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Attention:  This information is to be used as general guidelines and may not be updated to meet the current requirements.  Before you travel, be sure to contact the appropriate authorities for your destination country.

 

Bringing Pets To Bahrain

The following criteria must be met in order to bring a domestic pet into Bahrain:

• All airlines and shipping agencies require a valid certificate issued by a competent Veterinary Authority in the country of origin for all domestic pets; birds and animals, going to Bahrain. The certificate should state that the bird or animal is healthy and free from any infection or contagious disease.
• For dogs, an additional valid certificate of vaccination against rabies, parvo, hepatitis, leptospira and canine distemper is also required.
• Puppies younger than two months must have all of the above vaccinations; additionally, they must be revaccinated two to four weeks later and prior to shipment.

Cats must have the rabies and tri-cat vaccines. Kittens younger than two months must have all of the above vaccinations; additionally, they must be revaccinated two to four weeks later and prior to shipment.

The most recent vaccination must have been administered not less than one month but not more than six months before the pet’s arrival in Bahrain.

  

• All vaccinations must be recorded in a vaccination booklet.
• All pets must be kept in secure and comfortable cages or boxes clearly labeled with the owner’s name and address.
• Any failure on the part of the owner to follow these steps will result in his/her sole responsibility for the pet’s health.
• To obtain an import permit, the owner must complete and sign the attached request form and send it to the Veterinary Quarantine Division in Bahrain (fax: 973 17 643373).
• Please have the completed request form and your pet’s vaccination/health certificate with you upon arrival in Bahrain.

 

The Bahraini Health Authority has the right to refuse admission of birds and animals that are not accompanied by the required certificates or order their extermination if already entered in Bahrain. Under certain conditions, the owner may be asked to take his or her pet back to the country of departure.

The health certificate is valid for one month from date of issue, and the vaccination certificate is valid for six months.

 

 

Bahrain's reputation as a relatively liberal and modern Gulf state has made it a favorite with travelers in the region and an excellent introduction to the Middle East. It was once the seat of one of the great trading empires of the ancient world, and is evocative of the past. Tourist brochures warn visitors away from the intensely hot summer months (early June to mid-September), when the sea is flat and vaporous, the cold tap runs hot and even the grass is too peppery to walk on. Yet, in many ways, this is Bahrain's best time of the year: it's when you realize the importance of a wind tower, or a well in the desert, or a headscarf to keep out the hot, dry winds of a dust storm. If braving the extreme heat and humidity doesn't appeal, the best time to visit is November to March, avoiding Ramadan and Eid holidays, when an influx of Saudi tourists can make it hard to find a room.

 

Capital: Manama

Official languages: Arabic, English

Currency: Bahraini dinar (BHD)

 

Climate

It can get extremely hot and humid in Bahrain from June to September, with high temperatures averaging 38°C (100°F) during the day. November to March tends to be much more pleasant, with warm days, cool nights and negligible rainfall.

 

Geography

Bahrain is a generally flat and arid archipelago, comprising of a low desert plain rising gently to a low central escarpment, in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia. The highest point is the 122 m Jabal ad Dukhan. Bahrain has a total area of 688 km² (266 mi²), which is slightly larger than the Isle of Man, though it is smaller than the nearby King Fahd International Airport near Dammam, Saudi Arabia (780 km² or 301 mi²). As an archipelago of thirty-three islands, Bahrain does not share a land boundary with another country but does have a 161-kilometre (100 mi) coastline and claims a further twelve nautical miles (22 km) of territorial sea and a twenty-four nautical mile (44 km) contiguous zone. Bahrain enjoys mild winters and endures very hot, humid summers.