On January 15, 2025, Bahrain’s Parliament unanimously approved a new law that stops expatriates from converting tourist or visit visas into work permits. This change is an update to the 1965 Foreigners (Migration and Residency) Law, and it’s now up for review by the Shura Council, the upper chamber of Bahrain’s National Assembly.

Once approved, it will need to be ratified by HM King Hamad to become official

This proposal came from five MPs, led by Hassan Bukhammas, last January. During a recent session, Hassan Ibrahim, vice-chairman of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, highlighted how the situation with visa transfers had gotten out of hand and needed clearer regulations. He suggested the ban as a solution, saying people should know what type of visa they’re getting before entering the country.

In the meantime, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) reported that since stricter rules were put in place, the number of tourist or visit visas being converted to work permits has dropped by over 87%.

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Under the new rules, visit visas can’t be switched to work or dependent visas without a sponsor

But, if the person has a sponsor, they can transfer the visa for a higher fee of BD250 (up from BD60) as long as it’s with the same sponsor.