The Ministry of Health of Bahrain decided to lift all restrictions for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers visiting the island.
The Kingdom of Bahrain recently announced that they were adopting the “Green Alert Level” and now travelers entering this territory will not need to perform a PCR test before arrival or maintain the previous precautionary quarantine.
Along with other countries like Norway, Iceland, and Slovenia, Bahrain will allow travelers to live a “normal” experience in the country once they arrive, by removing most covid-related restrictions.
According to the information shared by the Ministry of Health, the Green Alert Level entered into force on February 15, and on February 20, active contacts of cases will no longer have to isolate, and those with active COVID-19 will have to maintain a precautionary quarantine of 7 days for those with Green Shield and 10 days for those without.
The green shield is a digital certificate updated by the government that indicates if a person has been vaccinated and it can be verified through the local app: BeAware. However, now the green shield will not be necessary for regular activities like eating in restaurants.
Travelers should still bear in mind a few considerations before arriving and exploring all the fascinating historic attractions of this beautiful multicultural island.
Green Alert Level: What Travelers Should Know
Since February 20, international travelers aren’t required to take a PCR test before their flight nor upon arrival. It is no longer necessary to show proof of vaccination or quarantine at a location. Tourists are welcome with similar experiences to pre-pandemic times.
Main considerations for tourists traveling to Bahrain:
- Masks are not mandatory outdoors but are still required indoors.
- Foreign travelers must get an e-visa to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain: it can be obtained online, and tourists must comply with the Visa Selection Criteria. The eVisa costs BD 29—around 77 dollars in total. The approval takes 3-5 business days.
- Proof of vaccination, vaccine passport, or green shields is no longer required.
- During Green Alert Levels all indoor establishments —bars, restaurants, cinemas, playgrounds, entertainment centers, events, and more— can return to their 100% capacity.
- Vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals can visit indoor and outdoor spaces, without distinction.
At the Bahrain International Airport, travelers are still encouraged to avoid physical contact, maintain social distance, wash hands often, and wear a mask. Footprint stickers will show the distance people should maintain and robots with ultraviolet technology are part of the sanitization team and the disinfection system.
Bahrain: A Fascinating Destination for Tourism
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small but wealthy island country, located in the Persian Gulf, and composed of 83 islands connected by bridges: 50 natural and 33 artificial islands.
It was known in the 19th Century for its pearl fisheries and since 2004 it has gained fame thanks to Formula 1: the Grand Prix competition includes the Bahrain International F1 Circuit and takes place in Manama, the capital and largest city of this location.
Also, thanks to the petroleum exported during the past years, it is one of the fastest-growing economies among Arab countries.
Bahrain hosts fascinating cultural contrasts: it was once the oldest civilization in the Middle East—the ancient Dilmun civilization— and it is charged with rich history, but it is also a very modern destination with luxury and futuristic buildings and technology.
Even though Arabic is the official language, English is also recognized and more than half of the population is foreign, so English-speaking tourists can easily communicate with locals.
Travelers can visit the famous museums—like the Bahrain National Museum or the Oil Museum—, the Bahrain Fort and its charming architecture, the Majestic Tree of Life, the modern National Theater, take desert tours, go bird watching —there are 330 different species here—, and also enjoy unique culinary experiences in restaurants and cafes.
