Opening a Restaurant in Bahrain (2026): Sijilat, Health and Civil Defence Licences
The short answer. In Bahrain a restaurant or cafe is registered through Sijilat, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's online system, which routes your application to the other authorities: the Ministry of Health for the health approval and certificate, Civil Defence for the fire safety certificate, and the municipality for the municipal fee and the signboard permit. Government fees are modest, mostly tens to low hundreds of Bahraini dinars. The real cost and the real risk sit in the site, the fit-out and the first year of trading.
The sequence, step by step
| Step | Who | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1. eKey and Sijilat account | Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) | Choose the activity in the Unified Directory of Business Activities, check its licensing requirements, choose the legal form, reserve the trade name |
| 2. Commercial registration | MOIC via Sijilat | Foreign shareholders go through a security clearance with no fixed timeframe |
| 3. Health approval and certificate | Ministry of Health, Public Health Directorate | Inspection, final approval, then the certificate: BD 5, about 3 working days |
| 4. Civil Defence certificate | General Directorate of Civil Defence, via Sijilat | BD 30 for small premises, BD 50 for large, about 5 working days |
| 5. Municipality | Ministry of Municipalities Affairs | Municipal fee of BD 10 inside the CR process; signboard permit at BD 20 per square metre |
| 6. Tourism licence (some venues) | Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority | For restaurants offering independent tourist services outside hotels |
| 7. Labour and tax | LMRA, SIO, NBR | LMRA registration BD 5; VAT at 10 percent above BD 37,500 of turnover |
Sources: the MOIC procedures guide, and the government service pages for the health certificate, Civil Defence certificate for small premises and for large premises, the signboard permit and LMRA registration.
What it costs in government fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Commercial activities on the CR | BD 100 for up to three activities, BD 100 for each additional one |
| Municipal fee in the CR process | BD 10 |
| Health certificate (new or renewal) | BD 5 |
| Civil Defence certificate | BD 30 small premises, BD 50 large |
| Signboard permit | BD 20 per square metre |
| LMRA registration | BD 5 |
| Chamber of Commerce membership | Typically BD 16 to 60 a year |
The activity fee schedule dates from December 2018, so confirm the current amount on Sijilat when you apply. Setup advisers put typical government fees for a small business at BD 170 to 350, and a WLL company carries an official minimum capital of BD 20,000 that is rarely paid up front unless the activity is regulated.
The health file: where most delays start
The Ministry of Health wants a floor plan in metres with every work area labelled, the lease or title deed, an address card or electricity bill, the CR and the owner's CPR, and it inspects before it gives final approval. The final approval must be no older than two years when you apply for the certificate (renewal requirements). If you plan shisha, the smoking area may not exceed half of the enclosed seating area, and the layout must show the smoking, non-smoking and shisha preparation rooms with their dimensions (shisha rules).
Foreign ownership
Bahrain allows 100 percent foreign ownership for most commercial activities, though a 2025 decision changed the rules for some activities; food-related restrictions seen so far apply to roaming food vending and local bread making, not to restaurants as such. Check your exact activity code in Sijilat before you build a plan around it, and allow time for the security clearance of foreign shareholders.
Why applications stall
- Missing or expired approvals from one of the licensing authorities on the CR.
- A health final approval more than two years old.
- A floor plan not in metres, or work areas not labelled.
- The wrong activity code, or documents uploaded at the wrong stage.
- Attachments over Sijilat's limits: 3 MB a file, 300 KB a page.
Before you register anything
Bahrain is a small, sharp market where diners reward quality over noise, and a concept that wins in Dubai or Riyadh does not automatically travel across the causeway. Test the sales, the rent and the payroll for your exact site before you pay for a fit-out. That is what a Praxis feasibility study does, for every GCC market, in seven days.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a restaurant licence in Bahrain?
Open an eKey and a Sijilat account, choose the restaurant activity and legal form, reserve the trade name and apply for the commercial registration through Sijilat. The system routes the file to the Ministry of Health for the health approval and certificate, to Civil Defence for the fire safety certificate and to the municipality for the municipal fee and signboard permit.
How much are the government fees for a restaurant in Bahrain?
They are modest: BD 100 for up to three commercial activities, BD 10 municipal fee, BD 5 for the health certificate, BD 30 or 50 for the Civil Defence certificate, BD 20 per square metre of signboard and BD 5 for LMRA registration. Setup advisers put a small business's typical total at BD 170 to 350.
Can a foreigner own 100 percent of a restaurant in Bahrain?
Bahrain allows 100 percent foreign ownership for most commercial activities. Check the exact activity code in Sijilat before committing, and allow time for the security clearance of foreign shareholders.
What does the Ministry of Health need for a restaurant in Bahrain?
A floor plan in metres with every work area labelled, the lease or title deed, an address card or electricity bill, the CR and the owner's CPR, plus an inspection for final approval. The certificate itself costs BD 5.
What are the shisha rules for cafes in Bahrain?
The smoking area may not exceed 50 percent of the enclosed seating area, and the layout must show the smoking, non-smoking and shisha preparation rooms with their dimensions. Adding shisha to an existing licence needs a fresh health inspection and approval.
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Praxis Model is a financial feasibility specialist for GCC hospitality. Steps and fees follow the official MOIC and bahrain.bh service pages as of October 2026; some fee schedules are older and should be confirmed on Sijilat. General information, not legal advice.