What a doctor trained abroad needs to register in Bahrain
Read from the regulator's own documents. Each step shows what it costs, who usually pays, and the date we last checked it. Enter your details and we tell you which of these you already meet.
Specialist licence (NHRA)
A medical degree and internship, a specialty certificate in NHRA's tier table with the experience the tier requires, a valid home licence, verified documents, the Bahrain Medical Licensure Examination and, for Tier 3 certificates, the NHRA Specialist Examination.
- 1Medical degree from a school in the World Directory of Medical Schools; no online or correspondence qualifications
- 2Confirm your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (search.wdoms.org)
- 3Valid professional licence or registration from your home country or country of last employment
- 4Specialty certificate in NHRA's Recognized Specialty Certificates table (Tier 1, 2 or 3) after a structured residency of at least three years; Bahrain licenses overseas doctors only as specialists or consultants, its general licence being for Bahrainis
- 5One-year internship in an accredited hospital with at least six months of medicine and six of surgery
- 6Experience after the specialty certificate by tier; none for Tier 1, one year for Tier 2, three years for Tier 3
- 7Certificate of good standing under six months old from the regulator of your last employmentyou pay · Source ↗
- 8No gap of clinical practice of three years or more (non-Bahrainis)
- 9Primary source verification of your degree, specialty certificate, home registration and experience (DataFlow)~5 weeks · who pays varies · unconfirmed · Source ↗
- 10Pass the Bahrain Medical Licensure Examination (valid five years; four attempts within three years)who pays varies · Source ↗
- 11Pass the NHRA Specialist Examination if your certificate is Tier 3 (Tier 1 and 2 are exempt)who pays varies · Source ↗
- 12Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers, through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency or an employer the DMW allows to hire directly (Filipino workers)who pays varies · Source ↗
Consultant licence (NHRA)
A medical degree and internship, a Tier 1 or Tier 2 specialty certificate with two or four years of experience after it, a valid home licence, verified documents and the Bahrain Medical Licensure Examination. Tier 3 certificates cannot reach this title.
- 1Medical degree from a school in the World Directory of Medical Schools; no online or correspondence qualifications
- 2Confirm your medical school is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (search.wdoms.org)
- 3Valid professional licence or registration from your home country or country of last employment
- 4Tier 1 or Tier 2 specialty certificate in NHRA's table (Tier 3 cannot attain the Consultant title)
- 5One-year internship in an accredited hospital with at least six months of medicine and six of surgery
- 6Two years of experience after a Tier 1 certificate, or four years after a Tier 2 certificate (a one-year structured fellowship counts)
- 7Certificate of good standing under six months old from the regulator of your last employmentyou pay · Source ↗
- 8No gap of clinical practice of three years or more (non-Bahrainis)
- 9Primary source verification of your degree, specialty certificate, home registration and experience (DataFlow)~5 weeks · who pays varies · unconfirmed · Source ↗
- 10Pass the Bahrain Medical Licensure Examination (valid five years; four attempts within three years)who pays varies · Source ↗
- 11Overseas Employment Certificate from the Department of Migrant Workers, through a DMW-licensed recruitment agency or an employer the DMW allows to hire directly (Filipino workers)who pays varies · Source ↗
Rules checked 23 Oct 2026 · outcomeOS describes each regulator's published rules; it does not advise on your individual case. · Privacy · Terms