LMRA Mobility Bahrain: How to Change Employer

01Choose transfer or intention to transfer

Expatriate Employee Transfer is the employer process that moves a valid work permit to a new employer. The new employer submits it through EMS. Intention to Transfer is a worker service that records the worker's intention before the permit expires. It is not the transfer itself.

The current Expatriate Employee Transfer service allows a move without cancelling the existing valid permit. If the permit has expired, LMRA says the new employer must use a new work-permit application instead.

02Check whether the transfer route is available

• The current work permit must be valid for at least five days.
• The worker continues working for the current employer until LMRA approves the transfer.
• The current employer continues the monthly payments until approval and the new employer pays the new permit fees.
• A request in the final three months of permit validity needs the current employer's consent.
• The new employer must have the required Bahrainisation position and no blocking violation.
• The worker must not have a violation or legal condition that prevents transfer.

For the separate intention notice, LMRA says it can be filed once for a valid permit after half of its duration has passed. It is unnecessary after the permit has already been cancelled.

03Worker: give notice and save proof

For a transfer without the current employer's consent, the worker must send the resignation through Bahrain Post within the contractual notice period. The current official transfer page describes a notice period of 30 days or the period in the employment contract, capped at 90 days.

Keep the Bahrain Post registered-mail receipt. An official no-objection letter or termination letter from the current employer can be used for the routes described on the official page.

To record an intention to transfer, open the LMRA Register Worker System, choose Intention To Transfer, enter the blank applicant fields, and attach the ID or passport plus the offer letter or contract. LMRA lists two working days for this worker service and publishes no separate fee.

04New employer: submit the transfer in EMS

1. Open LMRA's Expat Management System.
2. Sign in with the authorised employer account through eKey.
3. Choose Expatriate Employee Transfer.
4. Enter the worker details exactly as shown in the passport and current LMRA record.
5. Attach the Arabic or bilingual employment contract if used. The current page says it is optional, but it must include the parties, CR, job, salary, duration, notice period, signatures and employer stamp when attached.
6. Submit the request at least one month before the intended transfer date.
7. Pay the administrative fee before its invoice due date.

05Current employer: respond in EMS

After LMRA and the connected authorities accept the request for processing, the current employer receives it in EMS. The employer can approve a direct transfer or approve it after the applicable notice period.

The current service page says that where the worker has completed 12 months under the current permit, the employer can also reject the request. It also describes automatic outcomes when the employer takes no action within seven days. Read the live request carefully because the result differs according to service length, consent and notice period.

06Pay and issue the new permit

After final approval, the new employer must pay the work-permit fees within 30 days. Otherwise, LMRA says the approval will be revoked. The current service page does not publish one universal transfer total because the payable amount depends on the permit and the application shown in EMS. Use the invoice in the approved application.

Once payment is completed, the new employer can print the work permit from EMS. The previous employer receives a credit note for the unused period of the old permit.

07Check the new permit before starting

Use LMRA's public employee-data lookup after the new employer says the transfer is complete. Confirm that the permit shows the correct status and validity before beginning work for the new employer.

For a completely new employer application after permit expiry, use the Bahrain work-permit application guide.

08Common transfer problems

The permit has expired

Do not use the valid-permit transfer route. The new employer must apply for a new work permit.

The request is in the final three months

Obtain the current employer's consent or use the correct later route after checking the permit status with LMRA.

The request disappears after seven days

Check whether the current employer missed the EMS action window and whether the system cancelled or progressed the application under the rule that applies to the worker's service length.

The new employer cannot submit

The establishment may have a Bahrainisation or compliance block. The new employer should resolve its LMRA record rather than repeatedly entering the worker data.