eng4theashes

Hello, I'm a Brit about to move to Bahrain. From reading the Gulf Daily News online, it seems that getting a Bahrain Driving Licence is a bit of a nightmare, with mandatory lessons, huge waiting lists, etc. Is it possible just to use your UK licence, or get a Bahrain licence from a UK licence?

If the latter, do you need to have that paper counterpart (which I've lost!) or will just the plastic photo ID suffice?

Does it take weeks/months like a lot of things seem to (again, according to the GDN letters page!) or can it be done in one trip to Bahrain's version of the DVLA?

Oh, and do I need a valid visa/residency permit to get the licence transferred? If so, as it will probably take a few weeks for that to come through, would I be able to just drive with my UK licence in Bahrain for my first few weeks?

Thanks a lot for any and all help from those who've gone before!
Tim

HertsBrit

Hi Eng4theashes,

You can use your plastic photo credit card style licence over here. I have got my Bahrain licence and all I had to do was have an eye test and pay 15BD I think. Not to sure if I had to produce my CPR or not.
In the meantime you will be fine with a UK licence as I am lead to believe the authorities think that we have a harder test to pass so we should be good drivers! And we are when you see the state of the driving out here!!
Also if you are going lease a car they preferred to see my UK licence as it was issued years ago compared to the Bahrain one as that was new it would imply I was a new driver!!. Hope this info helps and welcome to Bahrain.

Ronnie Biggs

The GDN letter page is written by a couple of journalists, I wouldn't trust a single word.....

I just used my UK license while in Bahrain and never had any probems at all. Middle East wise, Bahrain is reaxed and easy...they're not out to get you for the minor stuff.

camel jockey

Never a truer word said...

It's easy to get your licence transferred.. you have the plastic licence itself (no need for any of that paper cr*p here), I would take your CPR/SmartCard with you (as you don't have it yet just try the old 'yanni... haven't got my residence permit yet line but can't guarantee that it will work), pay your Beeds and an eye test later and you have a lovely little green & white card.

On your British licence you can drive for I think it was 3 months though so if you want to wait for your residence permit to come through it won't be a problem.

Tockalosh

Get as many licences as you can, so far I have used the UAE. And Bahrain licences for speeding overseas and nothing against my uk licence.

eng4theashes

Cheers for the advice guys, sounds pretty straightforward.

When you take in the UK plastic licence card and CPR card to the Traffic Department, can you do the whole thing in one go: ie take the eye test, pay the fee, and they make the Bahrain licence for you there and then?

Or do you have to book the eye test, and then after that wait days or weeks for them to make the Bahrain licence? Be lovely to get the whole thing done in one fell swoop!

camel jockey

Turn up and do everything at once

eng4theashes

Cool!

By the way, no point cluttering up the forum by starting another thread - are any of you guys patrons of the British Club in Bahrain? I was wondering whether they have five a side football there? I'm a bit long in the tooth (and the waistline) for the full size pitch, but I've been playing on little five a side courts for a while, and it would be good to keep up.

camel jockey

Yep we go to the British Club. They have football on Thursday night @ 7.15-9pm and on Friday 11-1pm (Jurassic football). It's not 5 a side though, it's more who ever wants to play and they even out the teams.

Tockalosh

I didn't know you were a flipper married to a Brit CJ

camel jockey

I'm not! I'm just the poor antipodean cousin . They like me there for my lack of couth...

chrisp463

Hi, I have a question about Bahrain driving licences and I wonder if anyone might know the answer. I used to live in Bahrain a few years ago, and got my licence out there. It expired in 2007, after I left.

I don't have a UK licence (test's bloody hard these days - failed it once and couldn't be arsed to take it again, and besides you don't need a car in London, in fact you can't afford one unless you play for Chelsea, but I digress) and I'm thinking of heading back out to Bahrain.

My question is: can I take my old, expired Bahrain licence to the Traffic Directorate (once I have my residence permit and CPR) and get a new one? Or do I have to go through mandatory lesson-hell all over again?

Much obliged everyone,
Chris

Muncle

Take your old Bahrain driving licence, with CPR and they should issue you a new one. Nice and easy!

chrisp463

Hi, thanks for the reply. Are you sure they'll issue a new one even if the old one expired years ago, like do you know anyone who's done it?

Desert Dubliner

Miss the place. I did not like how the sports bar was redecorated. Like the job they did to the outside.