Do Bahraini passport holders need a visa for Turkey?

By Vinayak Gupta · Travel Writer, Tripmojo · Updated September 2, 2026 · Reviewed by Simran Raheja

No, if you hold an ordinary Bahraini passport: you are exempt for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The government passport is the one with the problem. Official passport holders need a visa, and the ministry offers them one at the border for up to 15 days, which is a sixth of what the ordinary passport gets and one of the few border-issued visas left on the page.

Quick facts

Visa-free

Visa required: No, for ordinary passports
Maximum stay: 90 days in any 180-day period
Official passports: Visa required
Official passports at the border: Up to 15 days
Passport validity: 150 days, being the 90-day stay plus 60
Second passport: Does not add a second 90 days

Entry requirements

An ordinary Bahraini passport valid for at least 60 days beyond the duration of stay, which for a 90-day exemption means 150 days of validity at entry.
No visa on an ordinary passport, and nothing to arrange in advance, for travel of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
A visa for any official passport, which the ministry says may be obtained at border crossings for up to 15 days.

The everyday passport is the one that works

The Turkish foreign ministry exempts Bahraini ordinary passport holders from visas for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. There is nothing to apply for and no fee.

Official passport holders are required to have a visa. The ministry then adds a provision that appears in very few entries: official passport holder Bahraini citizens may obtain visas for up to 15 days at border crossings. So the trip is possible without applying in advance, but on a much shorter allowance and at a counter rather than online.

The term official passports is defined on the same page as covering diplomatic, service, special and official documents, so all four are on the visa side of this entry, and the 15-day border option is what the ministry offers them in place of an exemption.

Good to know

Bahrain is in an unexpected group. Reading the entries one by one, the countries whose ordinary passports are exempt while every official passport needs a visa are Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Bahrain. Two entries come close without qualifying: Uzbekistan and Ireland both exempt diplomatic passports and require a visa only of other official types, and Ireland adds a further exemption for officials visiting as part of a ministerial delegation. That is not a grouping anyone would guess at, and it is a reminder that these entries come from separate bilateral arrangements rather than from a single policy applied consistently.
The 15 days at the border is the part worth planning around, because it is short and it is not a formality. An official Bahraini passport holder can reach Türkiye without applying first, which sounds convenient, but the allowance is a sixth of what a colleague on an ordinary passport gets without doing anything at all. If the trip is longer than a fortnight, the border route does not cover it and the application has to happen in advance through a Turkish mission. Anyone travelling on a service or special passport should check this before assuming the government document is the easier one to travel on.
Ninety days of stay wants 150 days of passport, which is a sum rather than a round number. Türkiye asks for the duration of stay plus 60 days. The ministry exempts three groups from that article, being countries whose citizens may enter on a national identity card, countries whose expired passports are accepted for a period, and holders of diplomatic, special and official passports. An ordinary Bahraini passport is in none of them, so 150 days at entry is the figure. The ministry separately advises six months from arrival, which is more than the rule asks and is the safer thing to carry.
The 90 days are counted against a rolling window and a second passport does not extend them. The ministry states in its general guidance that the length of stay from a visa or a visa exemption cannot exceed 90 days within each 180 days, and that this is binding for all foreigners travelling to Türkiye. It also says it is not possible to spend 90 days on each of two different passports within the last 180 days. That second line lands squarely on this page’s own subject. A Bahraini official is quite likely to hold an ordinary passport as well as a special or service one, and the arithmetic that suggests itself is 90 days on the ordinary document and then 15 more on the official one at the border. The ministry’s rule blocks exactly that. The allowance attaches to the traveller, not to whichever booklet is presented.

Frequently asked questions

Do Bahraini citizens need a visa for Türkiye?

Not on an ordinary passport, which is exempt for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Official passport holders do need a visa.

Can an official passport holder get a visa on arrival?

The ministry says official passport holder Bahraini citizens may obtain visas for up to 15 days at border crossings.

Why is the ordinary passport better than the official one here?

The two come from different arrangements. Bahrain is one of a small group, with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, where ordinary passports are exempt and official ones are not.

How much passport validity does Türkiye require?

The duration of stay plus 60 days, so 150 days at entry for the 90-day exemption. The ministry separately advises six months from arrival.

Can I use a second passport to stay longer?

No. The ministry states it is not possible to stay 90 days on each of two different passports within the last 180 days.

Does the exemption cover working in Türkiye?

No. The ministry handles work and study through Turkish embassies and consulates rather than through the exemption.

Other passports for Turkey

Other destinations for Bahrain passport holders

Bahrain passport holders visiting United States

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 2 September 2026.

Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Visa Information For Foreigners", Bahrain entry: "Official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. Official passport holder Bahraini citizens may obtain visas for up to 15 days at border crossings. Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period." Read 2026-09-02. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
Same page, read entry by entry for the comparison group: Canada and the United States of America both read "Official passport holders are required to have visa to enter Türkiye. Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period"; Australia reads "Holders of ordinary passports are exempt from visa requirements for touristic visits and transit travel for a period of 90 days within any 180-day period. Holders of official passports are required to obtain a visa"; the United Kingdom reads "Diplomatic and official passport holders are subject to visa. Ordinary passport holders who travel for touristic purposes are exempt from visas for up to 90 days in any 180 day period." Uzbekistan and Ireland are partial cases, both exempting diplomatic and ordinary passports and requiring a visa of other official types; Ireland reads "Ordinary passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Diplomatic passport holders are exempted from visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Other official passport holders are subject to visa. Official passport holders who visit Türkiye as part of a ministerial delegation are exempt from visa." No total is quoted here because the wording varies and a count taken by search rather than by reading has been wrong before. Also on the same page: "The term “official passports” covers diplomatic, service, special and official passports." Read 2026-09-02. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "General Information About Turkish Visas": "The length of stay provided by visa or visa exemption cannot exceed 90 days within each 180 days. The regulation of 90 days of stay within the last 180 days is binding for all foreigners that will travel to Türkiye", and "It is not possible for foreigners holding two passports to stay in Türkiye for 90 days each with their two different passports within the last 180 days." Read 2026-09-01. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/general-information-about-turkish-visas.en.mfa
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Passport Validity Requirements While Entering Türkiye in Accordance with Law on Foreigners and International Protection": article 7.1b of Law no. 6458 requires a travel document valid at least 60 days beyond the duration of stay, Example A giving 150 days for a 90-day stay; the three exempted categories are national identity card countries under the Council of Europe agreement, countries whose expired passports are accepted, and holders of diplomatic, special and official passports; and the page advises carrying a document valid at least 6 months from arrival. Read 2026-09-02. https://www.mfa.gov.tr/passport-validity-requirements-while-entering-turkey-in-accordance-with-law-on-foreigners-and-international-protection.en.mfa

Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.

Explore the Turkey guide →Check another passport →