Bahrain · Guide · Ministry of Interior

Bahrain Golden Residency through property: Minister of Interior Decision 150 of 2025 sets the minimum at BHD 130,000

Bahrain's Minister of Interior lowered the property value needed for the Golden Residency from BHD 200,000 to BHD 130,000 in Decision No. 150 of 2025, issued on 24 November 2025. This guide explains, from the official legal texts, who qualifies through property, what the ten-year residence gives, the family rule, the fees and what changed in the 2025 amendment.

Al Mithaq news desk · Published 4 November 2026 · Source: Kingdom of Bahrain Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission

Residential towers on the Bahrain waterfront, seen level from the sea in summer daylight, with a stone breakwater and green water in front. Picture: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, 2024

BHD 130,000minimum price of the property at the time of purchase

10 yearsresidence licence, renewable for similar periods

Familyspouse, children and parents as dependants

What the 2025 decision changed

Minister of Interior Decision No. 150 of 2025, issued on 24 November 2025 after the approval of the Council of Ministers, replaces the phrase 'BHD 200,000' with 'BHD 130,000' in item (1) of the first paragraph of Article (1) of Decision No. 20 of 2022, the rule that governs the Golden Residency for foreigners. The same decision cancels item (1) of the first paragraph of Article (8) of the 2022 decision, under which the licence was to be cancelled if the holder's residence in Bahrain was not proven for 90 days in one year. The decision takes effect from its publication in the Official Gazette. The Ministry's Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs announced the change in Manama on 26 November 2025, giving the new figure as about USD 345,000.

Who qualifies through property

Under Article (1) of Decision No. 20 of 2022 as amended, the Golden Residency may be issued to a foreigner who owns real estate registered in his name in the Kingdom of Bahrain, provided its price at the time of purchase is not less than BHD 130,000, as shown in the ownership documents. The text uses the plural 'real estate', and the bahrain.bh service page speaks of property deeds with a total value. Article (2) adds general conditions for every category: good conduct with no conviction for a felony or a misdemeanour involving dishonour or breach of trust, health insurance in Bahrain for the whole validity of the licence, a lawful and sufficient income for the holder and his dependants, and any other conditions set by the Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs. Each application is assessed case by case.

What the residence gives, the family and the fees

The 2022 decision says the residence licence is valid for ten years and renewable for similar periods, and that the holder may leave and return to Bahrain throughout its validity. The holder may not take a job in the government or private sector until the necessary permits are obtained from the relevant authorities. On the holder's request, a dependant's entry visa and residence without work may be granted to the wife or husband, the children and the parents. The fee is BHD 300 for the licence and BHD 300 for each dependant's licence; the bahrain.bh page lists a non-refundable BHD 5 application fee and documents including a passport valid for more than six months, the latest six months of bank statements and a valid health insurance certificate in Bahrain.

The other Golden Residency routes

The same Article (1) lists four more categories: a foreign retiree with a pension of at least BHD 4,000 a month or its equivalent; holders of specialist talents under rules set by the Undersecretary; a foreign worker in Bahrain with at least five years of residence and an average basic salary of at least BHD 2,000 over the last five years; and a foreign retiree who worked in Bahrain for at least 15 years with an average pension of at least BHD 2,000.

Why it mattersOur view for a buyer from Kuwait: This residence is for foreigners; Kuwaiti citizens, like all GCC citizens, already enter Bahrain on their national ID card. The rule matters for the non-Kuwaiti residents of Kuwait who ask us about Bahrain, such as expatriate families and investors. At BHD 130,000 (about USD 345,000, by the Ministry's own conversion), Bahrain's property route now starts well below the UAE's AED 2 million. Two practical points matter. First, the value that counts is the price at the time of purchase written in the ownership documents, so the property must be registered in your name; a home bought off-plan should count only once it is registered in your name, so check this with the developer and with the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) before you rely on it. Second, some government service pages still show the old BHD 200,000, so quote Decision No. 150 of 2025 when you check your case. Ask the developer for the deed details before you pay a deposit.

What Al Mithaq adds

Our Bahrain Golden Residency page explains the route step by step and shows three Eagle Hills projects: Bayview in Bahrain Bay, and Marassi Views and Palace Residences in Marassi Al Bahrain, Diyar Al Muharraq. Our team in Kuwait can tell you which homes are priced at BHD 130,000 or more, send the payment plan and the deed details, and check the ownership rules for your nationality before you reserve.

Sources

Key facts

Source: Minister of Interior Decisions No. 20 of 2022 and No. 150 of 2025 (official texts, Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission), opened 4 November 2026
Minimum value: BHD 130,000 at the time of purchase, as shown in the ownership documents
Before: BHD 200,000 (Decision No. 20 of 2022)
Amended: Decision No. 150 of 2025, issued 24 November 2025
Validity: 10 years, renewable for similar periods
Family: Wife or husband, children and parents, as dependants without work
Fees: BHD 300 per licence and per dependant; BHD 5 application fee per person
90-day rule: Cancellation for under 90 days' residence a year removed in 2025
GCC citizens: Enter Bahrain on their national ID card