Guidance

Bahrain: Knowledge Base profile

Published 1 May 2024

About: Bahrain

This document contains useful information about Bahrain which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0
• published for Home Office staff on 18 April 202

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Bahrain: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Bahrain.

Names in Bahrain consist of a:

• minimum of 4 forenames:
  • personal forenames
  • father’s forename
  • grandfather’s forename
• surname

Change of name

People from Bahrain cannot amend, delete or add to father’s or grandfather’s names and cannot change their surname. A person’s personal forename can be changed by court order in Bahrain.

Women’s names do not change on marriage.

Name alignment

HM Passport Office will not ask a customer to align their Bahrain passport, if either:

• the spelling of the forename is a variation of a literal translation of the Arabic language, or;
• there are differences in the spelling of names, due to name being spelt phonetically, for example, Mohammed, Muhammed and Mohamed

Bahrain: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Bahrain.

Bahrain does not allow dual nationality.

Bahrain: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Bahrain.

Legitimacy

Bahrain recognises a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births.

A child is considered:

• legitimate if parents are married at the time of birth
• illegitimate if parents are not married at the time of birth

Parental responsibility

Both parents have parental responsibility.

Bahrain: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoption in Bahrain.

Adoption is not legal in Bahrain.

Bahrain: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Bahrain.

Surrogacy is not legal in Bahrain.

Bahrain: gender recognition

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about gender recognition in Bahrain.

Transgender citizens are not recognised in Bahrain.

Bahrain: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Bahrain.

Birth certificates

Births in Bahrain can be registered using an online portal or at a local government health centre using the hospital ‘notification of birth’ form. When a birth is registered a birth certificate is issued 7 days later.

Copies of birth certificates can be obtained.

If a mistake is found on a certificate, the certificate will be re-issued.

Only certificates holding the state seal are official documents.

Birth certificates should list a minimum of 4 forenames, the surname will only appear after the parents’ name.

Birth certificates always show gender.

Marriage certificates

In Bahrain religious and civil marriages are allowed. The couple can choose which type they have.

Different certificates are issued for religious and civil marriages; civil marriage certificates are issued in Arabic.

Death certificates

All deaths in Bahrain are registered centrally and a certificate is issued.

Identity documents

Bahrain identity cards are mandatory for anyone resident in Bahrain.