Bahrain Cash Withdrawel
 

Can you please assist in correcting my understanding of this residency process in Bahrain...

Next month I'll arrive in Bahrain with my family and stay in serviced apartments for a month until our house furnishing shipment arrives from UK - approx 5/6 weeks.

In this time we will source an unfurnished rental property, when I receive the lease agreement I can than proceed to get my Smartcard/CPR.

I can then open a bank account in Bahrain and receive Payment from my employers (locally based in Dubai).

So it turns out I'll have to explore the possibility of arriving in Bahrain from UK with Bahrain Dinars to pay for 3 months advance rent payment.

If so, any recommendations on where I should withdraw BD's in UK and receive the best rates?

Haven't done this cash carry thing for a while :confused:

Re: Bahrain Cash Withdrawel
 

Don't know the best place in the UK - but you can use the ATM's here ( in any Gulf country) to withdraw BD's from your UK Bank Account. You will of course pay a fee each time, so that will mount up.

You could of course just transfer all your UK cash into my Saudi account and I'll drive over to Bahrain with it....

Re: Bahrain Cash Withdrawel
 

Assuming you will arrive on a business visa you can still get your CPR processed under the company address and therefore open a bank account, you then have to process the change of address at a later stage in Isa Town, not a big drama to do it. Otherwise, yep you'll get hit for ATM fees and exchange rates which are always in favour of the banks.

Re: Bahrain Cash Withdrawel
 

Paying the rent should not be your problem but the companies. I don't know anyone that has had to pay 3 months upfront from their own pocket.

Re: Bahrain Cash Withdrawel
 

We had to pay 3 months in advance but one month is considered the bond so we are two months in advance. We did this because my husband's company is paying us the rent as an allowance and we then pay to the landlord.

This is the method they're using because he is employed by Saudi business. However, the company reimbursed us except for the bond (my husband's choice) in order that we receive the bond upon our departure.