Practical guide

How much is the overstay fine in Bahrain?

By Gaurav Agarwal · Updated 11 October 2026

Call NPRA on 17077077 (Sunday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 7:00 pm) and ask for your exact overstay fine before you travel. No official NPRA or bahrain.bh page publishes a per-day rate, and the 2026 waiver for visit visa holders has most likely ended.

Official per-day rateNot published on NPRA or bahrain.bh pages

NPRA phone17077077, Sunday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 7:00 pm

NPRA email[email protected]

Residence permit extensionBHD 5, one working day (not described as a fine)

Open the official residence permit extension service

Jump to a step

Fine rates
2026 waiver
Which route fits
Steps before you leave
Check and pay
Gaps
Extension service
Beyond the fine
Myths and facts
Hidden details
FAQs
Official sources

01What the official pages say about the fine

The official NPRA and bahrain.bh service pages we opened do not state a per-day or per-month overstay fine. A rate you find on a news site, a law firm guide or a forum is not an official figure, even when it sounds precise.

Online guides and forum posts quote different per-day and per-month amounts, and they do not agree with each other. None of them cites an official page, so do not use any of them to plan a payment.

The only figures with a named news outlet behind them are old. Gulf News (page last updated 25 July 2019) reported that immigration authorities had set a ceiling on overstay fines for expatriates overstaying resident permits: BHD 200 for a housemaid and BHD 500 for everyone else. That is a Gulf News page last updated in 2019 that covers residence permits, not a visit visa rule. Treat it as a possible upper limit and confirm it with NPRA.

Ask NPRA how the amount is counted for your visa type and the days since your stay ended, and ask for it in writing.

02Is there a 2026 waiver, and has it ended?

NPRA announced a waiver on 13 March 2026. TradeArabia reported that holders of all types of visit visas who were inside Bahrain, and whose permitted stay expired on or after 28 February 2026, would be exempt from fines for delayed departure for an additional month after the airspace reopened. An EY tax alert dated 17 March 2026 describes the same waiver. The same announcement extended visit visas that were valid on 28 February 2026 by three months for visitors who were outside Bahrain.

The announcement came through the press and was attributed to the NPRA Undersecretary, so treat it as press-reported rather than as an official-page fact.

No fixed end date was published. The waiver ran for one month after the airspace reopened, and more than seven months have passed since the announcement, so it has most likely ended. Do not assume it covers your stay. When you call NPRA, ask two questions: does any waiver still cover my stay, and until what date?

03Which route fits your situation

Find your situation in the table. Each row names the official place to start.

Routes by situation, as of 11 October 2026
Your situation	What the official pages say	What to do next
Visit visa holder still in Bahrain, stay has expired	No overstay fine rate is published. The press-reported 2026 waiver has most likely ended.	Call NPRA on 17077077 and ask for the exact amount before you travel.
Visit visa holder who has already left Bahrain	The official pages do not cover this.	Ask NPRA by phone, email or WhatsApp whether anything is recorded against you before you book your next trip.
Resident whose permit has expired	The bahrain.bh extension service costs BHD 5 and takes one working day. Its page describes it for a local transfer or a visitor delayed in leaving, not for a resident who is leaving.	Ask NPRA which route applies to you and whether a late fee is due.
Domestic worker or family-sponsored resident	No separate fine is published for this group. A Gulf News page last updated in 2019 reported a lower BHD 200 ceiling for a housemaid.	Ask NPRA for the amount for your permit type. The sponsor is usually the person to approach first.
Self-sponsored resident with a cancellation late fee	NPRA lists a service called Self-sponsorship Resident Permit Violators Late Fees (Cancellation). The page shows no amount.	Ask NPRA for the amount before you pay anything.
Relative of a Golden Residency holder (spouse, child or parent) cancelling a self-sponsored permit	The bahrain.bh service Self-sponsorship Resident Permit Cancellation - Violators Late Fees lists a fee of 30 "If the residence is expired", with "a one-month grace period". The page prints no currency label next to the figure and does not call it an overstay fine.	Ask NPRA whether this fee applies to your permit and whether the one-month grace period is still open.
Employer of an overstaying worker	The LMRA deportation deposit applies when the work permit was cancelled on or after 3 November 2023. It is paid through the LMRA EMS system and processed in one working day. The page does not state the amount.	Pay through EMS, or call LMRA on +973 17506055 for the deposit amount.

LMRA's deportation deposit page, which applies to employers only.

04Steps to take before you leave Bahrain

Work through these steps in order. Keep a written record of each answer and any reference number. The NPRA contact details are on the NPRA residence permit services page.

Have these ready before you call: your passport number, your visa type, the date your stay ended and your planned flight date.
Call NPRA on 17077077, Sunday to Thursday, 7:30 am to 7:00 pm, or email [email protected]. NPRA has also said it answers enquiries by WhatsApp and through the virtual assistant on its electronic channels.
Ask whether any 2026 waiver still covers your stay, and until what date.
Ask for the exact fine or late fee for your visa type and the days since expiry, and how and where to pay it.
Ask whether you can clear the fine at the airport before your flight, and get the answer in writing.
Ask whether any travel ban, flag or entry restriction is recorded against you before you book a flight or a later return.
Keep your proof of payment, your reference number and the name of the person you spoke to.

NPRA's residence permit services page, where the NPRA contact details are listed.

05How to check and pay

The official Bahrain eVisa site lists its visa extension and cancellation services as handled through bahrain.bh, the national services portal, so that is the first place to look for an online route.

Ask NPRA three things directly: how you pay, whether that is online or at an NPRA counter, and whether you can settle at the airport. Also ask whether paying ends the matter, because a resident may need to renew or cancel the permit as well. Get the answers in writing.

06What the official pages don't say

The official pages do not publish a per-day or per-month overstay rate, how a visit visa penalty grows with the number of days, or whether the cap on the Gulf News page last updated in 2019 still applies. They do not carry the 2026 waiver on the NPRA or bahrain.bh service pages, whether a fine stays recorded after you leave, how or where an overstay fine is paid, or whether it can be settled at the airport. They also do not describe prison terms, deportation, entry bans or blocked renewals for overstays, or a 28-day grace period. Treat every one of these as a question for NPRA.

07What the BHD 5 extension service covers

The bahrain.bh service Extension of expired residence permit costs BHD 5 and takes one working day. The service provider is the Ministry of Interior's Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs.

The service page describes it for a local transfer, or for a visitor who is delayed in leaving. It does not mention an overstay fine, so do not treat the BHD 5 as the fine.

The page lists these attachments. Check them before you visit or apply.

The service application form.
The original passport and a copy of it.
A copy of the guarantor's ID card and commercial registration.
A copy of the applicant's card, or of the legal representative's card.
For a local transfer, an official letter from the new guarantor, or from the institution transferred to.

The official service page, showing the BHD 5 fee and one working day.

08What happens beyond the fine

Some online guides claim an entry ban and detention pending deportation, but none cites an official source, so treat those claims as unconfirmed.

A Gulf News page last updated in 2019 reported that new employees must obtain residence permits within a month of arrival and that residence permits must be renewed within a month from the date of expiry, with overstay fees for those who miss it. That is an old report about residence permits and it is not a grace period for visit visas.

For your own case, ask NPRA about any ban or flag before you book, or ask a licensed lawyer in Bahrain.

09Myths and facts

Myth: there is a 28-day grace period. Fact: no official page confirms one. Check the end date on your visa and ask NPRA before it passes.

Myth: the 2026 waiver still applies. Fact: it was tied to one month after the airspace reopened, had no fixed end date and has most likely ended. Confirm with NPRA.

Myth: the BHD 5 extension is the overstay fine. Fact: the bahrain.bh page does not describe it as a fine.

Myth: a daily rate you read online is the official rate. Fact: no official rate is published, so no worked example can be given.

10What a clear answer does not mean

A phone answer is not a receipt. Ask for a written reference, and check that the figure in writing matches what you were told.

Before you pay, confirm with NPRA whether payment closes the case, or whether another step, such as an extension or an exit, is still required.

Employers should not assume one payment covers another. The LMRA deposit is paid in the EMS system, and any visa fine is a separate question for NPRA.

What we confirmed on 11 October 2026: the NPRA contact details, the BHD 5 extension service on bahrain.bh and the LMRA deposit page were all re-read on that date. The waiver announcement and the Gulf News caps (page last updated in 2019) come from the press outlets named above.

11FAQs

How much is the overstay fine per day in Bahrain?

No official NPRA or bahrain.bh page publishes a per-day overstay fine. Ask NPRA on 17077077 for the exact figure for your visa type and dates, and ignore any daily rate you read online until NPRA confirms it.

How much is the fine if you overstay your visa?

The official pages do not give an amount for any visa type. A Gulf News page last updated in 2019 reported a ceiling of BHD 500 for expatriates overstaying residence permits and BHD 200 for a housemaid. That is an old, unconfirmed report. Ask NPRA for the figure that applies to your visa and the days since expiry, and get it in writing.

Can you be jailed for overstaying your visa in Bahrain?

The official NPRA and bahrain.bh pages do not describe prison terms for overstays. Online claims either way are unconfirmed. For your own case, ask NPRA or a licensed lawyer in Bahrain.

Can I stay 28 days after my visa expires?

The official pages do not confirm a 28-day grace period, so do not plan around one. Check the end date on your visa, and ask NPRA before that date passes.

Is there a Bahrain overstay fine waiver in 2026?

NPRA announced one on 13 March 2026, as reported by TradeArabia and EY. It exempted visit visa holders whose stay expired on or after 28 February 2026 from delayed departure fines for one month after the airspace reopened. No fixed end date was published and it has most likely ended, so confirm with NPRA.

How do I pay an overstay fine in Bahrain?

The official pages do not describe an overstay payment route. The eVisa site points extension and cancellation services to bahrain.bh. Call NPRA on 17077077 and ask how and where to pay, and keep the receipt.

Can I leave Bahrain at the airport without paying an overstay fine?

The official pages do not say. Ask NPRA before your flight whether the fine can be settled at the airport, and get the answer in writing.

Who do I contact about an LMRA deportation deposit?

Call LMRA on +973 17506055. The employer pays through the LMRA EMS system: open the Billing folder, choose View Overstay Workers and Deposit Payment, then Pay Expat Overstay Deposit. Processing takes one working day.

What does the BHD 5 extension service cost?

The bahrain.bh service Extension of expired residence permit costs BHD 5 and takes one working day. The page does not describe it as an overstay fine.

12Official sources

Official details checked 11 October 2026.