26/09/2020
Changing or Transferring to New Employer in 🇧🇭
Changing Job in Bahrain legally allowed to all foreigners working in Bahrain but they need to follow rules, laws and conditions in order to transfer from current employer to new employer in Bahrain. LMRA called this term as Mobility means transfer to new employer locally in Bahrain. The laws which govern “Local transfer to New employer in Bahrain” are situated in Act no. 19 of 2006 in article of no.35. The laws also gives provisions regarding those employees who want to transfer to new employer without permission of current employer.
Here are the Rules, Conditions and Procedure through which expat in Bahrain could transfer to new employee without cancelling their current work permits.
General Conditions:
Here the general conditions means that it is not specific whether to get permission from current employer or not.
Employee could only transfer if his work permit is valid for 3 months.
The transfer must be done according to provisions given in Act no 91 of 2006.
If employee is transferring without permission of current employer than he/she must completed at least 1 year service (12 months) with current employer.
After transferring of employee the old employer is given with credit of remaining period of work permit.
If employee is given with permission of current employer to transfer to new employer than transfer will be instant, employee don’t need to complete 12 months.
Expats with expired work permits will not allowed to transfer they need to apply for new work permit in Bahrain. They need to apply for TRANSFER INTENTION before 30 days of visa permit expiry.
If the work permits are terminated or cancelled, employee need to make new one or apply transfer intention within 5 days of permit cancellation.
Transfer intention can be applied at lmra building ground floor located at Sanabis.
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Procedure:
The new employer or future employer need to apply for transfer online using Lmra Electronic Management system. He need to fill electronic Transfer Application form. Below are document he need to submit with application:
Passport Copy of worker/employee with all pages including personal information, for Pakistani and Indian citizens the page in which the names of mother, father, husband, wife is mentioned also must be attached. The Passport Must be Valid for at-least six months or maximum 2 years.
Copy of worker/employee CPR, Copy offer letter/contract between new employer and worker(1 or 2 pages). Enclosed in official gov or company letterhead. The letter must includes the name of new employer and worker/employee, nationality, profession(job role), passport no., employment details, salary, notice periods(probation etc). This letter must be signed by both parties and stamped from employer. The offer letter is crucial for successful employment visa.
If foreign worker/employee has family(dependents) living in Bahrain than provide their copy of passport, cpr cards.
For some profession the NOC/approval letter is must from relevant authroity. Which is must be approved recently no more the 6 months old. These Profession Includes:
Engineers: They need approval from Approval from the Ministry of Works – Committee for the organization of engineering practices.
Manager of Banking and insurance companies: they need approval from Central Bank of Bahrain – CBB
Mosques and “Ma’atams / Husainneyas” Approval from Ministry of Justice and endowments “Awqaf”
Medical professionals: approval from Ministry of Health.
Education sector professions in private sector: Needs Approval from Ministry of Education.
In case if employee is transferring without permission(consent) of current employer than in Addition to Above procedure/requirements you also need:
Employee need To submit letter resignation and notice period as per labour law and bahrain employment law to current employer.
As well as registered mail Pink Card called notification card, resigination slip, notice period letter to the current/old employer official address(registered in chamber of commerce)
Do not send them to P.o box or other mailing address.
Related to Bahrain Labour Laws Indemnity Calculation in Bahrain
NOTICE PERIOD: It is a period in which employee notify its current employer than after How much days I will leave the company. According to bahrain labour laws notice must be send before 30 minimum or 90 maximum days before actual date of leaving the company or current employer.
In case the notice period is less than 90 days than your new employer also need it to upload it at EMS system.
Well this is it the procedure officially described by Lmra. keep in mind to transfer to new employer without permission of current employer, employee must need to complete 12 month with old employer after that he/she could resign from company by giving notice period. In case if old employer gives permission than you don’t need to complete 12 months for transfer. I’ll explain some more steps related to transfer of job with or without consent of current employer in next few days. Until than must like Bahrain expat page to keep in touch with latest updates.
-CTTO
