Pre- Departure Advisory
The Embassy of India, Bahrain suggests the following for compliance before you leave India for a job opportunity in Bahrain to avoid unpleasant conditions and hardships.
1. Check the genuineness of your visa from LMRA’s website:
http://www.lmra.bh/en/webservices.php . In case you do not find your visa details, send email to the Embassy of India, Bahrain on indemlabourbatelco.com.bh or ssconsbatelco.com.bh with your passport details to enquire about your visa status
2. Always insist for the original copy of work-contract, duly attested by the Embassy of India, Bahrain.
3. You must keep a copy of your work-contract at home safely along with copies of the relevant pages of your passport before you leave India.
4. Do not sign blank papers either in India or after arrival in Bahrain under any circumstances. In case you are persuaded or forced to sign on blank papers, please inform the nearest police station and to the Embassy within 24 hours.
5. Do not pay more than Rs 20,200/- to the approved Manpower agents in India. In case Manpower agent charges more, report the matter to the Embassy of India, Bahrain or the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, New Delhi.
6. If a known or unknown person suggests you shortcuts to a job in Bahrain, bypassing the legal requirements, you may be exposing yourself to foul play.
7. Do not accept any packet or parcel from known or unknown person without checking personally the contents as it may be objectionable material such as narcotics.
8. Accident occurring away from work-site is not covered under any insurance program of Bahrain. Hence you are advised to obtain an accident insurance cover after arrival in Bahrain which is especially designed by the New India Assurance Company, Bahrain for low-wage Indian workers. Premium payable is BD (Bahraini Dinar) 0.500 or approx Rs 60/- per year for an accident cover of Rs 125,000/- or BD1.500 or approx Rs 190/- per year for Rs 475,000/- or BD 2.500 or approx Rs 300/- per year for an accident cover of Rs 600,000/-.
9.The Government of India has prescribed minimum age of 30 years in respect of housemaids. Therefore, ladies traveling alone to Bahrain on work visas must not bypass the legal requirement of having Embassy-attested work contracts as it may expose them to exploitation.
10. Business visit visa cannot be converted to work-visa in Bahrain. However, visit visa can be converted to work visa well before its expiry otherwise huge fines are levied for staying in Bahrain after expiry of visit visa. Thus it is advisable to come on work visa for employment and not on visit visa.
11. After arrival in Bahrain, you must contact the Labour Section of the Embassy of India, Bahrain (Tel: 17712683/ 17712649/ 17712785 /17713832) personally or telephonically to know ‘Dos and Don’ts’ and your rights and obligations in Bahrain.
12. Indian workers, seeking employment in Bahrain, should try to know as much as possible about nature of work, work-load, work-environment, salary, housing, food, medical and other perks before deciding to arrive in Bahrain on a two year work contract. In case, an Indian worker is required to decide to return to India prior to the completion of two years contract period due to any reason, he stands liable to pay compensation to his employer on account of expenses on fees for work-visa, CPR card, uniform, safety devices, etc, which is permissible under Bahrain labour law in such cases of premature termination of work-contracts.