Tockalosh

Just rock up and take your chances which will probably pay off with a 3 month insha'Allah. E visa is pretty fecked at the moment so you may end up with a 2 week if you use that or have it rejected as happened with one of my UK colleagues and we have been unable to determine why

Tockalosh

I am in and out of BIA on average 3 times a week and it has happened only once in since Feb 2011 so I would rate the risk negligable, relax and be happy

scottrace

You're jolly cheerful at the moment Tock - is there a ticket out of here on the horizon??

I think I would also take my chances at the airport with the visa. The evisa seems to be a nightmare and regardless of whether it's accepted or not they can change their minds at immigration anyway (as leesk found out) - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the acceptance of evisa - stories of couples applying and wife being granted but husband not but you still have to pay (and then again on arrival).

Parents arrive in 2 weeks so just going to risk it for them even if Mr Scottrace has to wait in starbucks for them for a few hours at 1am in the morning!

markinbahrain

As with everything in Bahrain, they make it up as they go along. The evisa is not worth the paper it is written on, and it will all go back to normal in a couple of weeks.
I would strongly suggest just turn up at airport and go through the normal procedure at passport control. This is all because of them 2 stupid cows the other week being deported for protesting.
Alternatively be like me and have a CPR......and to think that I have 3 spare CPR's that I don't even use I think I should put them on Ebay.

leesk

And you know the only reason I did the evisa is because I knew that with my Canadian passport I would only get 2 weeks and I was hoping that if I got my son a 3 month visa they might just give me one too! Ha what a fool and to think I paid 2BD over the odds too, argh! I'm in the process of getting my UK passport having lived there for 27years, and even had to do the Life in the UK test -yeesh think I'll crawl back under my rock.

Exhibiton rd here we come!!

leesk

oooh, a CPR to me would be like gold dust, a valuable commodity! Mr Mark let me know when the auction is

scottrace

Lol - and me - but I need 4!

Tockalosh

westendgirl1

Hey Lee,

Did you make your enquiries at the passport office off Exhibition Rd?

Kix

I'm trekking down there just after Easter, not been before so could be interesting...

leesk

Hi westendgirl,

Yes we sorted our visa situation last week. Surprisingly, mine was straightforward, but my sons was more of a problem as they initially said 'because it was on the computer system already, he could only have 2 weeks and that to extend it he would have to go back to the UK every 2 weeks for 3 days before he could re-enter Bahrain' ... Bureaucratic BS at its Finest!!

We were passed from visa clerk, to supervisor, to another office and finally to the Top Brass of the Immigration at Exhibition Rd and he got a 3 month visa like every other UK national. Apparently as it has already been said on this forum, don't bother with the evisa, the computer systems are not yet linked and there are lots of problems.

westendgirl1

[QUOTE=leesk;9938052]Hi westendgirl,

Yes we sorted our visa situation last week. Surprisingly, mine was straightforward, but my sons was more of a problem as they initially said 'because it was on the computer system already, he could only have 2 weeks and that to extend it he would have to go back to the UK every 2 weeks for 3 days before he could re-enter Bahrain' ... Bureaucratic BS at its Finest!!

We were passed from visa clerk, to supervisor, to another office and finally to the Top Brass of the Immigration at Exhibition Rd and he got a 3 month visa like every other UK national. Apparently as it has already been said on this forum, don't bother with the evisa, the computer systems are not yet linked and there are lots of problems. [/QUOTE

Hi there,

Thanks for the info. Wow it seems like they gave you the run around but like a lot of the ministries in Bahrain, asking to speak to the `boss`normally yields results. Good you got it sorted though! Did you ask boss man why different people were getting different treatment at the airport nowadays?

HertsBrit

For anyone in Bahrain please check out this Facebook page Special Security Force Command Of Bahrain (SSFC). Very good reading!!

camel jockey

and very secular from reading some of the comments... but could provide more details as to areas to avoid. Thanks for sharing.

HertsBrit

Maybe good reading was the wrong choice of words!
But it is good for up to date information of where to avoid and finding out about the latest bomb threats that have become more and more frequent over the last week.