ETW Staff– Mumbai
Indians will be eligible to apply for an e-visa to Bahrain from October 1, 2014. From 2015, residents of India will be able to spend longer periods of time in Bahrain. Under the new system visas will be valid for a month and can be renewed for up to three months. Additionally, multiple entry visas will also be available for Indian citizens.
Bahrain’s new visa policy allows nationals from over 100 countries to obtain a visa online ahead of travel. The new policy will also be accompanied by improvements to the individual screening process, ensuring faster and more effective processing of applications. It benefits around half the world’s population, including 1.25 billion Indians, and will further enable expatriates who do business in Bahrain, to easily travel in and out of the Kingdom more easily.
Under the new policy, visitors from 66 countries will be able to receive visas upon arrival in Bahrain. These visitors will also be eligible to apply for their visas electronically ahead of their arrival in the Kingdom, further easing their travel experience. Visitors from a further 36 countries will also be able to exclusively obtain electronic visas, bringing the overall total of countries eligible to receive e-visas to 102.
Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa AlKhalifa, assistant undersecretary for nationality, passports and residence affairs at Bahrain’s ministry of interior, said, “This policy will provide easier and quicker access for businesses with operations in Bahrain and will also help to attract more tourists to the Kingdom. During the build-up phase, we have worked closely with a range of stakeholders in the public and private sectors to ensure the new policy provides immediate benefits to visitors, and are pleased to be in a position to launch the new policy from October 1, 2014. The changes are being implemented as part of wider efforts to continually develop the passport and immigration processes and systems.”
Dr Mohan Kumar, Indian ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, said, “India and Bahrain have an economic and trade partnership that stretches back hundreds of years. Indians also makes up a sizeable proportion of the Kingdom’s population and contribute significantly to Bahrain’s culture and society. Through this new visa policy I hope that Indian businesses will be encouraged to build on existing ties and explore new investment opportunities in Bahrain and the wider GCC region.”
