How much does it cost to open a CR for a sole proprietorship in Bahrain?

A new business in Bahrain is set up on Sijilat, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's online system, and usually costs you two fees:

• Commercial Registration without a licence: 50 BD, about 3 working days. This applies to a sole proprietorship and to a commercial company.
• Licence to carry out the activity (sole proprietorship): 20 BD, about 3 working days. The ministry decides on the application, then the licensing authority for your activity has to approve it before you pay.

If someone else applies for you, they need a power of attorney: notarised for an unrelated person, unnotarised for a professional office or a staff member already listed on the same record.

For a company, every partner who works in the private sector needs a no-objection letter from their employer. Public sector employees may not set up a commercial company, though they can own shares in some company types without running them.

Steps

1. Prepare your activity and proposed trade name, and a power of attorney if someone applies for you.
2. Apply on Sijilat for a Commercial Registration without a licence (50 BD).
3. Once the CR is issued, apply on Sijilat for the activity licence (20 BD).
4. Get any approvals your activity needs from its licensing authority, then pay the fee.