Bahrain’s Fourth Phase Visa Reform Introduces New E-Visa Options and Extended Stays

Bahrain has officially launched the fourth phase of its visa policy reforms, introducing new entry options aimed at attracting more tourists, business visitors and long-stay travellers. Announced by the Interior Ministry’s Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA), the changes include a new single-entry visa allowing a two-week stay, an expanded one-year multiple-entry e-visa permitting stays of up to 90 days per visit, an extension of the three-month multiple-entry visa’s stay from two weeks to one month, and a stay extension from 30 to 90 days for the five-year multiple-entry visa held by US, UK, Canadian and Irish nationals.

The new visa options are available to nationals of 114 countries, while passport holders from 67 countries, along with GCC residents, can obtain visas on arrival. GCC citizens continue to enjoy visa-free entry.

The reforms come as the GCC prepares to pilot its Unified Gulf Tourist Visa — the “GCC Grand Tours Visa” — starting with a Dubai–Bahrain air corridor in Q4 2026, ahead of a fuller regional rollout in early 2027.

Officials project the changes could lift intra-regional tourism by at least 20% and boost arrivals by up to 30%, building on 2024’s regional total of 72.2 million visitors and $120.2 billion in tourism receipts.