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Driving Licence
If you are staying in Bahrain for an extended period you can drive on your international licence until you obtain your residence visa and your CPR card. Your CPR card is similar to an ID card and you will often be asked to provide it as a means of identification.
To obtain your Bahrain driving licence you need copies of your CPR and your present driving licence together with the originals of these documents. You must take these and two photos to the Traffic Department in Isa Town. Here you will have an eye test, and if you need glasses for the eye test you must make sure that you are wearing them in the photos that you provide, or your application will be rejected.
When you get to the Traffic Directorate you must go to the second building; the first is for traffic offences. Once in the building there are good directions in English to the driving licence application section. Here you can fill in the application form and you will be directed through the rest of the process. Your application will be processed immediately and you should be able leave with your new licence.
If you already have a GCC licence, but have an original licence from the UK, other European countries, the USA or Australia, you can drive on your GCC licence until you receive your residence visa and CPR card. You can then follow the same procedure as above but you will need a letter from your sponsor stating that they have no objection to your obtaining a Bahrain licence. Getting the licence should only take a few hours and your employer will normally arrange for someone to take you to the Traffic Directorate to achieve this. There are no separate queues for women but the numbering queue system means it really is first come first served.
Unfortunately, licence holders from other countries must take a Bahrain driving test. This can be organised by going to the National Driver Training Centre (NDTC) in A’ali. You must book a course of lessons however confident or experienced you are. Your instructor will be booked at the training centre and he will arrange for your actual test.
The driving licence is valid for five years. If you are waiting for your CPR card you can drive on an international driving licence until it is ready. Make sure you get the licence stamped. This can be done by your car rental company or by the Traffic Directorate. Always carry your driving licence with you when driving and remember that if you have an accident, however small, you must obtain a police report at the scene. If you are asked to pay BD5 the accident was not your fault, DB15 and it was!
Driving Schools
There is only one driving school in Bahrain, the National Driver Training Centre (NDTC) in A’ali (1764 2106), which is administered by the Traffic Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. The minimum age for applicants is 18. The course costs BD3 per hour, and lasts a minimum of 18 hours, of which 8 hours are conducted inside the NDTC and the other 10 hours on the road. Learners have occasionally complained that their driving instructors have delayed sending them for a driving test. If you feel that this is happening, you should bring it to the notice of the administrators of the NDTC. A word of warning! If you fail the driving test, you have to start all over again and take a full course of lessons.
To obtain your Bahrain driving licence you need copies of your CPR and your present driving licence together with the originals of these documents. You must take these and two photos to the Traffic Department in Isa Town. Here you will have an eye test, and if you need glasses for the eye test you must make sure that you are wearing them in the photos that you provide, or your application will be rejected.
When you get to the Traffic Directorate you must go to the second building; the first is for traffic offences. Once in the building there are good directions in English to the driving licence application section. Here you can fill in the application form and you will be directed through the rest of the process. Your application will be processed immediately and you should be able leave with your new licence.
If you already have a GCC licence, but have an original licence from the UK, other European countries, the USA or Australia, you can drive on your GCC licence until you receive your residence visa and CPR card. You can then follow the same procedure as above but you will need a letter from your sponsor stating that they have no objection to your obtaining a Bahrain licence. Getting the licence should only take a few hours and your employer will normally arrange for someone to take you to the Traffic Directorate to achieve this. There are no separate queues for women but the numbering queue system means it really is first come first served.
Unfortunately, licence holders from other countries must take a Bahrain driving test. This can be organised by going to the National Driver Training Centre (NDTC) in A’ali. You must book a course of lessons however confident or experienced you are. Your instructor will be booked at the training centre and he will arrange for your actual test.
The driving licence is valid for five years. If you are waiting for your CPR card you can drive on an international driving licence until it is ready. Make sure you get the licence stamped. This can be done by your car rental company or by the Traffic Directorate. Always carry your driving licence with you when driving and remember that if you have an accident, however small, you must obtain a police report at the scene. If you are asked to pay BD5 the accident was not your fault, DB15 and it was!
Driving Schools
There is only one driving school in Bahrain, the National Driver Training Centre (NDTC) in A’ali (1764 2106), which is administered by the Traffic Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior. The minimum age for applicants is 18. The course costs BD3 per hour, and lasts a minimum of 18 hours, of which 8 hours are conducted inside the NDTC and the other 10 hours on the road. Learners have occasionally complained that their driving instructors have delayed sending them for a driving test. If you feel that this is happening, you should bring it to the notice of the administrators of the NDTC. A word of warning! If you fail the driving test, you have to start all over again and take a full course of lessons.
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