Company Administration
From licence renewals to visa processing — we handle the administrative side of running your business in Bahrain, so you can focus on growing it.
Our Services
Everything Your Business Needs to Stay Compliant
Running a business in Bahrain involves ongoing administrative obligations — from annual licence renewals and regulatory amendments to visa processing and VAT compliance. Melqart handles all of this on your behalf, acting as your dedicated PRO team in Bahrain.
Whether you are a newly incorporated company or an established business looking to outsource your admin, our team ensures nothing falls through the cracks — and no deadline is ever missed.
Licence Renewal & Amendments
CR renewals, name changes, activity amendments and more
Office & Address Service
Registered address, coworking and private office solutions
Permits & Visas
Work permits, residence visas and Bahrain ID processing
VAT & Tax Compliance
NBR registration, quarterly filing and ESR reporting
Service 01
Licence Renewal & Amendments
Keeping your Commercial Registration (CR) current and accurate is a legal obligation in Bahrain. Melqart manages your annual renewal and handles any amendments to your company's registered details — quickly and without hassle.
Whether you need to update your business activities, change your company name, restructure your shareholders, or add a branch — our team processes everything with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) on your behalf.
- Commercial Licence (CR) Renewal
- Change of Company Name or Commercial Address
- Amendments to Business Activities
- Amendments to Shareholders, Board of Directors or Authorised Persons
- Change of Company Type or Legal Structure
- Add or Remove a Branch
- Company Liquidation
Common Questions
Licence Renewal & Amendments — Q&A
Commercial Registrations in Bahrain must be renewed annually — once every 12 months before the expiry date shown on your CR certificate. Some business activities may be issued a two-year licence, but annual renewal remains the standard for most company types.
Melqart recommends starting the renewal process at least 60–90 days before the expiry date. This buffer allows time to clear any outstanding compliance issues — such as overdue UBO updates, unsettled LMRA or NBR dues, or expired office lease agreements — that could block renewal through the Sijilat portal.
The consequences escalate the longer renewal is delayed. Immediately upon expiry, late penalties begin — starting at BHD 100 for the first month and rising to BHD 250 after 60 days. Your corporate bank account may be frozen, your ability to invoice clients is compromised, and LMRA work permit renewals can be blocked.
If the CR remains unrenewed for over 100 days, MOIC may initiate company suspension proceedings. Beyond six months, the company risks being blacklisted, which can affect shareholders' ability to form new companies for up to three years.
If a CR is not renewed after 12 months from expiry, MOIC may delete it permanently. However, the law provides a three-year window to revive a deleted CR.
Yes. CR renewal in Bahrain is entirely digital and processed through the Sijilat portal. There is no requirement to be physically present — the entire process can be completed online from anywhere in the world.
Melqart handles all CR renewals on your behalf — including Sijilat submission, fee payment, UBO verification, and document preparation. You do not need eKey access or to interact with any government portal directly.
The Sijilat portal allows CR renewal to be submitted up to six months before the expiry date. Submitting early does not shorten the validity period — the new registration period begins from the original expiry date.
Melqart proactively initiates the renewal process 60–90 days before your expiry date as standard.
Standard documents required for most CR renewals include:
- →Valid passport copies for all shareholders and directors
- →Updated UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner) information
- →Valid registered office address (lease agreement)
- →Audited financial statements (required for certain company types)
- →Clearance of any outstanding LMRA, NBR, or municipal dues
- →Sector-specific approvals for regulated activities
Melqart conducts a full pre-renewal compliance check before submission.
Adding or amending a business activity typically takes 3–7 business days once submitted through Sijilat, provided no additional regulatory approvals are required. Some activities — particularly in financial services, healthcare, education, or food — require sector regulator clearance before MOIC can approve the amendment.
Melqart reviews your intended activities before submission to identify sector-specific requirements upfront.
Yes — Bahrain law provides for revival of a deleted CR within three years from the date of deletion. Revival involves clearing all outstanding penalties, settling dues with LMRA, NBR, and other authorities, and reapplying through MOIC with updated documentation.
Deletion does not extinguish the legal liabilities of the company's owners — their obligations continue as if the CR were still active. Contact Melqart immediately if your CR has been deleted.
Voluntary liquidation requires a formal shareholder resolution, appointment of a liquidator, settlement of all debts and obligations, clearance from LMRA, NBR, and GOSI, and final deregistration with MOIC through Sijilat.
All work permits and residency visas must be cancelled before the CR can be deleted. Any VAT registration must also be formally de-registered with the NBR.
The timeline for a straightforward liquidation is typically 2–4 months. Melqart manages the entire process from shareholder resolution through to final CR deletion.
Service 02
Office & Address Service
Every company registered in Bahrain requires a valid commercial address. Through our coworking space — Kickstart Bahrain — we offer a range of flexible workspace solutions at our Melqart office in the Diplomatic Area, Manama.
Whether you need a registered address for your CR, a hot desk for occasional use, a dedicated private office, or a meeting room for client visits — Kickstart Bahrain has a solution designed around your business needs.
- Registered Commercial Address for CR purposes
- Coworking / Hot Desk — flexible day or monthly access
- Dedicated Private Office — fully furnished
- Meeting Rooms — available by the hour or day
- High-speed internet and full administrative support
- Mail handling and reception services
- Prime location — Falcon Tower, Diplomatic Area, Manama
Common Questions
Office & Address — Q&A
Yes. Every company registered in Bahrain must have a valid commercial address on file with MOIC at all times — a valid lease agreement for the registered address must be submitted as part of every CR renewal.
A P.O. Box or residential address does not satisfy this requirement. Kickstart Bahrain's Falcon Tower address in the Diplomatic Area satisfies this requirement in full and is accepted by MOIC without issue.
A registered address is the official address listed on your CR — appearing on government records and your CR certificate. A physical office is the workspace where you or your team actually operate day-to-day. They can be the same or different addresses.
Many early-stage businesses use Kickstart Bahrain's address as their registered CR address while operating remotely. As the business grows, upgrading to a private office at the same Falcon Tower location is straightforward — with no change to the CR address needed.
Yes — provided it is a genuine commercial premises with municipality approval and a valid lease agreement. Not all virtual office providers in Bahrain can provide this.
Kickstart Bahrain is a licensed commercial coworking facility with full municipality approval. The address is accepted by MOIC for all standard business activities. For regulated activities requiring a physical inspection, a dedicated private office may be more appropriate — Melqart will advise.
Kickstart Bahrain is located in Falcon Tower, Diplomatic Area, Manama — the same building as Melqart Consulting. The Diplomatic Area is Bahrain's primary business and financial district, home to the Central Bank of Bahrain, major commercial banks, law firms, and multinational offices.
GPS coordinates: 26.24123, 50.59071.
Kickstart Bahrain offers four tiers of workspace:
- →Registered Address Only — CR address, mail handling, and reception. No physical workspace.
- →Hot Desk — Flexible shared workspace, day or monthly basis.
- →Dedicated Desk — A fixed desk, exclusively yours, with storage and internet.
- →Private Office — Fully furnished, lockable office for teams of 1–6.
Visit kickstartbahrain.com for current availability and pricing.
Yes. All commercial office addresses used for CR registration must have municipality clearance — confirming the premises are approved for commercial use. This clearance must remain valid for CR renewal.
Kickstart Bahrain holds full, current municipality approval for all its workspace tiers. The clearance is included when you use our address — you do not need to arrange this independently.
Yes — and many Melqart clients do exactly this. Starting with a registered address only is a cost-effective way to establish your company's legal presence in Bahrain, and upgrading as the business grows is straightforward.
Since the registered address remains the same Falcon Tower address throughout, upgrading your workspace tier requires no CR amendment with MOIC.
If you move your registered address to a new location, a commercial address amendment must be filed with MOIC through Sijilat. The new address must have municipality approval and a valid lease agreement.
Melqart handles address amendment filings as part of the standard administration service — the process typically takes 3–5 business days once all documents are in order.
Service 03
Permits & Visas
Foreign nationals who want to live and work in Bahrain need both a residency visa and a work permit. The most common route for business owners is the Investor Work Permit — a two-year permit granted to shareholders in a locally registered company.
Melqart's PRO team handles all permit and visa applications on your behalf — liaising directly with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), the Immigration Directorate, and other relevant government bodies.
- Investor Work Permit (2-year, renewable)
- Employee Work Permit Processing
- Residence Visa — owner, employee and family dependants
- Bahrain ID Card (CPR) Processing
- Driving Licence Processing
- Document Translation and Notarisation
- Local Government Approvals and Liaison
Common Questions
Permits & Visas — Q&A
The Investor Work Permit is a two-year renewable work permit issued by the LMRA to foreign nationals who own shares in a company registered in Bahrain. It allows the holder to live and work legally in Bahrain as an owner-operator of their business.
To qualify, you must be a shareholder in an active Bahraini company with a valid CR. There is no minimum ownership percentage — even a minority shareholder can qualify.
Permit fees are BHD 390 for a two-year permit, plus an admin fee of BHD 5.
An Investor Work Permit is issued on the basis of company ownership. An Employee Work Permit is issued on the basis of an employment contract with a Bahraini-registered company.
Employee Work Permit applications require a formal job advertisement in local newspapers for a minimum of 7 days before the LMRA will process the application.
Employee Work Permit fees are BHD 390 for two years — rising to BHD 688 from the seventh permit if the Bahrainisation quota has not been met.
Yes. The holder of a valid Investor or Employee Work Permit can sponsor immediate family members — spouse and children — for residency visas in Bahrain. Dependant residence permit fees are BHD 90 per person.
Melqart processes family dependant visa applications as part of the permits and visas service — handling all LMRA submissions, document preparation, and follow-up on your behalf.
A CPR (Central Population Register) card is Bahrain's national identity card for residents — the primary identification document used for banking, government services, and SIM card registration.
Once your work permit and residence visa are approved, you must appear in person at a designated LMRA or NPRA centre to provide biometric data. The CPR card is then issued within a few days.
The in-person biometric visit is the one step that cannot be completed remotely. Melqart arranges this appointment and accompanies clients to ensure the process runs smoothly.
Bahrainisation is Bahrain's national employment policy requiring private sector companies to maintain a minimum percentage of Bahraini employees. The specific quota depends on company size and sector.
Companies that do not meet the quota are not fined, but pay increased LMRA fees — BHD 688 instead of BHD 344 from the seventh permit onwards.
All employees must be registered with the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO). Employers pay 4% of each employee's monthly salary to SIO.
The LMRA processes applications through its online EMS portal — no physical attendance required. For applicants already inside Bahrain, approval typically takes 5–10 business days. For applicants outside Bahrain, approximately 21 working days.
Once approved, the permit can be renewed digitally from inside or outside Bahrain — up to six months before expiry for a two-year permit.
Yes — since October 2023, Bahrain allows work permits and residence permits to be renewed digitally while the employee is outside Bahrain, provided the permit is still valid.
Melqart monitors all work permit expiry dates across our clients' employee rosters and initiates renewals proactively — ensuring no employee is ever caught with an expired permit.
When an employee departs, the employer must formally cancel their work permit and residence visa through the LMRA EMS system. End-of-service gratuity must be calculated and paid in accordance with Bahrain's Labour Law.
Failing to cancel a departed employee's permit promptly creates compliance issues and prevents the slot being reallocated to a new hire. Melqart manages all departing employee cancellations as part of the administration service.
Service 04
VAT & Tax Compliance
Bahrain introduced VAT in January 2019, currently levied at 10% on most goods and services since January 2022. Businesses that meet the registration threshold are legally required to register with the National Bureau of Revenue (NBR) and file quarterly VAT returns.
Beyond VAT, Bahrain companies carrying out certain geographically mobile activities are subject to Economic Substance Regulations (ESR) — an annual compliance obligation that is widely misunderstood and frequently overlooked.
Annual taxable supplies exceeding this amount require mandatory VAT registration with the NBR.
Businesses above this level may register voluntarily — allowing input VAT recovery on business expenses.
- VAT registration application with the NBR
- Quarterly VAT return preparation and filing
- VAT compliance review and advisory
- Tax invoice compliance guidance
- Economic Substance Report (ESR) filing
- VAT de-registration when required
Common Questions
VAT & Tax Compliance — Q&A
VAT registration is mandatory if your company's annual taxable supplies and imports exceed BHD 37,500. Once you reach this threshold, you must register with the NBR within 30 days — failure to do so results in automatic registration and liability for all VAT due from the date the threshold was crossed.
Voluntary registration is available for businesses with annual taxable supplies exceeding BHD 18,750 — particularly useful for B2B businesses, as it allows recovery of input VAT paid on business expenses.
Non-resident businesses making taxable supplies in Bahrain must register regardless of threshold and must appoint a fiscal representative resident in Bahrain.
VAT returns are filed quarterly and must be submitted through the NBR's online portal within 30 days of the end of each tax period. For example, a return covering January to March is due by 30 April.
Melqart prepares and files all quarterly VAT returns on your behalf, reconciles your VAT position, and handles any NBR correspondence or audit queries.
Under Bahrain's VAT law (Decree 48/2018), the key penalties are:
- →Late filing: BHD 500 to BHD 5,000 per return
- →Late payment: 2% per month on the outstanding VAT amount
- →Incorrect return: up to 3× the difference between declared and correct VAT
- →Failure to register when required: up to BHD 10,000
Melqart ensures all returns are filed accurately and on time, and maintains the full documentation trail required for any NBR audit.
Bahrain's VAT framework has three categories: standard-rated (10%), zero-rated (0%), and exempt. Zero-rated supplies still allow input VAT recovery — exempt supplies do not.
Zero-rated: exports of goods and services, international transport, oil and gas related supplies, certain medicines and medical equipment.
Exempt: financial services (interest, insurance), residential property rentals, bare land transactions, and local passenger transport.
The Economic Substance Regulations (ESR), introduced under Ministerial Order No. 106 of 2018, require Bahraini companies carrying out certain "relevant activities" to demonstrate genuine economic substance in Bahrain and report on it annually.
Relevant activities include: banking, insurance, fund management, finance and leasing, headquarters activities, shipping, holding company activities, intellectual property activities, and distribution and service centre activities.
Melqart conducts an ESR applicability assessment for all administration clients as standard — many companies are unaware of their ESR obligations.
ESR compliance requires demonstrating adequate economic substance by satisfying these tests:
- →Core Income Generating Activities (CIGA) are conducted in Bahrain
- →The company is directed and managed from Bahrain
- →Adequate qualified employees are present in Bahrain
- →Adequate operating expenditure is incurred in Bahrain
- →Adequate physical assets are maintained in Bahrain
An annual ESR Report must be submitted within 3 months of financial year end. As of March 2024, extensions are no longer granted. Non-compliance can result in suspension or revocation of your CR.
For most businesses, Bahrain has no corporate income tax — no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no withholding tax, and no wealth tax. This remains one of Bahrain's most significant competitive advantages in the region.
From 1 January 2025, a Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT) of 15% applies to multinational enterprises with consolidated global revenues of at least USD 750 million. This is Bahrain's implementation of the OECD Pillar Two framework and does not affect the vast majority of businesses operating in Bahrain.
VAT-registered businesses must maintain comprehensive records of all taxable transactions for a minimum of 5 years — including all tax invoices issued and received, credit and debit notes, import and export documentation, VAT returns filed, and NBR correspondence.
Melqart maintains a full VAT documentation file for each client — ensuring all records are complete, organised, and immediately available in the event of an NBR audit.
Leave the Admin to Us
We handle the paperwork, the government liaisons, and the deadlines — so you can stay focused on your business.
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Tell us what you need and a Melqart advisor will get back to you within 24 hours. Whether it's a one-off amendment, an urgent visa, or full ongoing administration — we have a solution that fits.
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