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Post by jknow on Feb 14, 2012 18:11:22 GMT
Thank you Vpainter - always count on you for reliable information.
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Uman
Senior Member
Posts: 161
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Post by Uman on Feb 15, 2012 1:27:42 GMT
After reading those reports, it seems that weekends in Bharain are out of the question for the time being......oh well just have to save up for a real good holiday once or twice a year...what else is there? Most people fly from Bharain dont they? or from inside KSA?
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Post by gareth0127 on Feb 15, 2012 3:53:00 GMT
you can fly a family of 4 from dammam to dubai for as little as 2000sr so do not despair Uman!
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Post by Richard S on Feb 15, 2012 8:25:46 GMT
I have just checked the bahrain e-visa.
We can all apply for e-visas but they are only applicable for entry at the airport.
This is the todays information and will probably change in the next week.
I am also worried as I fly from Bahrain, would I need a visa to go to the airport via the causeway, I would then need an e-visa on the return trip to come through the airport
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Post by Alus6708 on Feb 15, 2012 10:53:04 GMT
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Post by Carolina on Feb 15, 2012 11:07:25 GMT
o to you all
I hope the following will clarify concerning visa entry for Bahrain.
I took a call this morning to the Bahrain Embassy based in London and here is the following information received:
"As we are considered to be GCC residents, by way of Iqama, it does not apply to us however in the next few months there will be changes implemented in how a visa is applied for ie. when travellers from other countries wish to enter Bahrain for tourist purposes, work purposes, on business or to live permanently in Bahrain."
If any of you wish to check this out direct here is the following telephone number:
00 44 20 7201 9170 Extn 200 (3 hours behind of KSA)
I did try calling the British Embassy based in Bahrain - no answer - also I tried calling Bahrain Embassy based in Manama - they did not wish to help - they then put me on to Immigration but they did not answer - so eventually I received the above information from the embassy in London.
Regards
Carolina
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Post by Alus6708 on Feb 15, 2012 12:34:00 GMT
Please take time to open the link below. It is the official Bahrain ministry of interior nationality, passport and residence affairs site. There is a new section on "alien" residence of GCC countries with residence permit(Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and UAE). There is now a requirement for GCC " alien" residents irrespective of country of origin to obtain an eVisa. However it is not clear from the site when exactly this requirement is going to be implemented Alu6708 www.evisa.gov.bh/VisaBhr10En.html |
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Post by studebjw on Feb 15, 2012 13:51:28 GMT
That link on evisa was posted prior to the recent annoucement. It does not apply to the causeway. If you check the same site (eligibility), it states GCC residents from the US, UK..etc get visas on arrival.
I believe as stated after talking with the Bahrain Embassy , the new rules will be announced in the next couple of months.
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Post by rookie on Feb 16, 2012 8:55:18 GMT
I think we should keep our fingers crossed and wish for vpainter's safe return.Vpainter's experience will be our best practise or guideline.
what I understand from this recent change, it has an impact for us flying out of Bahrain and then a problem might occur at our arrival back where they might say, you dont have a prior visa, we will not let you go outside airport, eventhough you will use causeway to go to KSA where you reside.
for weekends and everyday business with the multiple visa that we already have, I dont see a problem.
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stmayo11
Senior Member
ExPats Community Moderator
Posts: 159
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Post by stmayo11 on Feb 16, 2012 17:59:36 GMT
Several folks joining the protests (American, according to several articles) decided to get a tourist visa on arrival and then joined the protests. They were arrested and deported back to America, and the next day, the immigration rules changed to prohibit others from doing the same thing...Too many folks were arriving, taking visas on arrival, then hitting the streets. Unfortunately, it seems the easiest way to prevent this type of thing from happening was to just modify the rules, which is obviously their right.
I'm sure our embassies will try to get clarification from the Ministry as to whether or not this will affect relatives of GCC residents (including expats), but right now, it looks like the honeymoon is over. More information will likely be forthcoming in the next few days...
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Post by vpainter on Feb 18, 2012 17:39:02 GMT
I came into the Bahrain airport Thursday night, no problems. The custom's agent looked at my custom's card, asked: You're going to KSA, I answered yes, he asked: tonight? I said yes, it was stamped and I was through. No problems.
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Post by GroveWanderer on Feb 19, 2012 6:11:58 GMT
My daughter came in through Bahrain airport on Friday night and said the only difference she noticed was that she had to fill in a landing card, which she hadn't had to do for several years now. Got the same visa on arrival as normal, no questions asked.
No issues crossing the causeway in either direction, in fact I would say it was noticeably quieter than usual for a Friday.
Our friends who live in Budaiya advised us to avoid the road past the Seef Mall and the (area that used to be the) Pearl Roundabout so we went straight along the Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway and across the Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman causeway bridge, both going and coming.
In fact, it's so much easier that way than dealing with the traffic jams on the Corniche road that I think I'll always go that way to and from the airport in future.
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Post by Carolina on Feb 19, 2012 6:15:32 GMT
o
Yes Grovewanderer we too always take the route that you drove on - so much easier and that is the way our GPS guides us to as well.
Carolina
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Post by GroveWanderer on Feb 20, 2012 5:08:31 GMT
Firstly, although some changes have been announced, similar announcements have been made in the past in various countries which in the end, did not come to fruition (Qatar, for example).
Here in Saudi, there is a long history of government ministers coming out and making pronouncements about changes in regulations which are then abandoned when the disadvantages become apparent (the announcement of the introduction of income tax in 1988 being a classic example).
However, even assuming the announced changes do come into effect (which they very well may do) the indications are that they would not "impact all of us." According to the currently available information, it seems that any changes to the visa on arrival rules would not affect anyone with a residence permit for a GCC country.
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Post by SunkissedTexan on Feb 20, 2012 10:50:17 GMT
Colonel Sami Al Rasheed, head of the Saudi Passport Department at King Fahd Causeway, Bahrain's only terrestrial link, told Saudi daily Arab News that they had been informed that expatriates whose profession on the Saudi residence permit was listed as house driver, watchman, laborer, plumber, electrician, painter, welder, mason or shepherd would no longer be allowed to enter Bahrain without a valid entry visa issued by the Bahraini embassy in Riyadh.
Other articles say they do grant visas at the causeway for anyone as long as they aren't of the professions listed above. I don't think the changes apply to unless our iqaama states "amil" (laborer in arabic)
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