Countries > Bahrain for Doctors > Door 1
Bahrain for Doctors
Every doctor in Bahrain, local or international, needs a license from the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA). There are two things you could be trying to do here, and they lead to different places. Door 1 is for doctors who are already qualified, whether as a general practitioner or in an existing specialty, and simply want the legal right to work in Bahrain. This is the door most doctors want.
Pathway Snapshot
Find your track based on qualifications and experience, verify your documents through DataFlow or Quadrabay, sit the BMLE at a Prometric centre (or qualify for an exemption), manage your application through the Mehan portal, and receive your NHRA license.
Complete Journey (GP): Medical Graduation → 2 Years Post-Internship Experience → DataFlow/Quadrabay Verification → BMLE (Prometric) → Munshaat Sponsorship → Mehan License Issuance → Practice in Bahrain.
Complete Journey (Specialist): Medical Graduation → Specialty Qualification → DataFlow/Quadrabay Verification → NHRA Specialist Prometric Exam → Munshaat Sponsorship → Mehan License Issuance → Specialist Practice in Bahrain.
Your qualifications and experience determine your category, and your category determines what is required of you. Bahrain has no fixed, universal English test requirement for doctors, though some specific positions or employers may separately ask for IELTS or TOEFL evidence.
| Track | What You Need |
|---|---|
General Practitioner | Primary medical degree, plus 2 years of experience after internship |
Registrar / Senior House Officer | Currently enrolled in, or recently finished, a recognized specialist training program |
Specialist | Board certification or fellowship (MRCP, FRCS, FACP, FRACP, or similar), plus 3 years working as a specialist |
Consultant | Senior fellowship (FRCS, FRACP, FRCPC, or similar), plus 6 or more years working as a specialist |
Under the official NHRA Physicians Qualifications Requirements (PQR), only Bahraini or GCC nationals holding a valid GCC license are exempted from the licensure examination. Claims of broader exemptions based on academic degrees or years of experience alone are not supported by the current physician-specific PQR document. Confirm your eligibility directly with NHRA before relying on any exemption.
Your medical degree, transcripts, internship certificate, experience letters, and any existing license are verified through DataFlow, or alternatively Quadrabay, both accepted independent verification services. This step typically takes 4 to 8 weeks. Start as early in your process as possible.
The Bahrain Medical Licensing Exam (BMLE) is a computer-based multiple-choice exam delivered through Prometric, available both inside Bahrain and at Prometric centers internationally. The exam is in English. The official NHRA/Prometric page confirms the pass grade is set at 60% for all Bahrain licensure examinations.
| Feature | GP Track (BMLE) | Specialist Track |
|---|---|---|
Delivery | Prometric CBT | Prometric CBT |
Format | Single best answer MCQs | Clinical vignette MCQs |
Questions | 150 | 150 |
Duration | 3 hours (180 minutes) | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
Pass Mark | 60% | 60% |
Attempts | 4 attempts within 3 years | 4 attempts within 3 years |
Exam validity | 5 years | 5 years |
GP Subjects Covered: Internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, OB/GYN, psychiatry, ENT, and more.
Specialist exams focus on the relevant specialty.
Two portals handle different parts of your application:
Once you have passed the BMLE (or qualified for an exemption) and your application is approved, your license is issued through Mehan. Renewal happens through the same portal, starting at least 2 months before expiry.
The BMLE draws on the same style of clinical scenario questions used across Gulf licensing exams. Start with our SMLE Question Bank, covering the same core specialties in the same single-best-answer format the BMLE uses. For an even deeper foundation, our USMLE Step 2 CK Question Bank is the most comprehensive clinical question bank we offer.
What we offer
Full question banks, flashcards, self-assessments, a trained AI companion with you at every step, mentorship, a medical library, study groups, and more, all offered together.
Start Your BMLE Prep →Official NHRA fees per Decision No. 17 of 2016. Prometric and DataFlow/Quadrabay fees are separate third-party charges and not set by NHRA. All figures in Bahraini Dinars (BHD).
| Item | Fee (BHD) | Approx. Fee (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
License application submission | 20 BHD | ~$53 | Flat fee, all categories |
Licensure examination fee (BMLE) | 50 BHD | ~$133 | NHRA fee only; Prometric charges a separate test delivery fee |
General Practitioner — New License | 60 BHD | ~$159 | — |
General Practitioner — Annual Renewal | 50 BHD | ~$133 | — |
Specialist — New License | 80 BHD | ~$212 | — |
Specialist — Annual Renewal | 70 BHD | ~$186 | — |
Consultant — New License | 100 BHD | ~$265 | — |
Consultant — Annual Renewal | 90 BHD | ~$239 | — |
Appeal against exam result | 10 BHD | ~$27 | — |
Late renewal penalty (within 2 months of expiry) | Fee doubled | — | — |
Late renewal penalty (after 2 months of expiry) | Treated as new license, first license fee doubled | — | — |
| Item | Approx. Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
DataFlow / Quadrabay PSV | ~60–75 BHD (~$160–$200 USD) | Confirm directly with DataFlow/Quadrabay |
Prometric test delivery fee | Confirm with Prometric | Separate from NHRA's 50 BHD exam fee |
Note on Fees: NHRA fees are set by Supreme Council of Health Decision No. 17 of 2016. Figures shown are official rates unless marked approximate. A passed licensure exam is valid for 5 years. If a more recent NHRA fee decision has been issued, it would supersede the above — confirm directly on nhra.bh before payment. Prometric and DataFlow fees are approximate and based on 2026 data.