Top-Notch Document Processing Worldwide: Bahrain

Bahrain’s ID documents have changed considerably in just a few years. The country introduced its first electronic passport in 2023, followed by a new polycarbonate ID card in 2025. Some document formats have changed altogether as Bahrain has moved government services online.

Across these documents, Arabic and English are commonly used side by side. Verification software, therefore, needs broad, up-to-date document coverage, reliable recognition of both scripts, and the ability to authenticate the security features present across different document generations.

Bahrain launched its first electronic passport in March 2023, replacing the machine-readable passport design introduced in 2011. The upgrade added an electronic chip containing the holder’s biographic and biometric data and brought the passport in line with international ePassport standards.

The passport also made a name for itself through its design. Its ten visa-page designs depict different sides of Bahrain, from its marine heritage to Formula One racing.

We liked the design enough to include Bahrain in our own ranking of the world’s most beautiful passports. And we weren’t the only ones to notice it: the passport has picked up several international awards, including the 2024 High Security Printing Award for Best New ePassport in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Unlike many ePassports that place the chip in the cover, Bahrain embeds the chip and antenna in the polycarbonate data page. The page itself consists of multiple polymer layers designed to make fraudulent alteration more difficult.

One of its standout features is MIRAGE™, which protects both the passport structure and the holder’s portrait. Under normal viewing conditions, it shows the portrait; when the page is viewed against transmitted light, the portrait disappears to reveal a watermark-like image.

Features that change with the viewing conditions are particularly useful for document liveness checks. Instead of relying on a single static image, a verification system can analyze how a genuine security feature behaves as the document is moved or viewed under different conditions.

Bahrain continued its document refresh in 2025 with a completely revamped national ID card, often referred to as CPR (Central Population Register). The new card switched to durable polycarbonate and laser-engraved personalization, while retaining the electronic chip and expanding its functionality.

The card’s appearance is rather minimalist. The front contains the holder’s photo, personal number, nationality, and name in Arabic and English. Other details, including the date of birth, sex, card number, and expiry date, appear on the reverse.

The chip supports fingerprint matching against biometric data stored on the card, electronic signature keys (PKI), and a travel application that enables Bahraini citizens to use the ID card for travel within GCC countries and at airport eGates. Bahrain’s Information & eGovernment Authority says this was the first travel application activated within an ID card chip in the GCC.

The 2025 redesign also means organizations may encounter multiple generations of Bahraini ID cards. When announcing the new card, the authorities advised people to renew their existing cards after they expired rather than replace still valid cards immediately. Verification systems, therefore, need current reference data for both the latest and earlier card designs.

Depending on the use case, organizations may also need to process driver’s licenses and documents issued to businesses.

Bahraini driver’s licenses contain personal details in both Arabic and English, including the holder’s name, nationality, address, and driving categories. One small difference from the format familiar in many European countries is how vehicle categories are presented: rather than using a standardized table on the reverse, the permitted categories are listed individually.

Business verification can involve a different document: the Commercial Registration (CR) Certificate. A Commercial Registration is issued by Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce and identifies a registered business. Its data can include the CR number, commercial name, legal form, registration date, authorized representatives, and licensed business activities.

Bahrain may be a small country, but its documents give verification systems plenty to work with: a new-generation ePassport, a multifunctional ID card, bilingual data, electronic chips, and several generations of documents still in circulation.

If you need to verify Bahraini documents, make sure your setup covers four things:

• Different document generations. Bahrain introduced a new passport in 2023 and a new ID card in 2025, while earlier versions can remain in circulation until they expire. Supporting only the latest design can leave gaps.

• Arabic and English data. Personal details can appear in both scripts on the same document. OCR needs to recognize them reliably and map the extracted data to the correct fields.

• Document-specific security features. For Bahrain’s new passport, for example, authentication includes security features built into its polycarbonate data page.

• Electronic chips. Reading the chip provides another source of identity data and makes it possible to authenticate and compare it with the information on the physical document.

Regula supports around 40 Bahraini document types and versions in its document template database, including passports, ID cards, driving licenses, residence documents, and other credentials. The templates help Regula software identify the exact document and apply the checks appropriate to that particular type and generation.

You don’t have to keep track of every new Bahraini document or security feature yourself. Regula continuously updates its document templates as new versions appear, helping your verification flow stay ready for the documents your customers actually bring. Explore Regula Document Reader SDK.