Before you start

A valid CPR card
Your original, unexpired foreign licence
Confirmation that the issuing country is on the approved conversion list
An eye test from an approved optician or centre

Step-by-step

1
Check whether your country converts without a test
GCC states, the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a range of European and Asian countries are commonly accepted for direct conversion, but the list is bilateral and changes. Confirm with the General Directorate of Traffic before you book anything — the helpline published for the GDT is 8000 8001.
OnlineWho: YouSame dayFree to check
2
Get the eye test and any required translation
An approved optician issues the vision certificate. A licence not in Arabic or English generally needs a certified translation or an accompanying international permit. Do both before the appointment, not on the day.
In personWho: YouAn hourSmall
3
Apply through bahrain.bh or the Traffic Directorate
Book the conversion service with your CPR, passport, original licence, translation and eye test. Approved-country holders are issued without a road test; others are referred to a driving school for lessons and a test, which takes considerably longer and costs more.
OnlineWho: YouDays to a few weeks depending on appointmentsGovernment fee, scaled by validity period
4
Insure the car, and read what the policy actually covers
Third-party motor insurance is compulsory. A standard Bahraini policy is written for Bahrain: it will not necessarily cover you in Saudi Arabia. If the causeway is part of your life, buy cover that names Saudi Arabia, and buy it before the trip rather than at the barrier.
In personWho: YouBefore you driveVaries by vehicle and cover
5
Sort the causeway paperwork before your first crossing
You need the vehicle registration in your own name, or a certified authorisation from the owner if it is a company or spouse's car, plus valid insurance for Saudi Arabia and a toll payment. Whether you can enter Saudi Arabia at all depends on your nationality and your Bahraini residence — check the Saudi requirements for your own passport rather than copying a colleague.
In personWho: YouBefore the tripToll plus cross-border insurance
6
Set up fine checking on the national portal
Traffic violations post to your CPR and are payable through bahrain.bh. Bahrain enforces speed and mobile-phone use heavily on the Sheikh Khalifa and Shaikh Isa highways, and unpaid fines create problems at renewal. Check monthly rather than annually.
OnlineWho: YouMonthlyFree to check

Documents you’ll need

CPR card
Passport with valid residence permit
Original foreign licence, plus certified translation if not in Arabic or English
Eye test certificate
Vehicle registration and insurance covering Saudi Arabia for causeway trips

Things most newcomers don’t know

Bahraini motor insurance does not automatically follow you into Saudi Arabia.

The causeway makes Saudi Arabia feel like a suburb, and people drive over on a policy written for a country of 780 square kilometres. Cover that is valid in Saudi Arabia is a separate purchase, and driving there uninsured is both unlawful and financially ruinous if anything happens on a road network with far higher speeds than Bahrain's. Ask your insurer explicitly whether Saudi Arabia is named — 'GCC cover' in marketing copy is not the same as it being in the policy.

Source: Bahraini motor insurance practice; King Fahd Causeway requirements

Whether you can enter Saudi Arabia is a question about your passport, not your residence.

Bahraini residence lets you leave Bahrain freely, which is the part people notice. Entering Saudi Arabia is governed by Saudi law and your nationality: some passports get visa-free or eVisa treatment, others need a visa arranged in advance, and holding a Bahraini CPR does not change the answer. Check the Saudi position for your own nationality before planning a weekend, because the queue at Passport Island is not the place to discover it.

Source: Saudi visa requirements; NPRA

A car that is not registered in your name needs written authorisation to cross.

Company cars and a spouse's car are the two cases that catch people. The border expects registration in your own name or a certified authorisation from the registered owner, and there is no way to produce one at the crossing. If your employer provides the vehicle, get the authorisation letter organised as part of onboarding rather than the night before a trip.

Source: King Fahd Causeway crossing requirements

Manama is one of the few Gulf capitals where you can genuinely live without a car.

Central Manama, Adliya, Hoora and the Diplomatic Area are close together and walkable in winter, taxis and ride-hailing are cheap, and the whole country is smaller than most metropolitan areas. That is not true of Riyadh, Kuwait City or Muscat. It is still true that summer humidity makes walking unpleasant for five months and that anywhere outside the capital area needs a car — but a car-free first year here is a realistic choice rather than a fantasy.

Source: Local geography; Bahrain has no metro or urban rail

Common mistakes to avoid

Driving to Saudi Arabia on a policy that does not name Saudi Arabia.
Assuming a colleague's causeway experience applies to your nationality.
Taking a company car across without a certified owner's authorisation.
Starting the conversion before the CPR card exists — nothing proceeds without it.
Letting traffic fines accumulate on the CPR until they block a renewal.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.