Bahrain launches digital residency service for expats
New service allows permit renewal inside and outside the kingdom
Cairo: Bahrain has launched digital residency permits and passports as part of development efforts in the kingdom.
Announcing the new services, Haitham bin Abdulrahman, the Bahraini Interior Ministry’s undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residency Affairs (NPRA), said the services are available on the national portal, Bahrain.bh, marking a new step in offering facilities.
They are part of the 24 NPRA initiatives approved by the government to promote an economic recovery plan to enhance Bahrain's competitiveness, he added at a press conference.
“The NPRA development plan aims to reduce routine procedures, consolidate digital transformation mechanisms and preserve the environment,” he said, according to Bahrain’s official news agency BNA.
Bin Abdulrahman added that the digital residency permits would serve residents and their families as well as corporate owners.
It would reduce paperwork, help re-organise employees’ tasks and reduce visits to services centres by half, according to the official. The service will also lead to the cancellation of the residency permit sticker, of which more than 1 million stickers are issued annually.
Speaking on the same occasion, Chief Executive Officer of the eGovernment Authority, Mohammed Al Qaed, said the two new services mark the start of a series of advanced services in the next 12 months to transform documents and certificates into digital copies.
The service is available throughout the day via the Bahrain.bh, and the residency permit details can be viewed anywhere through the QR code. The permit could be renewed from inside or outside Bahrain. It also could be printed through the ID or passport number, and will facilitate entry to Bahrain.