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The Gulf Expat

Do I get gratuity if I resign in Bahrain?

Yes. Article 116 has no reduction for resigning. You get half a month's pay a year for 3 years, then a month a year.

Checked 24 October 2026

Get your datesEvery deadline as a date, from your last working day.

What to do now

  1. Give 30 days' written notice and get a signed copy back.
  2. If you worked from March 2024, apply to SIO for that part once the job ends. SIO's FAQ says it pays within 5 working days of your application.
  3. Build your leaving plan for your claim dates.
See an example plan
Example only: an expat who resigned, with a last working day of 7 Nov 2026. Tap it to build your own.

What to ask HR

  1. Do I receive a social allowance, and is it in my indemnity?
  2. On what date will my indemnity be paid?
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How it is worked out

  • Half a month's pay for each of your first 3 years.
  • A month's pay for each year after that.
  • Part years count in proportion.

Article 47 bases it on your latest basic wage plus any social allowance. If your contract pays other allowances, ask the Ministry of Labour whether they count.

Say your basic pay is BD 600, with no social allowance. You worked 5 years, up to February 2024. The first 3 years give 1.5 months. The next 2 give 2 months. That is 3.5 months, or BD 2,100.

Service from March 2024

For service from 1 March 2024, SIO pays you, not your employer (Decision 109 of 2023). This applies to private-sector expats. GCC nationals under the joint Gulf insurance rules are outside it. SIO is the Social Insurance Organisation.

Your employer pays SIO 4.2% of your wage each month for your first 3 years, then 8.4%. SIO then pays half a month's wage a year for 3 years, then a month a year. It uses basic pay plus any social allowance.

The SIO amount cannot be more than the contributions paid for you. Your years before March 2024 are still paid by your employer under the Labour Law.

Article 116 is for workers not subject to the Social Insurance Law. If you are Bahraini, ask SIO what applies to you.

Your notice

Give 30 days' notice in writing (Art. 99). Hand it over against a signature, or send it by registered post (Art. 100).

Your employer can let you off all or part of it (Art. 103).

If you leave without notice, the contract ends the day you stop work. You owe compensation only if you also left at a bad time or caused harm, as a court decides (Art. 112).

During probation, 1 day's notice is enough (Art. 21).

Unemployment pay

Resigning rules out unemployment compensation (Unemployment insurance law, Art. 10). Plan for the gap before your next salary.

If you are not paid

After you leave, file a claim with the Labour Case Administration Office at the Ministry of Justice (Art. 120).

Left of your own accord? Your employer has up to 7 days from the day you left to pay. Otherwise it pays straight away (Art. 40).

Claims are not heard after 1 year from the end of the contract (Art. 136). Workers pay no court costs unless the claim is dismissed.

Before you resign

  • Check whether you get a social allowance, since it is part of the base.
  • Count your years from your exact start date.
  • Keep the signed copy of your notice.

If your employer pays late, keep a record of each date you asked for payment.