The announcement was made by Sheikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, in a statement published on November 3, 2026.

According to the official, Bahraini citizens whose passports have two years or less remaining before expiry can now submit applications to renew their electronic passports.

The arrangement provides greater flexibility for citizens who want to prepare their travel documents in advance rather than waiting until their passports are approaching expiry.

The undersecretary encouraged eligible citizens to take advantage of the available service and complete their passport transactions early, particularly when making future travel arrangements.

He explained that applications for passport issuance and renewal can be submitted through Bahrain’s National Government Portal at bahrain.bh, as well as through the relevant service centres.

The government portal provides access to electronic passport services, including renewal applications, application status enquiries and payment of applicable service fees.

The ministry also highlighted the availability of an express service at the main Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs service centre, where electronic passport issuance transactions can be completed within two hours or less after submission.

Importantly, the two-hour processing period refers to the announced express service at the designated centre and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed processing time for every online application or transaction submitted elsewhere.

Additional facilities include passport delivery services both inside Bahrain and internationally, allowing eligible citizens to receive their travel documents through the available delivery arrangements.

International delivery is particularly useful for Bahraini citizens living or travelling abroad, as it provides another option for completing passport-related procedures without necessarily returning to the Kingdom.

The ministry confirmed that more than 400,000 electronic passports have been issued since Bahrain officially launched its electronic passport programme on March 12, 2023.

The programme was introduced as part of the government’s broader efforts to modernize public services and offer citizens more efficient and convenient administrative procedures.

Sheikh Hisham stated that Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs remains committed to developing passport services, simplifying application processes and improving the quality and speed of transactions.

The latest announcement reflects the continued expansion of Bahrain’s digital government services and the introduction of more flexible options for citizens requiring official travel documents.

However, the new two-year renewal window specifically concerns Bahraini passports issued to citizens and does not mean that foreign residents can renew passports issued by their home countries through Bahrain’s passport authorities.

Foreign nationals generally need to follow the procedures established by their own countries’ competent passport authorities when renewing their national travel documents.

The announcement also does not establish that passport renewals are free of charge or exempt from the documentation and eligibility requirements applicable to individual applications.

Citizens are therefore advised to consult the official government portal or contact Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs to confirm the requirements, fees and available methods of receiving their renewed passports.

Some older government guidance pages may still refer to an earlier renewal period, while the more recent November 2026 official announcement expressly confirms that citizens can apply when their passports have two years or less remaining.

The Ministry of Interior reiterated its commitment to improving the efficiency of passport services and developing digital solutions that save time while offering citizens greater convenience and flexibility.

Source: Bahrain Ministry of Interior – Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs – Al Ayam Newspaper – Al Bilad Newspaper – Akhbar Al Khaleej.