Country guide — North Africa and the Middle East
Expat insurance and health insurance in Bahrain
In short
In Bahrain, health insurance for non-Bahraini residents rests on the national SEHATI programme, established by law no. 23 of 2018 (enacted 7 June 2018) and theoretically effective from 1 January 2019; its rollout went through several successive delays before becoming fully effective for private-sector employers around 2025, via the Sehati portal under the authority of the Supreme Council of Health. The employer must register and fund the basic cover for each foreign employee — access to primary care, emergencies and a limited number of secondary care services in the public network, annual cap of around 1,500 BHD — without being able to pass the cost on to the employee; a resident without an employer-sponsor (retiree, self-employed, 'Golden Visa' holder) must take it out or prove equivalent private insurance themselves. No Bahraini legal obligation to insure has been identified for a simple tourist stay on an e-visa or visa on arrival, but France Diplomatie describes travel insurance as essential, as the embassy cannot provide any cover. No social security agreement binds France and Bahrain.
Key figures
- 1,068 French nationals registered with the consular register in 2025.
- Life expectancy at birth: 81.4 years in 2024.
- Current health expenditure: 4.0% of GDP in 2023, roughly 1,176 USD per capita.
- SEHATI, the national mandatory health insurance scheme, has an announced budget of 688 million BHD over 2025-2026 for around 686,000 foreign residents.
Local healthcare system
The Bahraini system rests on two tracks: a public sector run by the Ministry of Health and the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), regulated by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) — Salmaniya Medical Complex (Manama) as the main public hospital, King Hamad University Hospital (Muharraq, semi-governmental, JCI-accredited) for complex cases, and a network of more than 27 primary care centres — and a dense private sector in Manama, of international standard, widely used by expats.
Free or heavily subsidised public care remains in practice centred on Bahraini citizens. A foreign resident properly registered with SEHATI has access to primary care and emergencies in the public network within the limits of the basic package (annual cap of around 1,500 BHD), but this basic package excludes in practice dental care, optical care, maternity (waiting period of 10 to 12 months depending on the source), a large part of cancer treatment and mental health — hence expats' near-systematic recourse to supplementary private insurance for Manama's private sector.
Legal and visa obligations
Legal basis: law no. 23 of 2018 on health insurance ("Sehati"), enacted 7 June 2018, with a theoretical effective date of 1 January 2019. The implementation timeline went through several delays (deadlines missed in 2019, then in 2020-2021 according to specialised insurance press); the most recent professional sources (2025-2026) describe the scheme as fully operational for private-sector employers, via the Sehati portal.
- Non-Bahraini employees: the employer must register them with the SEHATI scheme and fund the contribution, built into work permit fees and its renewal, without passing it on to the employee. Dependants (spouse, children) are covered only if the employer has provided for it in the contract; otherwise, their cover remains at the employee's expense.
- Self-employed, retirees and residents without an employer-sponsor: must take out the basic scheme themselves (or equivalent cover), a condition for issuing and renewing the residence permit.
- 'Golden Visa' holders (long-term residence for investors, property owners or retirees): must prove private international health insurance (IPMI), separate from the SEHATI basic package.
- Visitors on an e-visa or visa on arrival (a common case for a French tourist stay): no Bahraini legal obligation to insure has been identified in the sources consulted for this specific category — but France Diplomatie recommends comprehensive travel insurance as "essential," as medical costs must be settled on site and are never covered by the embassy.
An employer who fails to register their foreign staff, or who makes them bear the cost of the contribution, is exposed to civil and criminal penalties of up to 50,000 BHD, as well as rejection or blocking of related work permit applications and renewals.
Cost of some medical procedures
Orders of magnitude from specialised sources, not official fee schedules.
| Procedure | Public sector | Private sector |
|---|---|---|
| GP consultation (public sector, employee registered with SEHATI) | Covered under the basic package; residual co-payment not published publicly | 10 to 40 BHD depending on facility |
| Specialist consultation | — | 25 to 100 BHD depending on facility |
| Emergency visit | Covered under the SEHATI basic package | rate varies by facility, not published publicly |
| Night of hospitalisation | — | 100 to 500 BHD/night depending on facility and room type |
| Imaging (MRI / CT scan) | — | rate varies by facility, not published publicly |
| Surgery | — | rate varies by facility, not published publicly |
Social security agreements with France
There is no bilateral social security agreement between France and Bahrain: the country does not appear on the list of agreements in force published by CLEISS, like the other Gulf monarchies.
- No coordination or totalisation of insurance periods for retirement.
- No reimbursement of care by French Health Insurance, except through voluntary affiliation with CFE.
- SEHATI cover depends on residence and employer status, not French nationality.
Which insurance for my profile
General matrix — does not recommend any specific product or insurer.
| Profile | Regulatory constraint | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|
| Working holiday visa | Not applicable (no working holiday agreement between France and Bahrain) | Falls under a standard work or visitor visa, with the corresponding obligations |
| Student | Insurance required depending on the visa and institution, no specific text identified | Check that the policy covers the entire length of stay and access to Manama's private hospital network |
| Seconded employee / local contract | Employer legally required to register and fund the SEHATI basic package | Modest annual cap (≈1,500 BHD), dental/optical/maternity/mental health excluded — supplementary cover worth considering |
| Retiree, self-employed or Golden Visa | No automatic legal scheme: SEHATI to be taken out oneself, or private IPMI mandatory for a Golden Visa | Condition for issuing/renewing the residence permit; private hospital costs to budget for beyond emergencies |
| Family (dependants) | Spouse and children's cover not automatic: depends on what the employer has provided for in the contract | Get written confirmation of whether dependants are included in the employer's SEHATI registration |
Hospitals and care network
- King Hamad University Hospital (Muharraq) — leading semi-governmental hospital, 410 beds, JCI-accredited since 2019.
- American Mission Hospital (Manama and branches) — the country's oldest private non-profit hospital (founded 1903), member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
- Royal Bahrain Hospital (Salmaniya) — private facility of the KIMS group, cardiology, orthopaedics and minimally invasive surgery.
Practical steps
- Before departure: take out insurance covering medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, described as "essential" by France Diplomatie — costs are settled on site and never covered by the embassy.
- Check your passport: valid for more than six months beyond the entry date.
- For a short stay: e-visa via the Bahraini Ministry of Interior website, or visa on arrival (15 days for 5 BHD or 30 days for 12 BHD, extendable twice for 30 days each, up to a limit of 90 consecutive days).
- For an employee: check with the employer that registration with the SEHATI scheme is in place and exactly what the contract covers for dependants.
- For a resident without an employer-sponsor (retiree, self-employed, Golden Visa): take out compliant cover yourself before applying for or renewing the residence permit.
- Within 6 months: register with the roll of French nationals living abroad (free, recommended).
Frequently asked questions
Is SEHATI health insurance mandatory for all foreign residents in Bahrain?
Yes in principle, since law no. 23 of 2018, but effective implementation has been delayed several times. It is described as fully operational for private-sector employers since 2025: the employer must register and fund the basic cover for their foreign employee.
Does a French tourist on a short stay need to take out insurance?
No specific Bahraini legal obligation has been identified for a visitor on an e-visa or visa on arrival. France Diplomatie nonetheless recommends comprehensive travel insurance, described as essential, since care must be paid for on site with no cover from the embassy.
Can my Bahraini employer deduct the SEHATI contribution from my salary?
No. The contribution is the employer's responsibility; passing it on to the employee exposes the employer to civil and criminal penalties of up to 50,000 BHD.
Does French social security keep covering me in Bahrain?
No. In the absence of a bilateral social security agreement between France and Bahrain, there is neither automatic reimbursement nor continuation of rights through French Health Insurance; voluntary affiliation with the CFE remains possible.
Is the SEHATI basic package enough for an expat living in Bahrain?
Not in most cases. It covers primary care, emergencies and a limited number of secondary care services in the public network, with an annual cap of around 1,500 BHD, but excludes in practice dental care, optical care, maternity and a large part of mental health care — hence the frequent recourse to supplementary private insurance for Manama's private sector.
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Written by Expavy
Sources
- France Diplomatie — Bahrain, Health
- France Diplomatie — Bahrain, Entry and stay
- France Diplomatie — Register of French nationals living abroad (2025 data)
- CLEISS — Bilateral social security agreements in force
- Supreme Council of Health Bahrain — The National Health Insurance Program (SEHATI)
- Lockton Global Benefits — Bahrain introduces compulsory health insurance law
- Mercer — Bahrain's Mandatory Health Insurance Includes Expat Employees
- iPMI Global — All Golden Visa Holders in Bahrain Must Show Proof of Valid IPMI
- American Mission Hospital — official presentation
- Expat.com — Healthcare in Bahrain
- World Bank — Life expectancy at birth, Bahrain
- World Bank — Current health expenditure (% of GDP and per capita), Bahrain