Bahrain visa check: NPRA and LMRA

Bahrain visa check: two portals, one job

A Bahrain visa check depends on what kind of record you are looking for. NPRA runs the eVisa system that covers entry visas, including tourist and business eVisas applied for before travel. LMRA runs a separate system for work permits, which cover expatriate employees once they are working in Bahrain. Picking the wrong portal is the most common reason a search comes back empty.

If you have an application reference number from applying online, start with NPRA. If you already hold a job in Bahrain and want to confirm your permit is active, start with LMRA. The rest of this page walks through both, field by field, using the exact labels each portal shows.

NPRA eVisa status, step by step

NPRA, the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, operates the eVisa portal at evisa.gov.bh, which handles applying for a Bahrain visa online and checking a submitted application. Its "Check Application Status" page asks for four pieces of information, matched exactly against your passport.

1. Open the NPRA eVisa portal using the button below (it opens the official evisa.gov.bh site in a new tab).
2. Find Check Application Status among the eVisa services listed on the site.
3. On the "Check the Status of a Visa or Permit for Bahrain" page, enter your Passport Number exactly as printed.
4. Select your Nationality from the dropdown list.
5. Enter your Date of Birth (day, month and year) as shown in your passport.
6. Enter the Application Reference Number you were given when you applied.
7. Submit the form and read the current status of your application.

The reference number matters most. Without the Application Reference Number issued when you applied, the page cannot pull up your record even if every other field is correct. Keep the confirmation email or printed receipt from your application until your visa is confirmed and stamped.

LMRA work permit check, step by step

LMRA, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, regulates and tracks work permits for expatriate employees in Bahrain's private sector. Its "View Expatriate Employee Data" service, under the Expatriate Employee menu, shows a permit's status and validity using three inputs.

1. Open the LMRA portal using the button below (it opens the official lmra.gov.bh site in a new tab).
2. From the menu, go to Expatriate Employee, then View Expatriate Employee Data.
3. Enter your Identity Card Number (Personal Number), your Bahrain CPR or ID card number.
4. Enter your Passport Number exactly as printed in your passport.
5. Choose your Country (country of origin) from the dropdown list.
6. Submit the search and read the work permit status and validity shown for your record.

The Identity Card Number is the field that trips people up. It is the personal number on your Bahrain identity card, usually called a CPR number, and it is only issued once your residence and work permit have been processed. New arrivals without a card yet should ask their employer for this number rather than guessing at it.

NPRA vs LMRA at a glance

These two authorities cover different stages of the same journey into Bahrain. This table lays out who each one serves and what you need on hand before you search.

Rule of thumb: no job in Bahrain yet, or applying from abroad, check NPRA; already working there, check LMRA.

What a Bahrain visa check result means

Both portals report the record as it stands; neither one can change or speed up a decision. On NPRA, a status such as approved, pending or rejected reflects the visa application stage. On LMRA, the result shows whether a work permit is currently valid, along with its validity details, since that record is what confirms a resident's legal working status inside Bahrain.

If NPRA shows your eVisa approved but you cannot find any record on LMRA, that is expected while you are still outside Bahrain. LMRA records relate to residents already registered for work inside the country, so an approved entry visa and an active work permit are two different milestones, not the same check.

If your Bahrain visa record is not found

A "not found" result is common and usually fixable. Work through these in order before assuming there is a real problem with your visa or permit.

• Recheck every field: a single mistyped digit in a passport or reference number returns no match on either portal.
• Confirm you picked the right portal: an entry visa will not show on LMRA, and a work permit will not show on NPRA.
• Ask who submitted it: an employer, sponsor or travel agent may hold a reference number that never reached you directly.
• Allow processing time: a newly submitted application or a permit still being finalised may simply not be live yet.

Moving on from a job in Bahrain rather than checking a fresh application? A permit check confirms your legal status; it says nothing about the money owed to you when the job ends. Work that out separately with our Bahrain end of service calculator before you finalise any departure paperwork.

Working somewhere else in the Gulf and need the equivalent check for a different country? See our visa checkers by other GCC country for the right official portal.