Bahrain: MP Proposes BD1,000 Work Permit Fee for Key Expat Jobs, up From BD200

Gulf Insider

11-04-2025

A legislative push to raise work permit fees for foreign accountants, engineers and cybersecurity analysts to BD1,000 has been put forward by MP Jalal Kadhem, targeting fields where Bahraini graduates are readily available but often overlooked.
The draft law marks a sharp jump from the existing BD200 charge and applies only to selected jobs where, according to the MP, local applicants are being passed over in favour of cheaper expat hires.
Twenty areas of work are named in the proposal, from finance and health to interior design and agricultural science.
Employers taking on workers in these fields would face the higher fee. For other roles the BD200 fee would remain.
Monthly levy
There is also a proposed rise in the monthly levy paid for each foreign worker. Employers would pay BD10 a month per head.
A discount of BD5 per worker would apply to the first five employees on their books.
Kadhem's draft would also raise the cost of residency permits for family members of foreign workers and expat business owners.
The proposed charge stands at BD200 for two years, covering paperwork such as the re-entry visa, residence card and no-objection certificate.
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) would collect all the fees.
Anyone failing to pay would face a fine ranging from BD500 to BD2,000.
'The current fees are too low and make it easy for employers to pick foreign workers, even when Bahrainis with the right skills are ready and waiting,' Kadhem said. 'This adjustment brings money into public coffers and helps steady the books while nudging hiring in the right direction.'
Cost
He added that the added cost for expat families would help share the strain on public services such as hospitals and schools. 'Those who live here should share the costs.
It's fair, and it helps us keep the system steady for everyone,' he said.
The proposal has been submitted for committee review before being brought forward for wider discussion.