Australian travellers eyeing Gulf business hubs received mixed news on 26 October 2025: DFAT maintained its “exercise a high degree of caution” advice for Bahrain but confirmed that Australians can still obtain a visa on arrival or apply online in advance. The clarification follows traveller confusion after neighbouring states tightened entry for some Western passport-holders.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has kept its eVisa portal fully operational, offering stays of up to 14 days (extendable once). DFAT reminds visitors that airport “visa decision is discretionary”; proof of onward travel, hotel bookings and sufficient funds are routinely requested.
While day-trip meetings in Manama’s financial district remain common, regional tensions linked to Red Sea shipping attacks have heightened security screening—especially for travellers arriving from Iran or Lebanon. Mobility teams should advise staff to allocate extra time for questioning at immigration counters.
Companies locating staff in Bahrain to service Saudi or Qatari projects should note that overland Saudi-Bahrain causeway traffic is facing random delays of several hours due to heightened inspections. Contingency allowances in service-level agreements may be prudent.
Health protocols are straightforward: no Covid-19 paperwork is required, but authorities conduct spot checks on yellow-fever vaccination for arrivals from endemic zones.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has kept its eVisa portal fully operational, offering stays of up to 14 days (extendable once). DFAT reminds visitors that airport “visa decision is discretionary”; proof of onward travel, hotel bookings and sufficient funds are routinely requested.
While day-trip meetings in Manama’s financial district remain common, regional tensions linked to Red Sea shipping attacks have heightened security screening—especially for travellers arriving from Iran or Lebanon. Mobility teams should advise staff to allocate extra time for questioning at immigration counters.
Companies locating staff in Bahrain to service Saudi or Qatari projects should note that overland Saudi-Bahrain causeway traffic is facing random delays of several hours due to heightened inspections. Contingency allowances in service-level agreements may be prudent.
Health protocols are straightforward: no Covid-19 paperwork is required, but authorities conduct spot checks on yellow-fever vaccination for arrivals from endemic zones.
