Bahrain · Business Banking
Opening business and personal bank accounts, remote options, required documents, and fees.
AI-drafted, editorial review pending. The official links below are checked — confirm specifics with the authority.
The Central Bank of Bahrain is the single regulator for the whole financial sector — retail and wholesale banks, insurers, investment firms and payment providers — which is why Manama hosts many regional banking operations. Opening a personal account generally needs a residence permit and a Bahraini ID card (CPR), so new arrivals usually open one once their residence is issued, and employers pay salaries into it through the Wage Protection System. A Bahraini IBAN has 22 characters. Complaints about a licensed firm go to the firm first and then to the Central Bank's consumer protection unit.
- The Central Bank of Bahrain regulates banks, insurers and other financial firms as a single regulator.
- A personal account usually needs a residence permit and a CPR identity card.
- A Bahraini IBAN has 22 characters.
- Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB)
Central Bank of Bahrain: the single regulator of banks, insurers and other financial firms.
- Central Bank of Bahrain — Consumer information
CBB consumer information, including how to complain about a licensed firm.
Government portals
- Bahrain National Portal — Government services and guidance, including the emergency call centre.
- Sijilat — Commercial Registration — Ministry of Industry and Commerce portal for registering and renewing a commercial registration.
- Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) — Work permits, transfers between employers and Bahrainisation target rates.
- National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) — VAT, excise and the domestic minimum top-up tax.