For residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain is one of the good places to spend a vacation on as it’s just close by and is easily accessible by land. While its environment is not much different from that of the KSA, there are plenty of things to do in a country much smaller than Saudi Arabia.
In Manama, the capital city, Al-Fatih Mosque, the Bahrain National Museum and the Lost Paradise of Dilmun Water Park are among the places of interest.
Bahrain is a small country with approximately 1.3 million people, half of which are expatriates.
The residents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Iqama holders) can apply for what the Bahrain government calls as eVisa. With an eVisa, Iqama holders are allowed to travel to Bahrain within a period of 3 to 7 days. However, certain conditions must be met.
- An applicant must prepare the necessary fees which include the application fee of BHD2 and eVisa fee amounting to BHD10 and BHD15 for 3 and 7 days, respectively (1 BHD ~ 10 SAR). Fees are paid online and must be settled upon application.
- The Bahrain government warns that holding a visa to Bahrain does not guarantee entry to the country. There are conditions that must be met upon arrival at the country, and entry is dependent upon the discretion of the immigration officer.
- Passports should be valid for the entire length of a tourist’s stay in Bahrain, or the length of the eVisa. Any doubtful information on the passport could mean denial of entry to Bahrain. Thus, it is best if a passport is at least 6 months from expiration.
- Resident permit must be at least 6 months from expiration and must be brought when traveling to Bahrain.
- The validity of an arrival eVisa is 30 days. This means that once eVisa is issued, it must be used within 30 days. Otherwise, it expires, and a reapplication is deemed necessary.
- An eVisa holder must enter Bahrain through the airport only, and must not take up paid employment during the visit.
- The eVisa can only be used once, and is for single entry only, which means once you enter Bahrain and departed earlier, you are not allowed another entry even if the dates stated in the visa are still valid.
In order to apply for an eVisa to Bahrain, an Iqama holder must visit Bahrain’s official website to apply for an eVisa. An applicant must click the link directing to the page for eVisa application, and enter all the details or information asked. After filling out the forms, and paying the fees online, an eVisa will then be issued.
