Menu
Expat.com

Tourist VISA about to expire for wife. Options to extend 1 week more?

Post new topic

DCMikeO

Hi,

I am an American on a tourist VISA for 90 days however my wife is from Ukraine and her original tourist VISA was for 30 days which we extended for another 15 days as we are waiting on our SPC to be formed to receive our CPR. Her extension is going to end this Saturday however the CPR may take to Sunday to Wednesday next week.

What are our options for extending? I couldn't find anything online to address this.

Thanks.

XTang

I think there is some confusion. 

When your SPC is formed, you will not get CPR (Personal identity card) or are you referring to CR (commercial registration)?.   When you get an active CR, you will need to register your company with LMRA which can be done on the same day if you have all the requirements.  Then the SPC can sponsor investor and dependent visas. If you are the investor, you apply and get yours before you can sponsor your wife.  Each visa can take 1-2 weeks easily.  When the visa is approved, it will be stamped with a CPR number on it.  To actually get a CPR card, you will need to show a residential address and apply separately for it.   All of the above is easily a 2-4 week process unless I am missing something?

As far as visa extension goes, unfortunately, the only way is to request immigration to approve an exception which they may or may not.  You need to go to the NPRA main office on exhibitions road. Otherwise she will have to exit and come back.

DCMikeO

The plan regarding the SPC and my wife is once I have a CR for my SPC finalized I will apply for my CPR. Then, my lawyer will add her to the company and she will follow the same process. My lawyer stated this will take till next week and why we were worried about the VISA for her.

We did go to the NPRA today and applied for a second 15 day extension. Took 5 mins, 25BD and had no issues.

Thanks for the reply!

XTang

Welcome.  Out of curiosity, do you have your Bahrain investor/resident visa already?  if not, how are you able to get your CPR?  or will they get you a visa before you apply for CPR?

DCMikeO

I haven't. I just ran into an issue. Trying to open an account today at Ahli United Bank and was rold since my capital is only 100BD I need to have a CPR and residency first. The bank did say this was there policy and not the policy of the Bahrain govt. My lawyer is working on a solution right now.

XTang

Yes banks create a lot of problems opening accounts for company in formation and even more so if you don't have a CPR or residency. Hope it works out for you.   But as I said, make sure that you get your residency because as far as I know, you cannot get your CPR without having a residence visa first.

DCMikeO

Yes, I am working towards my Investors VISA to get my CPR. 3 banks and no luck so far,..
Any suggestions for a bank? I have tried:

Ahli Bank
Khaleeji Bank
Al Baraka Bank

XTang

Try BBK as well. Your capital is too low which is why these issues. Ask them what if you deposit a higher amount initially?

DCMikeO

Checked with them today. Anything less than 20,000BD there is a 450BD non-refundable fee.

M.Winn

1 month extension is 30BD

DCMikeO

Just yesterday I had to pay 75BD for a 15 day extension. Was the longest he said was available. How do I get this 1 month for 30BD?

XTang

Unfortunately, people post one word replies without understanding the thread or the question.

The visa cost varies according to nationality and type of visa initially granted.

A family visit visa or visit NOC can be extended twice with a cost of 30 BD each time (granted initially for 30 days to begin with).  But your wife's visa is not that type and so this doesn't apply to you.

Bronstar*

It depends on Nationality and how long she has already been in the country.

Different nationalities carry different visa fees and durations they will extend for

DCMikeO

UPDATE:

I am still waiting my investors VISA to add my wife to, she's Ukrainian, and I was able to extend her VISA for another 15 days with no issue. I even tried to show the documents supporting my VISA and he just waved them away.

My feelings on this, as this is the third time she has extended, is that they do not care how many times you extend as long as you can pay the fee.

XTang

Thanks for the update.  That's generally the outcome for tourist & business visa. The only issue happens for family visas for older people like parents where they stop extending after a while and ask them to re-enter again.  The reason is that the latter category practically are living here on visit visas whereas the former are usually not.

Articles to help you in your expat project in Bahrain

  • Visas for Bahrain
    Visas for Bahrain

    Almost all travellers to Bahrain require a visa, with the exception of passport holders from the GCC (Gulf ...

  • Getting married in Bahrain
    Getting married in Bahrain

    For expats, moving to Bahrain often involves navigating new experiences, and marriage is one of the most ...

  • Driving in Bahrain
    Driving in Bahrain

    Driving a car is a common practice among expatriates in Bahrain, making travel easier and flexible. The Kingdom ...

  • Opening a bank account in Bahrain
    Opening a bank account in Bahrain

    Bahrain has long been recognized as a leading financial hub in the Middle East, hosting a diverse array of ...

  • Starting a business in Bahrain
    Starting a business in Bahrain

    Bahrain presents a prime opportunity for investors looking to enter the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market. ...

  • Relocating with your pets to Bahrain
    Relocating with your pets to Bahrain

    One of the decisions to make when relocating to a foreign country is what to do about pets. For many expats, there ...

  • Studying in Bahrain
    Studying in Bahrain

    Are you moving to Bahrain with your family? Or are you looking to study in a Middle-East country and wondering if ...

  • Healthcare in Bahrain
    Healthcare in Bahrain

    Bahrain's healthcare system offers robust facilities and high standards of care, catering effectively to its ...

All of Bahrain's guide articles