What changed in 2026

Decision No. 2 of 2026 amended parts of Decision No. 76 of 2008 on permits for foreign workers outside the domestic-worker category. The official announcement, dated 28 September 2026, created a regulated way to use an already-authorized foreign worker at another establishment without treating informal labour sharing as lawful.

The measure is limited to workers already legally present in Bahrain’s labour market. It does not create a new route to recruit a person from overseas, replace the ordinary work-permit system or authorize work before the required registration or approval is complete.

Understand the two different routes

The first route concerns another establishment owned by the same employer under a different commercial-registration number, or an establishment belonging to the same group according to Ministry of Industry and Commerce records. The receiving activity must meet the Bahrainisation control described in the decision, and work remains limited to permitted occupations and genuine operational needs.

The second route concerns a genuinely separate employer. The official announcement expressly says this route needs LMRA approval, the worker’s written consent and the consent of both the original and receiving employers. The authorized period is three months. These separate-employer conditions should not be carelessly presented as identical procedural wording for the same-owner or same-group route.

Bahrainisation and activity controls

For a same-owner or same-group establishment, the receiving activity should require the same Bahrainisation ratio as the worker’s registered establishment or a higher ratio. The change must not reduce the applicable Bahrainisation position or undermine national employment policies.

For a separate employer, the same-or-higher ratio rule also applies. If the receiving activity has a lower required ratio, the official announcement says the receiving employer must pay the fee referred to in Article 1 of Decision No. 27 of 2016. The employer should obtain the amount and payment instructions from LMRA rather than estimate it.

How the request is made

The employer submits a request through LMRA’s Expatriate Management System for permission for the foreign worker to work for another employer. Work should not begin merely because the parties have discussed or signed a private document; the responsible employer should wait for the required LMRA process and retain the resulting record.

The LMRA announcement directs inquiries to its website and call centre on 17506055. Because service screens and documentary requirements can change, employers should follow the live system rather than relying only on a screenshot or an unofficial agent’s checklist.

  1. 1

    Identify the route

    Confirm whether the receiving establishment has the same owner, belongs to the recorded group, or is a separate employer.

  2. 2

    Check occupation and Bahrainisation controls

    Verify the permitted occupation and the receiving activity’s Bahrainisation ratio before submitting.

  3. 3

    Document separate-employer consent

    Obtain the worker’s written consent and both employers’ consent where the worker will serve another employer.

  4. 4

    Complete the LMRA process

    Submit through the Expatriate Management System and retain the approval or registration notice before work starts.

Worker checklist before agreeing

Ask whether the arrangement changes the workplace, hours, duties, reporting line, wage payment, overtime, transport, accommodation, insurance or occupational risks. Keep the consent document and LMRA notification somewhere accessible outside the employer’s email or device.

Do not accept a proposal to work for an unnamed business, in an occupation different from the authorized one, or before the official process is complete. A three-month placement is not the same as a permanent sponsorship transfer, and it should not be described as a “free visa” or permission to work for any customer.

If the arrangement is not as approved

Record the actual establishment, worksite, duties, dates and wage payments. Raise a discrepancy promptly through LMRA’s official support channel. Do not pay an unofficial intermediary to create, alter or backdate an approval.

A dispute over unpaid wages, unsafe work or forced consent can have consequences beyond the placement itself. Workers and employers facing a serious dispute should use the competent Bahrain authority and, where needed, obtain advice from a qualified Bahrain legal professional.