How to apply for a Schengen visa from Bahrain

If you are from Bahrain and intending on visiting Europe, you may find it difficult to travel throughout the continent without obtaining a Schengen visa. If you successfully apply for a Schengen visa from Bahrain, you will be able to spend up to 90 days in the entire Schengen area—a territory comprising 26 of the most visited countries in the region, including France, Germany, and Italy. Today’s blog will provide a step-by-step guide for how to apply for a Schengen visa from Bahrain. If you are considering applying for a short-stay Schengen visa from Bahrain, read on to learn about the Schengen visa requirements for Bahrain citizens and residents and Schengen visas and types for Bahrain passport holders. In addition, you will find the answers to some commonly asked questions, including, “Where do you apply for Schengen visa in Bahrain?” and, “How much does a Schengen visa cost from Bahrain?” All this about the Schengen visa for Bahrain residents and citizens—and much more—below:

How to apply for a Schengen visa from Bahrain

• 1. Determine your relative travel dates
  • There are certain deadlines you must observe when applying for a Schengen visa. Being mindful of these deadlines means having a general idea of when you need to travel, so that you can submit your application on time. Obtaining travel-medical insurance, receiving invitation letters, checking your passport validity—fulling all of these (and additional) requirements take time, so make sure you leave yourself enough in the run up to your trip.  
  • If you are applying for a short-stay Schengen visa from Bahrain, you should hand in your application at least 15 days before you intend to travel to Europe. 
  • And while it’s always good so submit a Schengen visa application ahead of time, there is such a thing as being too early—most applicants are not allowed to apply earlier than six months before they intend to travel. 
• 2. Determine your Schengen visa “type”
  • The type of Schengen visa you need reflects your purpose for travel. There are a number of different available Schengen visas or types for Bahrain passport holders; some of the post popular include Tourist, Business, and Medical Schengen visas 
  • Browse the complete list of Schengen visa types through this link, and decide which one best reflects why you are travelling. The purpose you select will be the type of visa you should apply for on your official Schengen visa application form.
• 3. Determine your Schengen visa “entry category”
  • The type of entry category you receive will determine if (and if so, how many times) you can re-enter the Schengen area after entering it for the first time on your Schengen visa. 
  • Schengen visas are available in single, double, and multiple entry categories. If you receive a single entry Schengen visa, you will not be allowed to return to the Schengen area after you leave it—even if you still have time left on your visa. If you have a double entry Schengen, you will be able to exit the Schengen area and re-enter it one time during your visa validity period. Finally, if your receive a multiple-entry Schengen, there will be no limitations on the number of times you can enter, exit, and re-enter the Schengen area—so long as you are exiting and re-entering while your visa is still valid. 
  • For example, if you enter France—A Schengen Member State—and return to Bahrain, you will have officially left the Schengen area, and you will only be let back into the zone if you have, at minimum, a double-entry Schengen visa. Therefore, if you want to travel back and forth between Bahrain and the Schengen area, you should pursue a multiple-entry Schengen visa from Bahrain. 
• 4. Determine your primary destination in the Schengen area 
  • Now that you know your relative travel dates and Schengen type and category, it is time to determine your primary destination in the Schengen area; i.e. which country in the Schengen area you will be spending the most time in while on your trip. The country that reflects your primary destination is the country you will apply for your Schengen visa from. 
  • For example, if you are planning to spend 90 days traveling throughout multiple countries in the Schengen area, but you plan to spend a majority of days in France, then you will apply for a French Schengen visa from Bahrain. 
  • If you are spending an equal amount of time in two or more countries (for example, 30 days in France and 30 days in Spain) you will apply for your Schengen visa from the country that represents your first entry into the Schengen area (so if the first time you enter the Schengen area is by flying directly from Manama to Paris, France would represent your first entry into the Schengen area, so you would apply for a Schengen visa from France. 
• 5. Determine where to apply for your Schengen visa 
  • Even if you know what country you are applying to, you may still be wondering, “Exactly where do you apply for Schengen visa in Bahrain?” 
  • You should apply for your Schengen visa for Bahrain residents and citizens from the embassy, consulate, or visa application center affiliated with the Schengen country you are applying through. Because Bahrain is small country, the majority of these locations will be in the capital of Manama. 
  • Certain countries, particularly smaller ones, will delegate other larger countries to represent their respective consular interests and to oversee the issuance of Schengen visas. For example, those applying for a Dutch Schengen visa will do so via the German embassy in Manama (rather than the Netherlands Embassy). 
• 6. Gather your required documents 
  • Schengen visa requirements for Bahrain citizens and residents include the mandatory submission of a number of basic documents and materials, including the following below (for a complete list of required and supplemental docs and other requirements, click here):
    • Valid passport with blank space for your Schengen visa
    • Two passport photos 
    • Proof of accommodation
    • Proof of finances
    • Proof of travel medical insurance
    • Visa application form 
  • In addition to the above required basic materials, applicants must also submit a number of supplemental documents, depending on what type of Schengen visa they are seeking. 
  • For example, if you are applying for a Visiting Friends and Family Schengen visa, you will likely have to obtain an invitation letter from the person who you plan to visit in the Schengen area. 
  • Please note that if any of the above documents are not already in English or the official language(s) of the Schengen country you are applying through, you may have to submit them with an official translation (into English, the official language(s) of the country, or another accepted language). 
  • For example, if you are applying for a Visiting Friends and Family Schengen visa from France and you receive an invitation letter from someone in Paris that is written in Arabic rather than French, you may need to have that letter translated by a notary, and submit both the original and the translation as part of your application. If you are confused about this issue, contact the embassy/consulate of the country you are applying to in order to find out what languages they accept document submissions in. 
• 7. Access your Schengen visa application 
  • The majority of Schengen countries will allow Bahraini citizens and residents to apply through the official Schengen visa form, which is universal to all countries and accessible online here: 
  • Download, print out, complete, and submit this form alongside the rest of your basic required and supplemental documents. 
  • Alternatively, depending on what Schengen country you are applying to, you may be asked to apply through its online visa portal; for example, both French and German Schengen visa applicants are asked to apply using the respective French and German online-visa portal, available here; and here, respectively. 
• 8. Schedule your Schengen visa appointment 
  • Most Schengen countries require that you make an appointment to drop of your Schengen visa (verses, say, simply dropping off your passport during normal embassy operating hours). 
  • If you applied online through a country-specific online portal, you will likely have received a prompt to schedule your appointment. 
  • If you didn’t apply online (or didn’t receive a prompt) you will likely have to contact your application destination directly in order to make one (or see if you need one). 
• 9. Attend your Schengen visa appointment 
  • Almost all Schengen visa applicants are required to attend their Schengen visa appointment in person. 
  • Your Schengen visa appointment is where you will drop off your application, pay your Schengen visa fee (if you haven’t already paid it online), submit your biometric information (if you haven’t already done so on a recent previous Schengen visa application), and attend a short interview. 
  • If you are wondering, “How much does a Schengen visa cost from Bahrain?” The answer is 80 EUR for most applicants. For complete information on Schengen visa fees, click here. 
  • Your biometric information is your fingerprints and photos, which all applicants are required to submit unless they have done so within the past 59 months. 
• 10. Await your decision
  • If your application for a Schengen visa from Bahrain is accepted, you will receive a notification to pick up your passport (which contains your new visa). After doing this, you can go on your way!
  • If you are rejected for a Bahraini Schengen visa, you have the right to appeal. For more information on the general appeals process, click here.