The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has updated it’s advice for people in or considering heading to Bahrain.
- We advise against all travel to Bahrain until further notice. As of 14:00 Bahrain time on 17 March we continue to recommend that those without a pressing reason to remain should leave. Our assessment remains that, as on 16 March, travel on the main routes on the island during daylight hours is orderly if slow in some places because of police checkpoints. You should exercise caution in particular on any routes you use to get to these main routes and consider carefully the situation in your local vicinity before you leave. The British Government has arranged charter flights to supplement existing commercial means (see details below).
- A team from the British Embassy has been assessing accessibility and security along the main routes to, as well as at, the airport itself on 17 March. There continues to be sporadic violence around Bahrain, and there are frequent police checkpoints on many routes. The risk of continued outbreaks of violence is ongoing and the security situation remains uncertain. On 17 March, during daylight hours, the motorway network was safe to use with caution.
- Travel to the airport remained possible with caution from the east and centre of Bahrain via the southern route, i.e. the Sheikh Isa bin Salman highway via Tubli.
- We advise against using King Faisal Highway between Seef and the Sheikh Isa bin Salman bridge to Muharraq, through Seef and past the Pearl Roundabout and the Bahrain Financial Habour (BFH).
- We urge people to consider carefully the security situation in their local vicinity before leaving their homes and travelling to the airport.
- The UK government is chartering planes to supplement commercially available options. A further flight is being arranged to fly from Bahrain to London at midday on 18 March to assist the departure of British nationals. If you wish to secure tickets for this flight, you can register your interest by calling +44 20 7008 5900. We will take your details and contact you as soon as possible to confirm your place on the flight and details of departure (we may call at inconvenient hours). In order to comply with UK immigration regulations, this option will be available to holders of valid British passports or British Emergency Passports, EEA nationals; other nationals who do not need a visa to travel to the UK; people who hold valid visas for the UK. There will be a charge of up to £310 for this flight.
- Visitors must have legal status in Bahrain when they depart. You may be prevented from departing Bahrain if you are subject to a travel ban, involved in legal proceedings, have unpaid debt, or are a child subject to a custody dispute. Visitors can incur heavy fines if they overstay or fail to extend their legal residency.
- Commercial flights are still operating to and from Bahrain and the airport remains open, including for transit flights. British nationals with confirmed flight bookings should continue to use commercial flights and make reservations and ticketing arrangements with their airline as usual. Some airlines are temporarily changing their schedules in light of the continuing uncertain security situation. If you have a ticket with a commercial airline, you should check latest flight arrangements carefully with your airline before travelling to the airport. British Airways will be temporarily changing the departure time of their flight from Bahrain to Heathrow from 02:20 to 10:00. This change will take effect from the flight on Friday 18 March and will be reviewed on 21 March. See our airline information page.
In other words, get out via any commerical means possible and get out safely.
And safe travels if you’re affected.
