Checked 25 September 2026. From SCH Decisions 40/2016 and 17/2016, NHRA's Nursing PQR (§2), renewal, re-categorisation and good-standing guides, the FAQ and Circular 23/2026.
An NHRA licence has to be kept, not just won. It is issued for a year at a time and renewed through Mehan with 20 CPD hours for every year, a work certificate, a health check every three years and — for every renewal from 1 October 2026 — a valid Basic Life Support certificate. Renew late and the fee doubles; renew very late and you are treated as a new applicant. This guide covers renewal, CPD, changing employer, moving up a title and getting a Good Standing certificate when you leave.
SCH Decision 40/2016; NHRA Nursing PQR §2; renewal guide; Circular 23/2026.
Validity and renewal period
SCH Decision 40/2016 sets licence validity at one year, and allows renewal "for a maximum period of 5 years, based on request of the licensee", paying the fees for the whole period. The nursing PQR is narrower: "License can be renewed up to a maximum of three years each time." NHRA's renewal guide says renewal is "for any period according to published PQRs", so for nurses the PQR's three-year limit is the working rule, within the five-year ceiling. Whatever period you choose, CPD hours "should be submitted annually to NHRA".
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| Base validity | One year (SCH 40/2016) |
| Longest renewal for nurses | Up to three years each time (Nursing PQR §2); SCH ceiling five |
| When to apply | Mehan opens renewal two months before expiry |
| Documents | CPD hours and a work certificate from your facility; BLS from 1 Oct 2026 |
| Health fitness | Every three years, done no more than a month before the renewal application |
| Fee | 40 BD per year of renewal |
From SCH Decision 40/2016, NHRA's Nursing PQR and its renewal guide.
When can — and must — you renew?
Enter your licence expiry date. The checker applies NHRA's renewal window and late-renewal rules.
From NHRA's renewal guide, SCH Decisions 40/2016 and 17/2016, and Circular 23/2026 (BLS from 1 Oct 2026). Renewal fee for nurses: 40 BD a year.
A renewal calendar, worked through
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 2 months before expiry | Renewal opens in Mehan — upload CPD hours for each year, the facility's work certificate and (from 1 Oct 2026) BLS |
| Every 3 years | A health-fitness check, done no more than a month before the renewal application |
| On expiry | If not renewed, the licence has lapsed; you must not practise |
| Up to 2 months after expiry | Renew at double the renewal fee |
| More than 2 months after | Apply as a new licence at double the new-licence fee |
From NHRA's renewal guide and SCH Decisions 40/2016 and 17/2016.
What the health-fitness check covers
NHRA's template (attached to Circular 3/2020) lists HIV-1 and HIV-2, hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C screening, tuberculosis screening (PPD or IGRA), a chest X-ray "if required", blood pressure, random blood sugar and a physical examination. It is done at a licensed facility in Bahrain, when you first arrive and then every three years for renewal.
Late renewal
SCH Decision 17/2016 Art. II and NHRA's renewal guide; new-licence fee 50 BD doubled.
Within two months after expiry the renewal fee is doubled; more than two months after, the application is treated as a new licence at double the new-licence fee. And a licence that has lapsed is not a licence: NHRA's circulars warn facilities against allowing anyone to practise without a valid licence. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day the licence is issued.
CPD: what counts
| Rule | NHRA position |
|---|---|
| Hours | 20 CPD hours a year for nurses |
| Relevance | Must be relevant to your field or specialty |
| Inside Bahrain | Only NHRA-accredited activities count |
| Outside Bahrain | Only activities issued by recognised bodies |
| Excluded | "No CPD activities performed by pharmaceutical companies will be recognized" (NHRA's renewal guide) |
| Forged certificates | Zero tolerance: referral to the Public Prosecution plus disciplinary action (Circular 21/2026) |
From SCH Decision 40/2016, NHRA's renewal guide and circulars 1/2017 and 21/2026. CPR was already part of CPD under the 2016 decision.
What if you renew for three years at once?
Renewing for several years saves a trip through Mehan each year, but it does not change what you owe: you pay 40 BD for every year of the period up front, and your CPD hours still have to be submitted to NHRA every year. A health-fitness check is still due every three years. If you plan to leave Bahrain within the period, weigh the up-front fee against the certainty of not missing a renewal date.
| Renewal period | Fee paid (BD) | CPD to submit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 40 | 20 hours, that year |
| 2 years | 80 | 20 hours each year, annually |
| 3 years (nursing PQR maximum) | 120 | 20 hours each year, annually |
Our arithmetic on the 40 BD annual fee (SCH 17/2016) and the annual CPD rule (Nursing PQR §2).
The BLS rule from 1 October 2026
Circular 23/2026 (12 August 2026) makes it explicit: from 1 October 2026 "All healthcare professionals must submit a valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certificate" when renewing, or a confirmed booking for a BLS course; renewals without it "will not be accepted or processed". Nurses in ICU and emergency departments have further life-support requirements under NHRA's April 2022 policy. If your BLS card is close to expiry, book the refresher before your renewal window opens.
Changing jobs, moving up, leaving
| Situation | What NHRA requires |
|---|---|
| Moving to another facility | An invitation from the new facility; your licence valid at least two months from the transfer date; an LMRA letter for non-Bahrainis |
| Re-categorisation (e.g. General to Specialist Nurse) | A competency letter from your direct supervisor or nursing administration (as NHRA's re-categorisation guide puts it), the new qualification with verification, the PQR experience; fee as a new licence in the new category (50 BD) |
| Good Standing for another country | Applied through Mehan; 20 BD (30 BD urgent); issued immediately after payment; possible from outside Bahrain with your CPR details |
| Part-time licence | 20 BD |
| Updating licence details | 30 BD |
From NHRA's FAQ, re-categorisation and good-standing guides and fees 2021. Every one of these starts with an invitation or request in Mehan, so keep your login details safe when you change jobs or leave the country.
The Good Standing certificate matters most when you move on to another regulator, which will set its own rules on how recent it must be. NHRA issues it only to registered or licensed professionals, and applicants outside Bahrain can still sign in with their CPR details even if the card has expired.
A year of CPD is easier to build steadily than to collect in the last month: a monthly in-service session, one accredited workshop and an online course from a recognised body will usually cover the twenty hours. Keep every certificate with its date and provider, because NHRA's zero-tolerance circular on forged certificates means an unverifiable one is worse than none.
A renewal checklist
- Log 20 CPD hours in each licence year, from NHRA-accredited or recognised providers.
- Keep your BLS certificate valid — it is required for renewals from 1 October 2026.
- Check whether a three-yearly health-fitness check falls due this year.
- Apply in Mehan in the two months before expiry.
- Before leaving Bahrain, request your Good Standing certificate.
Practise it, don't just read it
Another Gulf regulator may ask you to sit its own exam when you move. Keep your knowledge current with regular practice.
The ProSyllabus NHRA nursing library has topic quizzes for Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing (two quizzes), Pharmacology, Maternal and Child Health, Critical Care and Emergency, Infection Prevention and Professional Practice and Bahrain Health Regulations — the first one is free.
How many CPD hours do nurses need in Bahrain?
20 CPD hours a year, submitted annually to NHRA even if the licence is renewed for more than one year.
Is BLS mandatory for NHRA licence renewal?
Yes, from 1 October 2026 under Circular 23/2026: a valid BLS certificate or a confirmed BLS course booking.
How long is an NHRA licence valid?
One year, renewable for up to three years at a time under the nursing PQR (the SCH ceiling is five).
What is the NHRA renewal fee?
40 BD per year of renewal for nurses.
What happens if my NHRA licence expires?
Within two months after expiry the renewal fee doubles; after two months the application is treated as a new licence at double the new-licence fee.
When can I renew my NHRA licence?
Mehan opens renewal two months before the expiry date.
How do I get a Good Standing certificate from NHRA?
Apply in Mehan; the fee is 20 BD (30 BD urgent) and it is issued immediately after payment.
How often is the health-fitness test needed for NHRA renewal?
Every three years, done no more than one month before the renewal application.
Can I renew my NHRA licence for three years at once?
Yes, up to three years at a time under the nursing PQR, paying 40 BD for each year; CPD must still be submitted every year.
Are CPD hours from India accepted by NHRA?
Activities outside Bahrain count only if issued by recognised bodies; activities run by pharmaceutical companies are not recognised.
How do I upgrade from General Nurse to Specialist Nurse in Bahrain?
Apply for re-categorisation with the new qualification, its verification, a competency letter and the experience the PQR requires; the fee is that of a new licence in the new category.
More in this series
- NHRA Bahrain nursing exam: pattern, pass mark, attempts
- NHRA nurse eligibility for Indian nurses
- NHRA nurse licence process and fees
- NHRA nursing exam study plan and references
- NHRA Bahrain nursing notice board — official updates
- Gulf nursing licences compared: Saudi, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain
- Indian nurses and emigration clearance: the 2025 rules
Sources
- official — SCH Decision No. 40 of 2016 — licence validity and renewal
- official — SCH Decision No. 17 of 2016 — NHRA fees
- official — NHRA — Nursing Professionals Qualification Requirements, 2020 October v2.2 (updated Oct 2022)
- official — NHRA — Professionals License Renewal (Mehan)
- official — NHRA Circular No. 23 of 2026 — BLS certificate for licence renewal
- official — NHRA — Life support licensing requirements (April 2022)
- official — NHRA — License Re-categorization
- official — NHRA — Issuing Certificates of Good Standing
- official — NHRA — Frequently Asked Questions (Mehan)
- official — NHRA — Health Professions Fees 2021
- official — NHRA — Health Profession Regulation Section
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
