Important Travel Information for Visitors to Bahrain

Bahrain has become a very famous destination for tourists. The country provides wonderful offers for spending your holiday! It even has turned to a dreamt destination for people from all over the world. But planning a trip to Bahrain, you have to have in mind some useful facts about the order in the country that will help you to avoid any trouble during your stay.

The first thing you have to know is about the visa regulations. There are several visa requirements that are as follows: 

·        Easy access to Visas

Visas are required by all visitors to Bahrain- regardless of purpose of visit- except passport holders of the GCC States (Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). Foreign nationals may enter Bahrain with a tourist visa (for individuals or groups), 72-hour visa, 7-day visa, visit visa, business visa, family visa, dependent visa or an employment visa. In addition, all visitors who hold valid resident permits for Saudi Arabia can be issued a free 2-week visa. All applications for extension must be signed by a local sponsor. In the case of tourist visas, the hotel may act as a sponsor.

·        Tourist Visa

This type of visa can be obtained at the Bahrain International Airport or King Fahad causeway for citizens of the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States. Visitors must have no criminal record or involvement in activities that could threaten public order or national security. They are not permitted to seek employment while in Bahrain.

Groups may obtain visas to Bahrain for a duration of up to 2 weeks, renewable once for a similar period. Visas are obtained through hotels, travel and tourist agencies and other firms licensed to conduct tourist activities in Bahrain.

·        72 hour Visa/ 7 day Visa

 These visas can be obtained on arrival at the Bahrain International Airport or at the King Fahad Causeway. The visas are mainly intended for business visitors, trade delegations, and those attending exhibitions and seminars. In addition to a passport, the passenger must have a confirmed return/onward journey ticket for the visa application to be processed. Foreign nationals who have lived in a GCC state for six months are automatically granted a 72-hour visa on arrival.

·        Family Visa

This visa is granted to a wife and children of a resident employee. The visa holder may not take up employment in Bahrain but can stay as long as the resident employee stays.

→ Tipping

Tipping is appropriate in restaurants and cafes, 10-15% depending on how well you've been served. There is also a "service charge" added to the bill, but that normally just gets gobbled up by the owners, so it's meaningless. In conjunction with the 10-15% rule, it is generally acceptable to round up the bill amount and consider the change involved as tip. 

→ Clothing

It is advisable to wear long trousers, or shorts (clothes below the knee and covering shoulders), and women shouldn't wear a see-through dress. However, in beach clubs and hotels, swimsuits, bikinis and shorts are okay to wear.

In my opinion the information above will help you to get your general idea of Bahrain. Hope that it will be useful for everyone who is eager to visit that place soon. You also don’t have to forget to find a place for accommodation in Bahrain. This will be very easy because there are so many options for accommodation in Bahrain. You just need to spend some time on searching the best hotel in Bahrain that will cover all your expectations.