JURISDICTIONS · BAHRAIN
Bahrain, the Gulf's original financial centre,
and our home registry.
ENTITY FORMS
- W.L.L., Limited Liability Company
- The workhorse. Two or more partners; no statutory minimum capital for most activities; 100% foreign ownership permitted in most activities; annual audited financials.
- S.P.C., Single Person Company
- The sole-owner variant of the above.
- B.S.C. (closed), Closed Shareholding Company
- Two or more shareholders; shares not offered to the public; suits larger capital structures and lender-facing holdings.
- Branch of a foreign company
- Conducts the parent's activities in Bahrain.
- Representative office
- Liaison and marketing only; may not conduct business.
FORMATION STEPS
- 01Define the activity scope and confirm foreign-ownership eligibility.
- 02Reserve the name.
- 03Assemble shareholder and KYC documents, legalised as required.
- 04Execute the memorandum and articles.
- 05Commercial Registration issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
- 06Tax and social-insurance registrations; sector licences where the activity is regulated.
- 07Corporate bank account.
TIMELINE, Days, not months, for a clean file in an unregulated activity; longer where a sector licence applies.
TAX HIGHLIGHTS
- Corporate income tax
- 0% generally; 46% for oil and gas operations.
- Domestic minimum top-up tax
- 15% for multinational groups with global revenue above €750 million, effective 1 January 2025.
- VAT
- 10%. No personal income tax. No withholding taxes. Extensive treaty network.
Formed to specification, the right form in the right jurisdiction, decided in writing before filing.
Verified as of July 2026 · reviewed quarterly

