The Difficulties of Changing Jobs in Bahrain as an Expatriate

If you are looking into moving abroad to Bahrain to live and take up employment you should make sure that you will be happy in the work that you are going to Bahrain to do. Once you arrive in Bahrain and have signed an employment contract it is rather difficult to get out of that contract and change jobs if you are not happy or just do not want to stay working in that particular position for any reason at all. Before you sign an employment contract you should look for a section in the contract that describes what the steps are to get out of a contract and what happens if you wanted to break the contract.

One of the reasons why it is so extremely difficult to change jobs once you are in Bahrain is because of your employer. Typically you will have gained entry into the country as a result of the employer not only filling out all of your immigration paper work for permits and visas but also paying for all of the associated fees. It is also not uncommon for companies to assist workers with relocation expenses as well. So, because of all of this financial output by the companies to get workers to Bahrain there is an obligation owed to the employer by the employee. Sometimes this obligation is actually contractual and spelled out in the employment contract and sometimes it is just an unwritten moral obligation that is expected to be upheld.

That being said, there are instances when it is an easy enough process to transition from one employer to another. That usually only occurs when a contract with a current employer in Bahrain is ending or nearing completion and it will not be renewed. In that instance, and only in that instance, you could transfer to a new employer in Bahrain. However you can only do this with your employer's support. Your current employer, as your sponsor, will have to give you a letter of objection or a "no objection certificate" (NOC) to be able to transfer to a new employer and thus a new sponsor. Sometimes this only occurs because your employer does not want the expense of getting you back to your home country and is thankful to transfer that burden to another sponsor.

If you are able to transfer to a new employer note that the process can take some time. Usually you will have to leave the country and return under a new employment contract. Depending on the region you are in though you may be able to get around that technicality and not have to leave the country to transition to a new employment contract and sponsor.