Bahrain LMRA Work Permit Cost Calculator
Calculate the real annual cost per worker of a Bahrain LMRA work permit — visa issuance, healthcare, monthly contribution (tiered by employer size), one-time charges, dependants, and late penalty exposure — using the official 2026–2029 schedule introduced by Edict 79 of 2025.
Cost Breakdown
Enter your permit details to see the full LMRA cost for the selected period.
- Total cost for the period
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- Annualised cost per worker
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Warning: more than 3 months of unpaid LMRA invoices triggers permit cancellation and deportation cost is borne by the employer.
Bulk-duration comparison
| Permit duration | Total cost | Annualised cost |
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Late-payment penalty ladder
| Month of delay | Penalty added | Cumulative fine |
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Estimates based on the LMRA fee schedule introduced by Edict 79 of 2025 (effective 1 January 2026), the LMRA late-fee announcement, and the LMRA dependants residency permit schedule. Sector-specific exemptions, optional private health-insurance upgrades, and reconciliation fines for unpermitted employment (BHD 500–1,000 under Edict 12/2024) are not modelled. Verify with the LMRA Expat Management System (EMS) before settling official invoices.
About this Calculator
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) controls the cost of every private-sector work permit in Bahrain. From 1 January 2026, Edict 79 of 2025 raised visa issuance fees, healthcare contributions, and the monthly LMRA contribution. The schedule keeps ramping every year until 2029, which is why the headline 'BHD 15 per month per worker' figure cited in older guides is no longer accurate.
Three changes matter most. The healthcare contribution rises roughly 20% per year through 2029. The monthly contribution is now tiered by employer size — small employers (1–5 workers) pay less in 2026 but converge to BHD 30 alongside larger employers by 2029. New permits carry an additional BHD 170 in one-time charges (residency extension BHD 15, ticket insurance BHD 150, work card BHD 5) that renewals do not.
The LMRA also charges a BHD 5 late-payment penalty per month on unpaid monthly invoices, capped at BHD 15 over three months. After that, the work permit is cancelled and the employer becomes liable for the worker's deportation cost. Every dependant residency permit adds BHD 95 (BHD 90 service + BHD 5 admin), regardless of the primary worker's permit duration.
This calculator combines the multi-year schedule, employer-size tier, one-time new-permit charges, dependant load, and the late-penalty ladder into a single annualised cost per worker — and compares 6, 12, and 24-month options so you can spot the cheapest renewal cadence.