Officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain, the country is a small island nation located near the western shores of the Persian Gulf in an archipelago just west of Saudi Arabia. The country's popularity as a tourist destination continues to grow and the strong Arab influence on the nation's culture and architecture makes it a fascinating place to visit and live.
Whatever your reasons for relocating to Bahrain, you'll need to be properly prepared when entering the country through customs. Here's what you need to know when preparing to travel to Bahrain from the United States:
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY
When traveling to Bahrain, you're required to have certain documents to gain entry into the country through customs. Besides the usual documents required when traveling abroad (passport, visa, etc.) there are also several more important documents that you'll need if you're going to be relocating to Bahrain:
- Passport (original)
- Work Permit
- Residence Permit (valid for two years, endorsed on the Passport)
- Insurance Certificate
- Bank Guarantee
- Customs Bond
- Proof of Employment
- Inventory (a clear copy, detailed and in English) -- PBO packed by owner not acceptable
- Certificate from Arab Chamber of Commerce at origin
SHIPPING AND CUSTOMS REGULATIONS
When moving to Bahrain, you may have a shipment of belongings that will be coming with you. Whether the shipment arrives at customs with you or you have it shipped via an international moving company before or after your arrival, your goods are subject to shipping regulations by the government of Bahrain.
Here are some of the customs regulations currently in place for people entering Bahrain:
- Customer's presence at customs clearance is required
- All shipments are 100 percent inspected
- Used household goods and personal effects are duty-free but subject to the owner obtaining a Residence Permit for a two year minimum--if a two year permit is unobtainable, shipment can be cleared upon payment of a customs deposit
PROHIBITED ITEMS
Although the items may be legal in your origin country, some of them may not be permitted in your destination country.
The following items are prohibited from entry into Bahrain through customs and may be seized upon arrival:
- Narcotic drugs
- Pornographic pictures, films, videos and literature
- Pearls
- Explosives
- Weapons, firearms, and ammunition (including decorative or toy items of this nature)
- Products of Israeli origin or anything related to Israel is banned and liable for confiscation
- Political and religious literature offensive to Islam and the Bahrain government is banned and liable for
- confiscation/prosecution
- Wireless transmitters, communications equipment and satellite dish antennas
- All printed matter, films, books, pictures, records, tapes, slides, movies, videos, CDs, computer software, etc. subject to
- censorship and confiscation (must be packed separately for easy access)
- Violators subject to severe penalties, including possible jail time
- If a carton is suspected to contain prohibited items, the entire carton is kept in Customs for further scrutiny. Prohibited items will be confiscated, destroyed or shipped out at Customer's expense.
RESTRICTED ITEMS
While the items on this list are not completely prohibited from entering the country through customs, there may be a tax or duty placed on them upon arrival, or other restrictions. The following items are dutiable and/or restricted:
- New items (purchase invoices required, are dutiable)
- Tobacco, alcoholic and perfume products are highly dutiable
- Personal computers and all musical instruments including pianos are dutiable
- Videocassettes are subject to a screening fee
- Cordless telephones are subject to inspection by the Ministry of Labor
- Foodstuff is subject to a Health Inspection and dutiable
- Medicines require a check by the Ministry of Health
MOTOR VEHICLE REGULATIONS
If you're relocating to Bahrain, you may want to have a car with you in your new country. If you already own a car and you are considering having it shipped to Bahrain, you should pay close attention to the rules and regulations regarding motor vehicle shipments.
If you will be shipping your car to Bahrain, the following guidelines and regulations will apply:
- Duty is applicable
- Documents required:
- Invoice
- Original passport
- Current Insurance Policy (for Bahrain)
- Residence Permit (valid for two years)
- Certificate of Registration
- Title of ownership
PETS AND ANIMAL REGULATIONS
You're welcome to bring your pet along with you when you relocate to Bahrain, but first you should learn the regulations regarding moving to Bahrain with pets, as well as what kind of documents you'll need to clear customs:
- Health Certificate issued by a licensed veterinarian at the place of origin abroad (this Certificate must be in English)
- Import License required
INTERNATIONAL MOVES
International moves require a lot of preparation and planning. In addition to hiring an international moving company, packing your belongings and planning your moving budget, you must also consider the customs regulations in your destination country.
These regulations often vary and are subject to change.
To help you prepare for your move, we've provided you with a few helpful links to learn more about the complicated international moving process: