Bahrain eVisa Opens Online to Travellers From 54 African Countries

Bahrain has published its official electronic visa (eVisa) eligibility list, and citizens of 54 African countries — including the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya — can apply. Applications are made entirely online through the country's official portal, rather than at an embassy or consulate.

Key facts

• 54 African countries are included on Bahrain's eVisa list
• The African entries span West, East, Central, North and Southern Africa
• Applications are submitted online through Bahrain's official eVisa portal
• The wider eligibility list also covers Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Pacific
• The published information does not state fees, permitted length of stay or processing times

What is changing?

Bahrain has released a full list of countries whose citizens are eligible to apply for an eVisa. The list reaches across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Pacific, and the African representation covers every sub-region of the continent, taking in major travel markets such as Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.

The practical change is the application route: eligible nationals can apply online instead of going in person to an embassy or consulate. The source notes that in-person applications have historically been time-consuming and logistically difficult for applicants living far from the nearest mission.

Which African countries are included?

The 54 African countries whose citizens can apply for a Bahrain eVisa online are:

• Zimbabwe, Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon
• Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Zambia, Egypt
• Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya
• Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco
• Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone
• Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda

How do I apply?

Eligible nationals apply for the eVisa online through Bahrain's official portal. The source does not set out the documents required, the cost, how long a visa is valid for, how long approval takes, or the permitted length of stay.

What this means for travellers

Citizens of the listed African countries, including the Central African Republic, no longer need to plan an embassy or consulate visit as part of a Bahrain visa application; the process can be started online. Travellers should check that their nationality appears on the eligibility list before making plans, and confirm the fee, validity and stay conditions directly, since the published list does not include them.

No start date has been announced, and the source gives no information on any further changes to Bahrain's entry rules.