Yes. New pupils join government primary schools in Grade One through the Ministry of Education's online registration service, and non-Bahraini children are accepted as long as their residence is valid. There is no registration fee.
Conditions: a valid ID card for the child, a date of birth that meets the age rule for Grade One, and valid residency for a non-Bahraini child. If both the applicant and the child are non-Bahraini, attach copies of the child's and the guardian's residence permits. If you are not the parent, attach a court custody decision or proof of guardianship.
The MOE also lists these papers for public school registration: the completed form, the child's birth certificate, proof of address (such as a rental contract or electricity bill) and the father's or guardian's passport and ID or residence permit.
Registration only opens for a short window each year. For 2026 it ran from Monday 27 April to Sunday 10 May, so check the MOE page early in spring.
Changing to another government school later is done with the Students Transfer service on bahrain.bh, using your eKey. The MOE is on +973 17873333.
Steps
- Check the next registration window on the MOE page (in 2026 it was 27 April to 10 May).
- Prepare the child's valid ID, birth certificate, proof of address and residence permits.
- Register through the MOE's online new-student service.
- Check the application status online.