Bahrain visa for South African citizensTwo-week single-entry eVisa
- Fee
- 10 BHD
- Processing
- 1 business days
- Validity
- 90 days
- Stay per entry
- 14 days
- Entries
- single
Bahrain visa for South African citizens
What South African citizens need to enter Bahrain, with the official source for every fact.
eVisaMaximum stay: 14 days
Verified Oct 7, 2026 · Source: evisa.gov.bh (opens in a new tab)You may not need this visa at all
NPRA says GCC residents can be issued a two-week single-entry electronic visa, applied for from outside Bahrain, with a copy of the visitor's residence permit with a valid return visa valid for at least 3 months (application fee 5 BHD, non-refundable, plus visa issuance fee 5 BHD); issuance takes 1 working day.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: npra.gov.bh (opens in a new tab)No official source we could read sets out in a sentence which visas or residence permits open the visa on arrival or the eVisa to these nationalities; NPRA's eVisa eligibility check gives the answer per nationality and its country lists say terms and conditions apply.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: evisa.gov.bh (opens in a new tab)How to apply
When to start: Allow at least 1 working day: that is the longest processing time the authority publishes.
What entry costs
- Two-week single-entry eVisa10 BHD
- Departure fee10 BHD
- Total20 BHD
Compulsory government charges only. Service fees and anything optional are excluded, which is what makes the figure comparable.
Yellow fever certificate
Arriving from South Africa, no yellow fever certificate is required: WHO does not list South Africa as a transmission risk. It can still be demanded if you have been in a risk country shortly before arriving.
Driving on a South Africa license
Bahrain and South Africa are both party to the 1949 Geneva Convention & 1968 Vienna Convention, so an International Driving Permit issued in South Africa is one Bahrain is bound to recognize.
Whether a permit is required alongside your national license is set by national road law, which we have not checked for this pair.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: treaties.un.org (opens in a new tab) · Convention on Road Traffic · archived copy Aug 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)Other entry requirements
- Passport validity — NPRA asks eVisa applicants for a passport copy valid for more than 6 months. For the visa on arrival, NPRA's eVisa portal says the passport must be valid for the length of time you will be in Bahrain or the length of the visa, whichever is longer. The UK Foreign Office says your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
- Onward or return ticket — Required
- Proof of funds — Required
- Staying past your permitted stay — Penalties in Bahrain, compared with every country
No official source states a rule on: travel insurance.
Full wording and sources of these rules: All Bahrain entry requirements
The other way round
Bahraini citizens travelling to South Africa: Embassy visa.
Nationalities treated exactly the same
Bahrain applies these rules — the same regime, the same allowance, the same charges — to South African citizens and to holders of these passports:
Egypt
Morocco
TurkeyCompare this across every country
Each of these tables states one rule for all 199 destinations, with the government source behind every row. Bahrain has a row in each.
- What staying past your permitted stay costs, country by country
- Compulsory government charges beyond the visa, country by country
- How long your passport must be valid, country by country
- Vaccination certificates required at the border
- Where a visa you already hold gets you in somewhere else
- Which International Driving Permit each country recognizes
- What a tourist visa costs, country by country
- How much money you must be able to show at the border
- Where you must show a return or onward ticket
- How much cash you can carry before you must declare it
All Bahrain entry requirements · Everywhere South African citizens can travel
Frequently asked questions
Do South African citizens need a visa for Bahrain?
Yes — an eVisa, applied for online before travelling.
How long can South African citizens stay in Bahrain?
Up to 14 days per entry.
How much does entering Bahrain cost South African citizens?
Two-week single-entry eVisa: 10 BHD. Compulsory government charges come to 20 BHD.
How far in advance should South African citizens apply?
Allow at least 1 working day: that is the longest processing time the authority publishes.
Sources & verification
- Bahrain eVisa (NPRA) — Visa Selection Criteria: eligibility result for each nationality and the 'See Conditions' page of each visa offered (opens in a new tab)
- Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs (NPRA) — Two Weeks Single Entry Electronic Visa (opens in a new tab)
- Nationality, Passports & Residence Affairs (NPRA) — Two-Week Single Entry Electronic Visa (GCC Residents) (opens in a new tab)
- UN Treaty Collection — Convention on Road Traffic (Vienna, 1968), status of parties (opens in a new tab)
Convention on Road Traffic, Geneva, 19 September 1949 (UNTS vol. 125, p. 3); Convention on Road Traffic, Vienna, 8 November 1968 (UNTS vol. 1042, p. 17)
- WHO — International Travel and Health: country list of vaccination requirements (2022, revised 2023) (opens in a new tab)
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source