Bahrain will make health insurance compulsory for expatriate residents from 31 October 2026, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) said in a statement reported by Middle East Insurance Review on 19 October. SCH chairman Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said that the organisational and technical work needed to start the scheme is complete.
Enrolment will run through the permit system: an expatriate will need cover when a work or residence permit is issued or renewed. Three groups are outside the scheme: domestic workers, expatriates employed by government entities, and their dependants. Bahraini citizens keep their current healthcare. Within its approved benefit limits, the compulsory package pays for primary and secondary care and for emergency and accident treatment, and employers or members can buy cover above that minimum.
The statement did not give premiums or insured sums for the packages, the publication said.
In August, the SCH signed an agreement with Solidarity Bahrain to implement the residents' programme, GCC Business News reported. Under that model, a consortium of accredited health insurers offers standard packages, and a digital platform connects enrolment to permit and residency procedures. Bahraini nationals stay under Health Insurance Law No. 23 of 2018.
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Middle East Insurance Review ↗News publisher · 19 Oct 2026
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