Bahrain

The standard is 220 V 50 Hz. Most outlets are the British standard BS 1363 type. U.S., Canadian and Continental European travellers should pack converters/adapters for these outlets if they plan to use their electrical equipment in Bahrain.

The best time to visit Bahrain is November–March, with October and April being just bearable. Take along a sweater during December–February as evenings can be cool (about 15 °C/60 °F). Bahrain's summer, May–September, is very hot and humid, though occasional cool northerly winds provide some relief. More frequent are the qaws, the hot, dry summer winds that can bring sandstorms.

Rain is occasional, and happens only in the winter season.

Bahrain has a rich history going back 5,000 years and was the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization.

As one of the earliest places to convert to Islam, Bahrain was famous for its pearling industry. After a period of Arab and Persian rule, it was then ruled by the Portuguese Empire. The House of Khalifa has ruled Bahrain since 1783.

Following successive treaties, Bahrain remained a British protectorate until its independence in 1971. Since then, it has been ruled by a constitutional monarchy.

Bahrain

Citizens of 69 countries may obtain a 14-day visa-on-arrival, while citizens of 114 countries, including all those eligible for a visa-on-arrival, are eligible to apply for a 14-day online visa. Check the web-site of the Ministry of Interior for the latest details. If your nationality is not eligible for either of these, or if you are visiting for purposes other than tourism or business, you will require a sponsor in Bahrain to file your visa application for you. With the normalisation of relations between Bahrain and Israel in 2020, Israeli citizens are now eligible for the online visa.

The cost of visa on arrival is 5BD, while an e-Visa costs 9BD. At airport you just obtain and pay for your visa on arrival as you go through the regular immigration, thus there is no point in getting an e-Visa of you're eligible for visa on arrival.

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) do not need a visa to enter Bahrain and may stay indefinitely. A short stay visa will be granted on arrival to residents of GCC member states as well regardless of nationality.

1 Bahrain International Airport. (BAH IATA), in Muharraq just east of Manama, is the main base for flag carrier Gulf Air and has excellent connections throughout the region and to London and to South-East Asia. The airport has good duty-free shopping and has a transit hotel (Bahrain Airport Hotel), with sleeping pods (3 hours provided free to those with Priority Pass/LoungeKey provided by many credit cards) and rooms. There is a contract lounge as well, accessible to business-class passengers of non-Gulf Air airlines (Gulf Air passengers have their own Falcon lounge), and holders of many credit cards including those under the DragonPass programme (but not Priority Pass). Many residents of eastern Saudi Arabia choose to fly out via Bahrain, and Gulf Air offers shuttle services to Khobar and Dammam to cater to this market; inquire when booking. The low cost carrier Air Arabia offers daily flights from the Sharjah Airport (SHJ IATA) north of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Major carriers Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways also offer regular services to Bahrain from their bases in Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi respectively. The airport is quite small, which makes for quick and easy departures and arrivals. (updated Mar 2024)

The Saudi-Bahraini Transport Company (SABTCO), tel. +973-17252959, runs eight buses daily from the Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) bus station in Dammam via Khobar in Saudi Arabia, across the King Fahd Causeway, to the bus terminal next to the Lulu Centre in central Manama.

The service uses comfortable aircon minibuses with a trailer for luggage. Tickets cost BD 6/SR 60 and can be purchased in advance, although they'll squeeze you in without a reservation if there is space. As crossing the Causeway involves two passport checks and two customs checks, figure on 2 hours for the trip, plus any traffic delays at busy times like Thursday evenings. At congested times, buses may actually be slightly faster than private cars, as they can use separate lanes at immigration and customs.

Bahrain Saudi Transport & Tourism (BASATCO) offers what seems to be similar buses for a slightly lower fare of BD 4, although four times a day only (2011).

The 26-km King Fahd Causeway connects Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Unofficial taxis, found hanging around bus stations at both ends, but they are often illegal. From Khobar, before the causeway entrance taxis can be found to Manama for BD25/SR250. This includes bridge toll of SR25 (BD 2.5). Uber is available from here for around SR115-125 (BD 11.5 - 12.5) plus toll.

While the occasional cruise (specifically those of Italian line MSC) calls at Manama, there is no scheduled passenger service overseas.

The official rates start at BD 1 plus 0.200 fils per kilometre. Cabbies will often ask for ridiculous prices. Most taxis now use their meters.

The airport gives guidelines as to the official way of calculating taxi fares. An extra BD 2 will be added if you take a taxi waiting at the airport.

On the whole taxis offer a good service but you do encounter some bandits. When travelling from the airport always use the white with red roof or London-style taxis. There is a rule if the meter is not used there is no charge; hold your ground on this and call the police, and the driver will cooperate very quickly with the correct fare for the trip.

Finding a taxi can be difficult, although major hotels and malls usually have a few waiting outside. Some privately owned companies operate in the kingdom, the most popular of which are:

Speedy Motor Service Radio-Meter Taxis SMS Radio-Meter Taxi is the oldest & most popular radio-meter taxi company in the Kingdom, and the most reliable. Advance booking of taxi is possible, and they operate a 24-hour service, 365 days a year. Be punctual – they can come a few minutes before the time you gave. ☏ +973 17 682 999

Bahrain Taxi Online Get meter taxi online within 10 minutes. ☏ +973 3668 8614

Bahrain Limo is the sister company of the transport giant "Saudi Bahraini Transport Company" (SABTCO) which provides luxurious bus and limousine services across the King Fahad Causeway.

Bahrain Taxi Group Radio taxi services with more than 973 taxi drivers driving orange and white cars equipped with radio meters and most of them with credit card devices. Booking online taxi services is available and can be applied by filling the form and with placing a call to call centre ☏ +973 6696 6976.

However, there have been occasional reports of taxi drivers trying to charge overly expensive fares (like BD 50 for a short trip, when it should be BD 5), though they are generally rare. Sticking to the official taxi services is usually your best bet.

There are many unofficial taxis operated by expats (mainly Asian). While illegal, they are popular for their low prices, and are generally reliable as well. You're likely to know them through word-of-mouth.

Uber works well and seems to be official taxis. There is a dedicated pick-up point at the airport for Uber and Careem.

There are also public buses that run to many parts of the island, however it may not be as robust as what you may expect elsewhere. Bus fares are low; English-language schedules and maps are available online. Google maps works well and you can scan a qr code at the bus stop to verify that your bus is indeed coming.

For tourists the most important route is A1 (Airport-Manama). To get to the Bahrain Fort take A2 from airport via Manama and get out in Seef, from there walk 2 km to the fort or take bus 23 that will drop you off right by the parking lot for the fortress museum.

If planning on staying for more than a few days, consider renting a car. Prices usually are BD 10+ per day (or BD 150+ per month), this gives you freedom to drive around the country easily. While there are road-signs for most places, still using a maps service (e.g. Google Maps) is strongly advised to not get lost. But, it may rarely direct you onto off-roads (on sand and stones) which are unsuitable for smaller cars, and should be driven slowly to avoid damaging the car. Fortunately, the country is significantly small compared to most countries, so going from one place to another usually takes no more than 30 minutes.

Speed limits are generally 50 km/h in the roads and 80-120 km/h in the highway. Fines for breaking the traffic law are high, with possible prison-time if another person gets injured. Though the speeding-limits are not always enforced, some drivers go over the speed-limit in highways, so it's better to stay out of their lane (fastest is left-most lane) to avoid tailgating and honking. Also, It is common for drivers to change lanes without using the turn-signal, so watch out for that as it can be frustrating, and may result in an accident if not driving carefully.

If you have your own car in Bahrain, you will need to go to the GDT for a vehicle inspection every year (if your car is at least five years old) – be aware that there may be a large queue depending on when you come. Once (and only when) that is done, you can renew the vehicle registration online – do this not more than 3 months after the inspection or you will need to redo the inspection again.

As a visitor, you can use an international driving license or often the one from your home country to drive in Bahrain. Otherwise, you can exchange your driving license for a Bahraini equivalent if it comes on a list of countries (the UK, US and GCC countries all qualify), and for non-GCC licenses, if it has not expired yet. Otherwise, you will need to take driving lessons of at least 22 hours (if you've never driven) or 6 if you have prior experience. Those generally cost BD 7 per hour for up to 2 hours per day. To start, you need to obtain a learner's license (schedule the appointment at the GDT/General Directorate of Traffic using Skiplino), which will also involve a quick eye check (though be early – even 12:30 pm can be too late and you will be asked to come back later!). Then you'll need to get an approved driving instructor – finding a good one can be difficult and can require some searching from your side, with instances of driving instructors training you for less than the agreed time but collecting the full fees not unheard of. All driving instructor cars are now with an automatic transmission (up to about 2015 they were purely manual). There is a large driving instruction "playground" that your instructor will make you practice on (covering the basics such as traffic signals, roundabouts, traffic signs, lane changes etc), and also some training would be done outdoors – how much would depend on the instructor as the test itself is mainly, but not entirely, indoor-focused.

Once you have gotten the minimum number of hours, you can schedule a driving test on the government website. The test will focus on indoor (mainly testing common driving skills) and some outdoor driving, with the very final section being reverse parking. The test is short but fairly harsh - even one mistake can result in a fail depending on the severity (though this can also depend on the testing official) and it is common for people to pass on their second or third attempt, though you should not face any surprises on what would be tested. There is no theoretical test as is the case in some other countries. If you fail, you have to take at least 8 additional hours before taking the next test. If you fail 4 times, you risk a one-year cooldown period before the next test.

While the official driving age is 18, you're allowed to start training two months before (but the exam date must be on or after the 18th birthday).

Bahrain is not known to be particularly a "motorbike" country, but active communities do exist. The first stage of getting a motorbike license is the same as for the car - go to the GDT, pass the eye check, and get the learner license documents (this phase costs BD 47). However, from then on, the process has little in resemblance with the process for getting a car license. Knowing Arabic (or Hindi/Urdu) is a significant advantage, as not all of the officials speak English (and if you look like an Indian/Pakistani, expect to be spoken in Hindi even if you do not understand it). Note that women are allowed to get a license, but very few tend to get a bike license. If you can exchange one from another country, that's a better choice.

You'll need to go to the "Public Security Driving School" building on the other side of the driving school complex and ask for "new date". You'll be sent to a room with other students (for bike, heavy vehicles etc - anything except a car license comes here). Be prepared to wait for hours. When it's your turn, you'll be given the training days (which would be a continuous block of five days from Sunday to Thursday). Expect this to be two months (or more) from the current date in the summer, and up to 6-7 months in the winter - you should aim to start the process as soon as possible as a result. In the uncommon case that the block overlaps with public holidays (which they won't tell you about - and can't in cases such as Eid when the date is not known in advance), they will automatically allow you to complete the remaining days in the following week.

During this time, get the necessary safety gear. A helmet is mandatory - beware that many use cheap helmets (that often have the name of a delivery company) - these are not recommended as they are not safe. A good helmet costs BD 50 onwards, and can be found in specialist motorbike shops. A pair of riding gloves is also recommended. If you have no prior experience with riding, it's strongly recommended to get some private training if you can afford it (see below).

On the training days, you'll be trained by the police officers. They are competent but are known not to teach well (for example, they may give unclear or no feedback at all despite prompting - most of the students have had prior experience riding in their native countries), often have a short temper, and some of what they teach go against general norms (for example, you'll be told only to use the rear brakes). You'll be trained on Honda CB Unicorn 160 bikes, which are relatively low-powered but are popular amongst delivery bikers (and you'll notice that the majority of people applying for a bike intend to join a delivery company or work as a delivery boy for a restaurant).

You'll be asked to ride in circles (initially on a smaller circle for those starting without experience). When the trainer decides that you're good enough, they'll take you on a round outside. This is the exact path you'll take in the test, so it's important to be aware of the important bits in the route (such as roundabouts, changing lanes etc).

If you do well, you can be asked to take the test as soon as two days into the training (which means that if you pass it, you can get the license without having to complete all five days of the training). Conversely, if you run out of days (which can happen if you fail the test, or if the trainer decides that you're not ready for the test), you'll be sent back to the building to get "extra date". These come in blocks of 2 days (and cost BD 8 respectively). Unlike the "new date" phase, you should be able to get the next two training days within one or two weeks (at most). As with the first phase, be prepared to wait an arbitrary amount of time inside.

When the trainer decides that you're ready for the test, they will fix a date for you (unlike the case for a car, you have no choice, and for most people, it's going to be a Thursday), and you'll have to pay BD 16 (the trainer will tell whether it must be done on the same day or on the day of the test). On the "test date", you'll wait as usual, till an examiner (a police officer again) is available for you. Unlike the training phase, you'll ride in front of the examiner (not back). The route is exactly the same, and while chances are that one or two minor mistakes won't be an issue, they still tend to be strict and you can expect to fail for a variety of mistakes (for example, not using the indicator when changing lanes, or forgetting to cancel once you've made the change).

If you've passed the test, you'll be sent back inside the building and (again after waiting for potentially hours) your name would be called, and you would be asked to pay BD 20 to get the license. Note that car and bike licenses are separate and are not on the same card. Once you've gotten the license, you are free to ride any kind of bike; unlike some other countries, there are no power restrictions for young or inexperienced riders.

The unfortunate reality is that the majority of the people applying for a bike license intend to work as deliverymen, and this is evident in the choice of bikes and safety gear. 150cc bikes as a result are popular - this is not recommended as such bikes can struggle to pick up fast enough in a country as road-dense as Bahrain (most non-deliverymen get at least a 300cc bike). Similarly, many use low-quality helmets - and it's rare to see people wear other protective gear (such as jackets and knee protectors). This is again a bad idea, as crashes and deaths do occur. Similarly, there are regular reports of deliverymen flouting traffic rules, which they are often pressurized to due to demands from customers and restaurant owners (as their goal is to deliver as quickly as possible - some are paid by the number of deliveries). Most people reading this page are unlikely to be in that group, but it's important to provide context on why most people see bikes of a certain type.

Petrol vehicles make the majority of cars in Bahrain, with diesel being common for trucks only. Both are subsidized by the government - it used to be the case that petrol was cheaper than water. While prices have increased since then, they are still very cheap compared with the rest of the world, especially because Bahrain does not peg its petrol prices to some benchmark. This is one reason why high-performance V6/V8 vehicles are common here, even though much smaller vehicles would be adequate.

Petrol stations are scattered around the country (mainly from the government-owned Bapco), and you'll always get two kinds of petrol - Mumtaz (95-octane petrol) and Jayyid (91-octane petrol), with the latter being about 20 - 30% cheaper. The latter is perfectly fine for daily use in most cars. Some have a Super 98 option as well. Unlike those in some other countries, you'll always be served by an attendant, and you aren't supposed to fill the car yourself. Cash and Sadeem (petrol card) are always accepted; credit cards are generally (but not always) accepted as well. Many petrol stations also have some kind of convenience stores.

The currency in Bahrain is the Bahraini dinar, denoted by the symbol " .د.ب " or "BD" (ISO code: BHD). It is divided into 1000 fils. One dinar is worth US$2.66, as the exchange rate is fixed, making this one of the world's highest-valued currencies (second only to Kuwait). This can take some getting used to: that seemingly cheap BD 10 taxi ride is in fact almost US$27 and thus an extortionate rip-off.

The dinar is a fully convertible currency, and there are no restrictions on its import or export. Coins are issued in denominations of 5 fils, 10 fils, 25 fils, 50 fils and 100 fils (500 fils coins are rarely seen, but are valid). Banknotes are issued in denominations of 500 fils (BD 1/2), BD 1, BD 5, BD 10 and BD 20.

Being fixed to the US dollar means that it is effectively pegged to the Saudi riyal at 1:10. Saudi Riyals (SAR) are accepted almost everywhere at that rate, although odds are you'll get your change in dinars and hotels may try to screw you out of a few percent. If coming in from KSA, there's no reason to change your money, but do try to get rid of any excess dinars before you leave the country, as they're hard to exchange elsewhere, even in Saudi Arabia.

Credit cards are widely accepted so cash is only really necessary for the bus.

Like most Gulf countries, Bahrain is not cheap. A decent dinner can cost around BD 5 - 15, and even more if you're with a family, and car rental at BD 10-20/day is reasonable, but hotel prices will put a dent in your budget: a perfectly ordinary room in a "good" hotel can set you back BD 50. Do not travel to Bahrain during the annual F1 race in April if looking for reasonable prices, as hotels will quadruple their rates. A room at the Gulf Hotel during this race could cost you upwards of BD 300/night.

There are several major malls in Bahrain that offer international and luxury labels shops and boutiques, supermarkets and so forth, as well as food courts, contemporary and traditional cafes, play areas and arcades, cinemas (3D & 2D) and even an indoor water park.

A visit to the local souq is a must. There you can negotiate the price on “rolexes”, jewellery, and many other gifts. The souq is also home to many excellent tailors. If you're there for long enough (say a week) then you can take a favourite clothing item in and they will "clone" it precisely in any material you select from the huge range available.

Since January 2019, most products and services have a VAT (value added tax) of 10% with some exceptions at 0%, which is usually included in the product cost. Bahrain does not have personal or corporate tax however unlike most other non-GCC countries.

It's likely that many products you're looking for would be expensive in Bahrain (or straight-up unavailable, especially for specialist goods such as customised laptops), and hence importing personal goods is popular. Common options include

Amazon (from amazon.ae and the US store) – they deliver directly using international shipping.

Any other store, and you use something like Aramex's Shop and Ship to deliver to Bahrain. Some stores in the US don't deliver to such addresses as a result, and you may face trouble paying with a non-US card (they are likely to give errors).

It's important to note that:

if the value of the good is over BD 300, you'll be hit with a 10% customs duty, and

depending on where and how the product is brought, you may not be able to claim warranty.

Tipping is generally not done, though it's fine to tip the underpaid and overworked delivery person that brings your food or delivers your groceries.

They can be found in most supermarkets and cold stores, though like most countries, cigarettes are heavily taxed (200%, called as the sin tax) and a pack generally costs BD 2 (ca US$5.50). The legal age to buy them is 18. The duty free shop offers them for cheaper prices and (for some reason) does not have most of the health warnings that a retail-sold packet has. In any case, quitting is a better choice and nicotine patches can be found at most pharmacies.

Shishas are also common in some cafes and restaurants and can also be found in supermarkets. Again, they are not healthy.

E-cigarettes (vaping) have exploded in popularity and there are many specialist shops that offer them now. There are also dedicated tobacconists, though harder to find.

Home delivery (that is, having food delivered to your place of residence) is offered by the restaurants in some cases. With the pandemic, the popularity of third-party delivery services (the most popular being Talabat) exploded and the majority of restaurants support home delivery today, if not by the establishment themselves. Talabat, PizzaHut, KFC, etc. require either Bahrain phone number or GCC number to register. Unless you have a very good reason (keep in mind the distance from the restaurant to your residence), do not pester or call up the restaurant or delivery person. The delivery people (who are paid relatively low) have to handle the harsh weather and traffic to get the food to you, and it is imperative that you respect them for that. There are complaints that deliverymen, pressured by restaurants and customers, break traffic rules, speed or end up in accidents themselves. Of course, a perfectly valid alternative is takeaway.

Vegetarian food is easy to get in Bahrain – considering the large Indian population, you can simply go to any Indian restaurant and you'll have a wide variety of vegetarian options (some of which are pure-veg in that they do not have any non-vegetarian food). Supermarkets and fast-food chain restaurants will usually have some vegetarian options, too. Other than that, while non-Indian restaurants usually have something to cater for those who don't eat meat, it can vary wildly with the restaurant – it's unlikely that you're going to find much if anything in a small Arabic restaurant.

Vegan options are limited outside of specialist and high-end restaurants (and supermarkets), and you may end up struggling to find good options. Some restaurants may not understand what it means to be vegan and may confuse it with vegetarianism.

That being said, there are occasionally discounts on "fake meat" products – check the clearance/discount section, with the proviso that some of them label egg products as vegetarian.

Bahrain has relatively liberal laws regarding alcohol and has long been a favourite getaway for visitors from Saudi Arabia and other nearby "dry" countries – don't be surprised to see Arabs in thobe and gutra sipping cool brewskis as they watch dancers strut their stuff in the nightclubs. However, alcohol can only be served by four-star hotels and higher, and you wouldn't find it in supermarkets.

Alcohol abuse is a criminal offence. Under Bahraini law, any sign of having consumed alcohol may be taken as prima facie evidence of driving under the influence, which can lead to imprisonment and fines of up to BD 1,000.

Coffee, called gahwa ( قهوة ) locally, is considered a part of the traditional welcome in Bahrain. It is usually poured into a coffee-pot, which is called dalla ( دلة ) in Bahrain. It is served in a small cup made for coffee called finjan ( فنجان ).

The country code for phone calls to Bahrain +973. For international calls from Bahrain, you can use "00" instead of "+". There are no area codes, although the first digits of landline numbers generally tell the city or region. Landline numbers usually start with 17, mobile phone numbers often with 3 or 66.

International calling charges will depend on the country; calls to the Indian subcontinent are usually the cheapest, though a VoIP service such as WhatsApp or Skype is recommended if you plan to do a lot of international calling.

Bahrain is one of the more mobile-dense countries, with mobile proliferation well beyond 100%.

There are several telecom operators available in Bahrain, the most popular being Batelco (which is the oldest), Zain and STC Bahrain (formerly called Viva). It is pretty easy to get a prepaid SIM (where you reload before using) at the airport, or at many cold stores (small shops) around the country, and Batelco has one designed for travellers (though it would be cheaper to just get a regular prepaid). Free home delivery of the SIM should also be possible. 3G and 4G are universally available in the country, and 5G is being rapidly rolled out. Batelco removed 2G support at the end of February 2021. It is possible to get a reasonably decent internet package for BD 5–10 per month depending on provider (which would give you 5–10 GB of data); this should be enough for the average traveller.

The internet top-level domain of Bahrain is .bh.

Internet access can be found in many malls (Seef Mall, City Centre and Marassi Galleria are known to provide; Ramli Mall and Sitra Mall do not or only have the 15-minute Bahrain Wi-Fi service) and restaurants; it's hard to find out beforehand whether they provide it so you may need to call up if this particularly bothers you. Some malls subscribe to Bahrain Wi-Fi, where you can get a 15-minute free trial per device per 24-hour period (entering fake details works, and you can get an additional 15 minute period by toggling Android's MAC randomisation feature or otherwise changing the MAC address) which can be enough depending on your use-case. Some shops in these malls provide Wi-Fi for free as well.