CR Activities Allowing 100% Ownership for EFTA Nationals in Bahrain
Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – the four member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – qualify for expanded ownership rights in Bahrain under the Bahrain-EFTA Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2014.
The Bahrain-EFTA FTA grants these nationals access to a broader set of business activities than the standard foreigner list, in areas covering services, financial intermediation, and several professional activity categories. The full list is in the table below.
For EFTA nationals, company registration in Bahrain follows the standard process – NPRA security clearance, name reservation through Sijilat, notarised Memorandum of Association, and CR issuance. MOIC applies FTA treatment at the activity selection stage based on the passport nationality used in the registration documents. There is no separate FTA declaration or application.
If you hold citizenship in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland and are considering registering a company in Bahrain, we can confirm whether your target activity falls under the expanded EFTA list before you start. Contact us here or call +973 1311 8811.
| Business Activity Name | ISIC4 Code | Activity Status |
|---|---|---|
| Crop Production and Plant Propagation | 11 | Not Restricted |
| Animal production – production of eggs | 14 | Not Restricted |
| Aquaculture | 32 | Not Restricted |
| Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas | 6 | Not Restricted |
| Other Mining and quarrying | 89 | Not Restricted |
| Support activities for petroleum and natural gas extraction – Technical services for oil and gas | 910 | Not Restricted |
| Support activities for other mining and quarrying | 990 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of meat – Workshop | 101 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of meat – Factory | 101 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs – Workshop | 102 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs – Factory | 102 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables – Workshop | 103 | Not Restricted |
| Processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables – Factory | 103 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of vegetable, animal, and fish oils and fats – Workshop | 104 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of vegetable, animal, and fish oils and fats – Factory | 104 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of dairy products – Workshop | 105 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of dairy products – Factory | 105 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of grain mill products, starches and starch products – Workshop | 106 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of grain mill products, starches and starch products – Factory | 106 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other food products – Workshop | 107 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other food products – Factory | 107 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of bakery products – Workshop | 1071 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of bakery products – Factory | 1071 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery – Workshop | 1073 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery – Factory | 1073 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of prepared animal feeds – Workshop | 108 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of prepared animal feeds – Factory | 108 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters – Workshop | 1104 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters – Factory | 1104 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of textiles – Workshop | 13 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of textiles – Factory | 13 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel – Workshop | 140 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of wearing apparel – Factory | 140 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of leather and related products – Workshop | 15 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of leather and related products – Factory | 15 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials | 160 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of paper and paper products – Workshop | 17 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of paper and paper products – Factory | 17 | Not Restricted |
| Other Printing/ Engraving Services | 18119 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of coke oven products | 191 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of refined petroleum products | 192 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic chemicals | 2011 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of fertilizers and nitrogen compounds – Workshop | 2012 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of fertilizers and nitrogen compounds – Factory | 2012 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of plastics and synthetic rubber in primary forms – Workshop | 2013 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of plastics and synthetic rubber in primary forms – Factory | 2013 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products | 2021 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics – Workshop | 2022 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics – Factory | 2022 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations – Workshop | 2023 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and toilet preparations – Factory | 2023 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other chemical products – Workshop | 2029 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other chemical products – Factory | 2029 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of man-made fibres | 203 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations – Workshop | 21 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations – Factory | 21 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of rubber products – Workshop | 221 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of rubber products – Factory | 221 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of plastics products – Workshop | 222 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of plastics products – Factory | 222 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of glass, fiberglass and their products – Workshop | 231 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of glass, fiberglass and their products – Factory | 231 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products – Workshop | 239 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of non-metallic mineral products – Factory | 239 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic iron and steel | 241 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals – Workshop | 242 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of basic precious and other non-ferrous metals – Factory | 242 | Not Restricted |
| Casting of metals – Workshop | 243 | Not Restricted |
| Casting of metals – Factory | 243 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of structural metal products – Workshop | 2511 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of structural metal products – Factory | 2511 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of tanks, reservoirs and containers of metal – Workshop | 2512 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of tanks, reservoirs and containers of metal – Factory | 2512 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of steam generators, except central heating hot water boilers | 2513 | Not Restricted |
| Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy – Workshop | 2591 | Not Restricted |
| Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy – Factory | 2591 | Not Restricted |
| Treatment and coating of metals; machining – Workshop | 2592 | Not Restricted |
| Treatment and coating of metals; machining – Factory | 2592 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other fabricated metal products – Workshop | 2599 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other fabricated metal products – Factory | 2599 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products – Workshop | 26 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products – Factory | 26 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of electric motors, generators, transformers and electricity distribution and control apparatus | 271 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of batteries and accumulators | 272 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of wiring and wiring devices | 273 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of wiring devices | 2733 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of electric lighting equipment | 274 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of domestic appliances | 275 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other electrical equipment | 279 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment | 28 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of motor vehicles | 291 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of bodies (coachwork) for motor vehicles; manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers | 292 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of parts and accessories for motor vehicles | 293 | Not Restricted |
| Auto-Upholstery | 293093 | Not Restricted |
| Ship Building and Repair Services | 30111 | Not Restricted |
| Construction of Floating structures | 30112 | Not Restricted |
| Building of Pleasure and sporting boats | 3012 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of railway locomotives and rolling stock | 302 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery | 303 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of motorcycles | 3091 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of bicycles and invalid carriages | 3092 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of other transport equipment | 3099 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of furniture – Workshop | 310 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of furniture – Factory | 310 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of jewellery, bijouterie and related articles – Workshop | 321 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of jewellery, bijouterie and related articles – Factory | 321 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of musical instruments – Workshop | 322 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of musical instruments – Factory | 322 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of sports goods | 323 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of games and toys – Workshop | 324 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of games and toys – Factory | 324 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of “scale” models and similar recreational models – Workshop | 32405 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of “scale” models and similar recreational models – Factory | 32405 | Not Restricted |
| Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies – Workshop | 325 | Not Restricted |