Expatriate Employee Transfer
Through this service, expatriate employees can transfer to another employer without the need of canceling their existing work permit. The transfer can be done with or without the consent of the current employer. (Conditions Apply)
Process Description
In case the transfer is based on the former employer's approval, the new employer needs to do the following:
- Login to the LMRA’s EMS system to complete the electronic transfer application form. The entered information should be matching to the information in the passport and other related documents. The expatriate employee will be transferred after the payment of the fees.
In case the transfer will be done without the former employer’s approval, the following steps will be taken:
- The expatriate employee should notify the current employer of his intention to leave by sending his resignation through Bahrain Post office to the commercial registration's address during the specified notice period of the employment contract termination, in accordance with the provisions of the labour law.
- The second (new) employer will submit a transfer request/ application to LMRA prior to the date set for the transfer by one month, providing all the required documents.
- Upon transfer, the first (old) employer will be refunded the fees of the remaining period in the expatriate employees work permit .
Required Documents
Required document | Special Considerations |
---|---|
Expatriate Employee passport | Copy
|
Expatriate Employee ID card | Copy |
Work contract between the employer and the expatriate employee | Copy
|
Dependants’ passports. (if applicable) | Copy |
Approval letter/ no-objection certificate from the relevant authority for certain specialized occupations. The approval must be as recent as possible and should not be older than 6 months | Copy |
For private sector: Latest paid electricity bill
|
Copy
|
Required document | Special Considerations |
---|---|
Resignation and notice letter (as per the labour law and/or the employment agreement between the expatriate employee and the employer) addressed to the current employer by the expatriate employee who wants to transfer | Copy
|
Post office registered mailnotification card (pink card) or slip for the resignation or notice letter sent by the expatriate employee to his/her current employer |
Colored Copy |
For private sector: Latest paid electricity bill
|
Copy
|
Special Conditions
- The transfer process is only available while the expatriate employee's permit is still valid for at least 15 days.
- If applying for transfer, without the consent of the old (current) employer, the expatriate employee needs to have completed at least 12 months of service with the same employer before a new employer can apply for his/ her transfer.
- Once the transfer application has been processed, the old (current) employer would be credited with the unused remaining period of the work permit as a
credit note
in the Expat Management System (EMS). - If the consent of the expatriate employee’s old (current) employer is obtained electronically in the EMS system through the “allow transfer function, the transfer will be instant (the expatriate employee does not need to wait or to complete 12 months of service). The employer would be then instantly credited with the unused remaining period of the work permit as a
credit note
in the system. - Expatriate Employees with expired work permits need to apply for a new work permit (Not Transfer).
- In case of permit expiry or termination/ cancellation the expatriate employee has 30 days from the cancellation or expiry date in order to obtain a new work permit on the new employer, otherwise he/she needs to travel out of the Kingdom of Bahrain first, before the new employer can apply for him / her.
- The expatriate employee continues to work for the first employer; and his due monthly fees shall be paid until the approval of the transfer application and the new employer’s payment of the new work permit fees.
- The new employer commits to pay the new work permit fees within thirty days from the date of the transfer approval otherwise, the approval will be declined.
- The expatriate employee would not be allowed to transfer in the following cases:
- If the expatriate employee ceases to comply with one or more of the conditions for issuing the permit.
- If a final criminal judgment has been passed against the expatriate employee for a felony or a crime that violates honor or honesty.
- If the expatriate employee violates the terms under which his work permit was issued.
- If the new employer does not have the required Bahrainisation quotas or has a violation which prevents him from applying for transfer.
- If the employee has a violation which prevents his transfer.
- If the date of the transfer request falls within the last three months of the validity of the work permit (in the case of the expatriate employee’s transfer without the consent of his employer).
Service Access
Service Counter | Headquarters, Mina Salman, Seef Mall - Al Muharraq |
EMS system | https://www.lmra.gov.bh/EMS_Web/ |
e-Support | https://esupport.lmra.gov.bh/ |
Contact Centre | +973 17506055 |
Working Hours
Centre | Area | Day | Service Counter Hours |
---|---|---|---|
LMRA Front Offices | Sanabis | Sunday - Thursday | 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM |
Mina Salman (For Clearing offices) | Mina Salman | Sunday - Thursday | 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM |
Seef Mall - Al Muharraq | Al Muharraq | Saturday - Thursday | 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
Phone Service Hours: 7:30 AM - 7:00 PM
Last Update: Tuesday 25 July 2023