Visa on Arrival for F1 Fans

Visa on Arrival for F1 Fans

Bahrain's new immigration rules in the pipeline that mean people from dozens of countries will no longer be able to obtain visas on arrival will not affect F1 fans coming to Bahrain for next month's race.
Visitors holding tickets will be granted free entry as in previous years, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) officials confirmed.
"There have been no changes to the earlier rules that all those holding valid event tickets will be given visas on arrival or on application through the Interior Ministry's Nationality, Passport and Residency Affairs (NPRA) website," said a spokesman.
"We have always had special visas for those wishing to attend the race.
 These special two-week visas will continue to be provided as per the existing rules."
According to the NPRA website, Grand Prix visas are available to people of around 40 nationalities, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions.
It states visas will not be valid for entry until April 7 and will last until the day of the race on April 22.
Applicants should have valid tickets or proof of purchase to the Grand Prix events and possess a valid confirmed onward ticket to leave Bahrain.
Multiple entry visas can be issued for Bahrain for a maximum stay of up to two weeks.
For applications made through the website, NPRA officials say applications should take no longer than 72 hours to process and people will be informed by e-mail once a decision is made.
Residents of the UK, the US, India, Japan and countries in Europe are among those who are eligible for the special visas.
The Gulf Daily News, our sister newspaper, earlier reported that visitors to Bahrain from Britain and 26 other European Union countries, as well as the US, Canada, Australia and Japan would no longer be given visit visas on arrival.
Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said the changes were being implemented in a bid to prevent violations and ensure equal treatment with countries that enforce strict entry rules on Bahrainis.