Bahrain is an amazing island country that has the status of a kingdom and the smallest Arab state. Deserts blazing with heat, wonderful beaches, monuments of civilization with several millennia of history, auto racing - this and much more attracts travelers, including our compatriots. Do Russians need a visa to visit Bahrain? How to get it? Where to apply? The answers to these questions are below.
Features of the visa regime for Russians
Do Russians need a visa to Bahrain? The answer is that it is needed, but the state, showing loy alty to the citizens of Russia, allows you to get one of its varieties right upon arrival at the airport.
Maximum ease of obtaining such an entry permit makes it possible to quickly pass through passport control and enter the country. One has only to present a minimum of documents, and in some cases prepare for questions about the purpose of the visit.
Types of visas to Bahrain for Russians
A simplified entry option for Russians was introduced back in 2008, but only with regard to a tourist visa. For other purposes, your order of receipt. Like all over the world visas to Bahrain can be as follows:
- tourist;
- business;
- sponsored, which includes work and student options;
- transit.
In addition to this division, there are one-time and multiple visas to Bahrain.
Tourist visa
Thanks to the agreements between Russia and Bahrain, there is a simplified regime for obtaining this type of permit for Russian citizens. To do this, you will need to prepare some documents for passing through passport control:
- passport with at least three years of validity;
- document confirming that the traveler has a roof over his head for the entire period of stay;
- return ticket;
- confirmation of financial solvency;
- filled out migration card received upon arrival.
The whole procedure usually takes no more than an hour, and you need to pay a fixed visa fee, which should be clarified on the date of travel. This is all that needed to be done to gain access to the country for up to two weeks. You can extend the period by applying to the migration service.
There is another way to obtain a visa - electronic, through the official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bahrain. Once selected, fill out the formmake scans of all documents required for the desired type of visit, pay the fee and send everything through the online service. Such an authorization document can be used for a trip of up to 30 days. It will be received by email. It must be printed to use.
Sponsor visas
This type of permits includes those where, as part of the submitted package, confirmation of the meeting party is required to provide the arriving person with everything necessary for living. In addition, the letter guarantees certain obligations for the visitor himself. These visas include:
- workers;
- training;
- business.
Each of them has its own package of documents, but it will still be based on:
- passport;
- certificate that the arrival has a roof over his head for the entire period of the visit;
- photo with certain parameters;
- financial security;
- filled out migration card received upon arrival.
To visit relatives, you need to add to the standard package:
- invitation, which guarantees payment of all expenses for the visit of the arriving;
- documentation showing that the receiving party is able to bear the financial costs of hosting the guest;
- documents confirming the residence or citizenship of the receiving party.
For businessmen, the package will have to be supplemented with the following documents:
- invitation from the organization– the initiator of the trip;
- letter from work confirming the need to travel and its reasons;
- documentation confirming the existence of a business relationship between the receiving and sending party;
- on demand travel itinerary.
For those who want to work:
- letter from an employer willing to provide a job that guarantees certain lengths of stay;
- document confirming the contractual obligations linking the arrival and the Bahraini company;
- documentation designed to certify the current state of he alth.
For future students, the addition will look like this:
- documentation from the educational institution about the readiness to provide a study place;
- if it is not the first year of study, then a document confirming this.
Over time, it is possible to make changes to the rules for obtaining visas, the timing of issuance. You must check the latest information before departure.
Travel in transit
Do I need a visa for a layover in Bahrain? In some cases yes, in some cases no. It depends on the time it takes to wait for a connecting flight, as well as the desire to leave the airport.
- If the traveler plans to wait for his plane within 8 hours and does not plan to leave the airport, then he will not need a visa in Bahrain.
- If the connecting flight does not arrive soon (waiting over eight hours), or you need to transfer to another transport, then hereno longer possible without additional measures. A transit visa in Bahrain can be issued for up to 24 or 72 hours. At the same time, the traveler has the right to go outside the airport, and if necessary, extend it.
To issue a transit document, it is enough for a passenger to present a passport and travel documents for the next flight at the airport.
Features of traveling with children
In order to obtain a visa to Bahrain for a child, you need to provide the following documents:
- passport of the child or parent, where there is a corresponding entry about the child;
- birth certificate with citizenship document.
If a child travels with one of the parents, then you must have a notarized consent of the second parent for the child's travel. If accompaniment is carried out by third parties, then the consent of both parents must be provided.
Where and how to apply
Permission to enter the country can be obtained in the following ways:
- on arrival at the airport;
- through a request on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Bahrain;
- to the visa center;
- at the embassy/consulate.
Accordingly, in the first case, the coveted stamp is affixed when passing through passport control. In the second one, you don't have to go anywhere. You can create a questionnaire, digitize additional documents and create a request at home, and send them via the Internet. The visa will also be received in electronic format.
To go to the consulate, you will need to collect a full package of documents:
- passport valid for at least another three months after the expected date of departure from Bahrain, plus a copy of its individual pages;
- profile;
- no more than 6 months old photo of certain parameters;
- invitation of the meeting party.
In addition, you need to make an appointment in advance at the embassy address. All relevant details can be clarified on the official website of the department.
Visa denied
The most common reason for rejection is:
- incompleteness of the submitted set of documents in accordance with the required visa option;
- presence of fake documents in the package, false information provided;
- violations committed during the previous stay in the country;
- lack of financial security.
Many ladies under forty often have the question of whether they will be allowed into the country without a husband. Yes, they will let you in on a general basis, they must have a full package of documents: confirmation of a hotel reservation or a chosen place of residence, financial security; return ticket; valid passport.
