an approved Labour Registration Centre. The centre submits your application and uploads your documents.
- Pay the BHD 5 admin fee at one of LMRA's payment channels.
- LMRA evaluates and audits the file. It then passes the file to the Information and eGovernment Authority and to Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) for checks.
- When the file is ready for payment, LMRA sends an SMS to your registered number.
- Pay the permit fees through an approved channel. The apply page says NPRA's immigration department then checks the application again before the work permit is issued.
- Collect your work card from the centre. The centre also gives you an introductory session.
09Where do you pay the fees?
Pay the permit fees through SADAD (online or at kiosks), in cash at approved Labour Registration Centres, Bahrain Financial Company (BFC) or Lulu Exchange, or online through BenefitPay (Fawateer).
A registration centre may not charge you any extra amount, or take any benefit, for its services (LMRA FAQ). If someone asks for more, ask for the official fee table and call +973 17103103.
A passing eligibility check is not a permit. The permit is issued only after the admin fee, the LMRA audit, the permit fee payment and the NPRA check.
10The details people miss
Late monthly fees: LMRA charges BHD 5 for each month the monthly fee is unpaid, up to BHD 15 in total.
Renewal: you can renew six months before your permit expires. You can choose a renewal of six months, one year or two years.
Cancelling: pay all monthly fees and the BHD 5 admin fee first. Then submit the cancellation at the registration centre with the service form, your ID or worker card, and proof of the reason.
Your obligations (LMRA FAQ): carry the work card at all times, complete the required medical examination, update your data at the registration centre regularly, and follow Bahrain's laws. A registered worker may not obtain a commercial registry.
Travel: the registered worker can leave and return to Bahrain as long as the permit is valid (LMRA FAQ).
11Changing employer, and an employer holding your passport
LMRA's Transfer to Another Employer service moves you to a new employer without cancelling your permit, if it is valid for at least five days. The new employer applies at least one month ahead, pays the admin fee, then pays the permit fees within 30 days of approval. Until approval you keep working for your current employer, who keeps paying the monthly fees. An expired permit needs a new work permit, not a transfer.
Send a passport copy valid for six months plus one of: a no-objection letter, a termination letter, a letter accepting your resignation, or your resignation letter and notice under the Labour Law. In the last three months of a permit, a transfer needs your current employer's consent.
If an employer holds your passport: the LMRA pages we read do not mention it. Article 12 of Law No. 36 of 2012 says an employer must give a receipt for documents or items deposited with it, and return them immediately on request when the contract ends. The text does not say whether that covers a passport. To complain, use LMRA's Protection and Assistance service at the Protection and Grievances Centre in Northern Sehla (Sunday to Thursday, 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, contact centre +973 995). Take your ID card, a passport copy and supporting documents.
| Time on current permit | Employer can |
|---|---|
| Under 12 months | Approve directly, approve after notice (30 days, or per contract, up to 90), or reject. No action in seven days cancels the request. |
| 12 months or more | Approve directly or after notice. No action in seven days means approval after the 30-day notice. |
12What to do if you cannot apply
Visit visa holders and people outside Bahrain cannot join the program. Do not pay anyone who promises a different route.
Call LMRA's Expatriate Services Call Centre on +973 17103103, or email [email protected], both listed in the LMRA FAQ. Give them your CPR number and your current status so they can tell you the right route.
Choose only a centre from LMRA's approved list of Labour Registration Centres.
13Your next step
Start at the LMRA registered worker permit page, and keep +973 17103103 to hand. The guides below cover the next steps.
14FAQs
Can I still get a Bahrain flexi permit?
No. LMRA's pages for applying describe only the Labour Registration Program, and no official page we read gives an end date. Start with the LMRA registered worker permit page.
What is a Flexi visa?
The Flexi Permit was an LMRA permit that let an expatriate live in Bahrain and work in non-specialised jobs without a sponsor, renewable for one or two years. Its booklet is online and undated; its terms and fees are not current.
Who is eligible for a Flexi visa in Bahrain?
The old booklet listed expatriates with cancelled work permits, expired work permits (provided there were no dependants), unpaid salaries with a labour court case, or a cancelled workplace registration. Those terms are not on LMRA's current pages. The current scheme needs you inside Bahrain and meeting the conditions above.
How much is a Flexi visa in Bahrain?
Do not use the old figures. The registered worker permit totals BHD 365 for one year and BHD 560 for two years as initial totals, plus a BHD 15 monthly fee. Confirm the exact amount at your centre, because the LMRA line items add up to BHD 5 more.
Who is eligible for a work permit?
For the registered worker permit, you must be inside Bahrain, have no criminal record or absconding offence, and not be in breach of your contract. Visit visa holders are not eligible. To change employer, use LMRA's Transfer to Another Employer service: your new employer submits the request, and your current employer can approve it directly, approve it after the notice period, or (before you finish 12 months) reject it.
Can I check if I am eligible?
Yes. Text your CPR number to +973 33150150, call +973 17103103, or use the Verification of Eligibility page linked from the LMRA service page.
Where can I pay Bahrain LMRA permit fees?
SADAD (online or kiosks), cash at approved Labour Registration Centres, Bahrain Financial Company or Lulu Exchange, or BenefitPay (Fawateer).
Can I renew or cancel my registered worker permit?
Yes to both. You can renew six months before expiry. To cancel, pay all monthly fees and the BHD 5 admin fee, then submit the request at the registration centre.
15Official sources
- LMRA: Worker Registration Mechanism (service page with fee tables)
- LMRA: Apply for a Registered Worker Permit
- LMRA: General Questions for the Labour Registration Program (FAQ)
- LMRA: List of Approved Labour Registration Centres
- LMRA: Expatriate Employee services
- LMRA: Transfer to Another Employer (service page)
- LMRA: Protection and Assistance (employee complaints)
- LMRA: Law No. 36 of 2012, Labour Law for the Private Sector (official text)
- LMRA: 4 March deadline for workers to correct their legal status (7 February 2023)
- LMRA: Flexi Permit booklet (older, undated)
- LMRA: Flexi Permit information PDF, English and Arabic (older, undated)
- MRRORS (press report, 17 October 2022): Bahrain ends its Flexi-Permit programme
Official details checked 11 October 2026.
Related guides: LMRA work permit application fees and documents · check your LMRA visa and work permit status