Hire a Japanese Chef in Bahrain: LMRA Work Permit and Fees

In Bahrain, foreign workers' permits are issued by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) through its online Expat Management System (EMS). The system is transparent about fees in a way few Gulf countries are, which makes budgeting a chef hire easier. This guide covers the LMRA permit for a chef recruited from abroad, the published fees as of September 2026, and the labour law terms that belong in the contract.

1. A small market

• Japan's agriculture ministry (MAFF) counted 50 Japanese restaurants in Bahrain in 2025, up 10 on 2023.
• Japan's foreign ministry (MOFA) recorded 188 Japanese nationals in Bahrain on 1 October 2025: 171 long-term residents and 17 permanent residents.

With fewer than 200 Japanese nationals in the country, a Bahrain restaurant that wants a Japanese chef will almost always recruit from abroad. A chef already working elsewhere in the Gulf is another option; our guides to Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar describe those markets.

2. The LMRA work permit from abroad

The employer applies through EMS by selecting a new expatriate permit and the visa type. LMRA's published process:

1. Log in to EMS, choose "New Expatriate Permit", select the visa type and enter the data.
2. Receive an application ID and pay the admin fee and the advertisement fee.
3. The application moves to verification once paid. Track it in EMS or through the contact centre.
4. Pay the permit fees when the application is approved.
5. Print the work permit and residence permit.

Documents LMRA asks for:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months (LMRA recommends 2 years).
• Medical examination report from a centre accredited by the Gulf Health Council, no older than two months, showing the worker as fit.
• An approval letter from the relevant body, only for specialised occupations such as teachers, doctors and engineers.

LMRA gives processing times of 21 working days when the worker is outside Bahrain and 3 working days when inside. If the worker fails the required medical examination after arrival, the employer must arrange deportation immediately, so it pays to have the medical done properly before travel.

3. What the permit costs

LMRA's commercial services fee table (last updated 31 December 2025):

On top of that:

• Monthly fee per expatriate: BHD 7.5 for each of your first 5 expatriate employees, BHD 12.5 from the 6th.
• Admin fee: BHD 5 per application.
• Advertisement fee: BHD 30 when the worker is outside Bahrain.
• Family dependants application: BHD 90 per application. Change of occupation: BHD 10.
• Late payment of the monthly work permit fee: BHD 2 per month of delay, up to BHD 6.

The "Bahrainisation exemption" column is an optional fee in LMRA's schedule, linked to Bahrainisation (the requirement to employ Bahraini nationals). We could not find LMRA's current Bahrainisation percentage for restaurants on an official page, so check your company's position in EMS or with LMRA before assuming whether you need it.

4. The local advertising step

The BHD 30 advertisement fee reflects a local labour market step. LMRA announced in 2020 and again in 2021 a mechanism for hiring workers from abroad under which approval is postponed (for 14 days in the 2020 notice, 21 days in the 2021 notice), the vacancy is announced in local newspapers for 7 days with the position and company contact details, and citizens and residents can apply. We did not find a newer LMRA notice changing this, but confirm the current timing in EMS. Build the waiting period into your opening schedule, and treat applications from people already in Bahrain seriously.

5. Labour law terms for the contract

The International Labour Organization's December 2023 factsheet on Bahrain summarises the Labour Law for the Private Sector (Law No. 36 of 2012) and related rules:

• Contract: drafted in Arabic in two originals, one for each party. A version in another language is attached to the Arabic one. Employers who do not comply can face a penalty of BHD 200 to 500.
• Minimum wage: none set by law for the private sector.
• Hours: 8 a day or 48 a week, with exceptions. During Ramadan, Muslim workers work no more than 6 hours a day and 36 a week.
• Rest and overtime: one rest day a week (Friday unless agreed otherwise). Overtime is paid at 125% of the hourly rate by day and 150% at night.
• Wages are paid through the Wages Protection Scheme (Decision No. 68 of 2019).
• Annual leave: 30 days.
• Health insurance: compulsory. For non-Bahraini workers it is provided and paid for by the employer, and dependants must also be covered.
• Passports: employers may not confiscate them.

A Japanese kitchen's working hours often exceed 8 a day. Put the schedule, overtime pay and the weekly rest day in the contract in writing. Our contract checklist lists the clauses to cover.

6. Job mobility after one year

According to the ILO factsheet, a private sector worker in Bahrain can change employer at any time with the employer's permission, and without it only after completing one year of service. No exit permit is needed to leave the country. In other words, after the first year your chef can move to a competitor. The factors that keep chefs are the ordinary ones: pay, housing, workload and respect in the kitchen. See retaining Japanese chefs.

7. Step by step

1. Check your EMS account, your current expatriate count (it sets the monthly fee) and your Bahrainisation position.
2. Recruit and test the chef. Ask for a passport with at least 2 years' validity.
3. Book the medical at a Gulf Health Council accredited centre within two months of applying.
4. Apply in EMS, pay the admin and advertisement fees, and allow for the waiting and advertising period.
5. Pay the permit and health care fees on approval and print the permits.
6. Sign the Arabic contract with an attached English or Japanese version, arrange health insurance and register the chef for wage payment through the Wages Protection Scheme.

General information checked against LMRA, ILO and Japanese government sources in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. LMRA fees and procedures change, and the ILO factsheet dates from December 2023. Confirm with LMRA before acting.