Under the new Bahrain 90-day work rule, expatriate workers can be lent to a second employer for 90 days without changing their work permit. The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) calls it a secondment, and the receiving employer pays an administrative fee of 5 Bahraini dinars to arrange it.
The authority published the rules for its new Secondment Service on 28 September 2026. They rest on Resolution No. 2 of 2026, which amends the 2008 resolution governing work permits for expatriates other than domestic workers. More than three lakh Indians live in Bahrain, and those working there on a valid permit are eligible.
What does the Bahrain 90-day work rule allow?
A worker already employed in Bahrain on a valid work permit can work for a second company for a fixed 90-day period. The worker stays on the original employer’s permit throughout. When the secondment ends, the worker returns to the first employer.
Under the 2008 resolution, an expatriate could not work for anyone other than the employer named on the permit. Article 8(4) of that resolution barred it. The 2026 amendment opens a controlled exception rather than a free market: every secondment needs approval from all three parties and is logged with the regulator.
A separate route covers companies in the same group. A worker can be moved to a branch or group company with a different commercial registration, provided that company’s Bahrainisation percentage is the same or higher, according to employment law advisers who reviewed the change.
Who has to agree, and what does it cost?
Three approvals are needed. The current employer approves first, then the worker, then the receiving employer pays the invoice within 30 days. The whole process runs through the authority’s Expat Management System, using Bahrain’s eKey 2.0 digital identity.
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 days |
| Administrative fee | BHD 5, paid by the receiving employer |
| Bahrainisation parallel fee | BHD 62.5, only if the receiving employer’s Bahrainisation target is lower than the current employer’s |
| Approvals | Current employer, worker, receiving employer |
| Excluded | Domestic workers; companies going through an ownership transfer |
| Liability | Both employers jointly liable for the worker’s rights |
The parallel fee covers the full 90 days and is not refunded if the secondment ends early. Its purpose is to stop companies with lower local-hiring targets from using secondments to get round them.
EXPLAINER
What is Bahrainisation?
Bahrainisation is Bahrain’s policy of requiring private companies to employ a set percentage of Bahraini citizens. The required percentage varies by sector and company size, and firms that fall short pay extra fees for expatriate hires.
That is why the secondment rule has a parallel fee. If a worker moves to a company with a lower Bahrainisation target than their current employer, the receiving company pays BHD 62.5 for the 90 days. Without it, companies could use secondments to avoid hiring Bahraini staff.
What protections does the worker keep?
The authority’s rules make both employers jointly responsible for the worker’s employment rights during the secondment. That means unpaid wages or other claims can be pursued against either company, including the one where the worker is not currently placed.
The worker can only do an occupation for which they are already licensed in Bahrain. A worker licensed as a mason cannot be seconded as an electrician, for example. The secondment also ends automatically if the underlying work permit is cancelled or expires.
The rule does not create a new way to recruit from abroad. It applies only to workers already authorised to work in Bahrain. Anyone in India being offered a “90-day job” in Bahrain by an agent should treat it with caution, because the secondment route cannot bring a new worker into the country.
Why has Bahrain made the change?
The authority’s chief executive, Nibras Talib, has said the change balances business growth and workforce flexibility with the government’s policy of prioritising Bahraini citizens. The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomed it. Its chairman, Nabeel Kanoo, called it “a positive step towards developing the labour market framework”.
The main safeguards for workers are the three-way consent and joint liability. Worker consent is recorded in the system, which gives a worker a formal point at which to refuse.
What does it mean for Indian workers?
The Ministry of External Affairs lists about 3.24 lakh non-resident Indians in Bahrain, and India’s ambassador put the community at 340,000 in 2024. The rule applies to all nationalities equally, and no Indian-specific guidance has been issued by the Indian Embassy in Bahrain.
For an Indian worker, a secondment can mean extra work during a slow period at the home employer, or experience with another company, without a permit transfer. No secondment is valid without the worker’s own approval in the system, so knowing the consent rules matters.
What happens next?
The service is live on the authority’s systems. The published rules do not say whether a secondment can be renewed after 90 days, or set out penalties for working for another employer without approval. Workers and employers should watch for further guidance from the authority on both points.
Guides for Indians working in the Gulf are in the Visa section, and wider reporting on Indian workers abroad is in the Business section.
What Indian workers in Bahrain are asking
Can my employer send me to another company without asking me?
No. Under the authority’s rules, a secondment needs the approval of the current employer, the worker and the receiving employer, each given through the Expat Management System. If you are asked to work elsewhere and have not approved a secondment yourself, the arrangement is not valid under the new rule.
Who pays the fees for a secondment?
The receiving employer pays. The administrative fee is BHD 5, plus a BHD 62.5 Bahrainisation parallel fee if the receiving company’s Bahrainisation target is lower than your current employer’s. Nothing in the published rules asks the worker to pay. Report any employer or agent who demands money from you for a secondment.
Can I use the 90-day rule to come to Bahrain from India?
No. The secondment service only covers workers who already hold a valid work permit in Bahrain. It is not a new visa or a recruitment route. A job offer abroad still needs a full work permit sponsored by an employer in Bahrain.
What happens if my work permit expires during a secondment?
The secondment ends automatically. The rules say it becomes invalid if the underlying work permit is cancelled or expires, so you would need to stop working for the second employer. Renew your permit through your main employer in good time before agreeing to any secondment.
Visa note: rules and fees can change. Check the official Labour Market Regulatory Authority Secondment Service page before agreeing to any arrangement.
