Benayat Building Permit Portal is the Kingdom of Bahrain’s official system used to issue building permits for all types of building projects whether Investment, Residential, Industrial, Commercial, etc. The system enables Engineering Offices licensed in the Kingdom of Bahrain to apply for building permits, enquire on application status, obtain consultation from concerned government entities regarding building permits, pay building permit related fees, as well as apply for other building related services. By utilizing an interactive map that provides key information for land parcels and by centralizing all the concerned regulations and requirements under one system, Benayat allows applicants to obtain all necessary information to prepare drawings and documents required to apply for a building permit.

A building permit application is an official request by a property owner to obtain approval prior to commencement of construction works. The application should be submitted through an engineering office licensed by The Council for Regulating the Practice of Engineering Professions.

1. This can be done through the interactive map featured in the official building permit website [link to webpage].The parcel number can be used to identify the land.
2. You can also refer to the latest zoning maps published by the Urban Planning and Development Authority.

Applying for a building permit must be done through a licensed engineering office, in which the latter applies through the building permit portal as well as selects an accredited engineering office to revise all drawings and documents. After being revised by the accredited engineering, the application will electronically be passed to concerned government entities to provide any input (if applicable). Applicant is then prompted to pay the associated fees, after which the building permit shall be issued electronically. (Click here for the detailed process)

Building permits are valid for 1 year from the date it has been issued. Construction work should start within this period; otherwise, the building permit has to be renewed. Please note that piling works is not considered as commencement of construction works.

It takes up to 5 working days in total for government entities to place their inputs on the building permit application. As for the period it takes the accredited engineering offices to review the drawings and documents, the time depends on the agreement between the property owner, licensed engineering office, and accredited engineering office.

These are highly experienced offices, licensed by The Council of Regulating the Practice of Engineering Professions, that have been granted a legal status to practice engineering related activities, including preparing drawings and documents necessary to apply for a building permit. Engineering Offices vary according to the category they have been classified as, which depends on the number, area of specialization, and age of experience of the engineers working for that office. [Click here] for the list of licensed engineering offices in the Kingdom of Bahrain

These are fees paid against the issuance of a building permit. The fees vary according to the zone, type of building permit, as well as built-up area. [Click here] for the detailed fee schedule. In addition, an insurance fee must be paid along with the building permit fee (The insurance amount will be refunded to the applicant upon completion of the building without any violations)

The fee due for issuing building, demolition, and fencing permits for the classifications designated for residential purposes shown in the table shall be determined at a fixed fee as shown below. The calculation of the building or demolition permit fee shall be in square metres, and the calculation of the fee for enclosure or demolition permits shall be in linear metres:

The fee due for issuing building, demolition and fencing permits for all other classifications not designated for residential purposes shall be determined at a fixed fee as shown below. The fee for building or demolition permits shall be calculated in square metres, and the fee for fencing or demolition and insurance permits shall be calculated in linear metres:

The fee due for issuing a license to build communications towers in all regions is set at five hundred dinars (500).

The insurance fee due for building, demolition, and fencing permits for classifications designated for residential purposes shown in the table accompanying this decision shall be determined at a fixed fee as shown below. The insurance fee for building or demolition permits shall be calculated in square metres, and the insurance fee for fencing or demolition permits shall be calculated in linear metres:

The insurance fee due for issuing construction, demolition, and fencing permits for all other classifications not designated for residential purposes is determined by a fixed fee as shown below. The insurance fee for building or demolition permits is calculated in square metres, and the insurance fee for fencing or demolition permits is calculated in linear metres:

Provided that the amount of insurance due in all cases does not exceed a maximum of twenty thousand dinars.

The insurance amount for issuing a license to build telecommunications towers in all regions is set at (1,000) thousand dinars.

Payment is made through the Building Permit Portal

Payment is made via:

• Credit Cards, specifically:
  • Visa card
  • Master Card
  • JCB
• Debit Cards
• Benefit

Yes, There are special cases in which applicants must first obtain a pre-approval before starting the process of applying for a building permit. These cases are outlined in “Special Cases Requiring Pre-Approval” schedule [Click here]

It takes up to 10 working days for government entities to process such applications (Excluding Urban Planning & Development Authority, which may take longer on a case by case basis)

Or by entering Benayat website https://www.benayat.bh/building-permits/public/pre-approval

Any browser can be used to access the building permit system, as long as there is internet connection

After obtaining the building permit, the supervising engineering office provides the required services through Benayat system according to the following sequence: advertisement, road occupancy (if any), and addresses. And requesting the connection of electricity, water, and sewage services.

Submit an application to obtain a license to allow the occupancy of the public or secondary road, or part of it, to place building materials and infrastructures according to the nature of the property, its area, and the surrounding roads.

A license to announce the project details, the building permit number, the supervising engineering office, and the name of the contractor

These are the stages of the project, starting from preparing the land to preparing the building, and are presented by the supervising engineering office to supervise the construction and follow up its stages.

It is a certificate stating that construction has been completed in accordance with the licensed building permit and allows the connection of electrical current.

The supervising engineering office submits the construction stages through Benayat system, by uploading pictures of the various stages through Benayat application for approval by the office manager. Subsequently, the relevant authorities inspect the construction stages to proceed with the following stages and thus complete the project. When all requirements are fulfilled, a construction completion certificate is issued. *To submit the stages, the engineer must hold a Site Engineer license, which requires the engineer to be a graduate of civil or structural engineering and licensed by the Engineering Professional Practice Council.

The process of recovering the insurance amounts takes place automatically after the issuance of the construction completion certificate (NOC) through Benayat system.

Through the following steps:

1. The owner receives a text message and email from the municipality to update the bank account information (IBAN number).
2. At the end of the process, the owner will be notified of the completion of the process and the deposit amount will be transferred.

It is a request to connect the building to electricity, water and sanitation services according to the availability of service in the area.

Any changes in construction other than those specified in the permit require the engineering office to apply for a new permit allowing for the required modifications in accordance with the regulatory provisions of urban planning.

The supervising engineering office can be changed to another supervising engineering office by agreement between the two offices, with the first office accepting to vacate and the second office accepting to supervise. This process can be done electronically through Benayat system by the applying engineering office.

• You may send an email to the following benayat@iga.gov.bh
• You may also call 17155363

You may submit a complaint through “Tawasul”, the governments National Suggestions & Complaints System [Click here]

You can enquire about the status of your pre-approval applications through the following:

• Building Permit Portal: Engineering offices can check the status updates found in the user account’s main page.
• Call center: Property owners may call our dedicated calling center on 17155363. (Please ensure you have your ID number and application number ready)

Kindly note that property owners can directly receive SMS status updates (please ensure you include a valid cell phone number at the application stage) via the following:

Enter the Benayat website in the “Property Owner” section, according to the illustration indicated below:

You can enquire about the status of your pre-approval applications through the following:

• Building Permit Portal: Engineering offices can check the status updates found in the user account’s main page.
• Call center: Property owners may call our dedicated calling center on 17155363. (Please ensure you have your ID number and application number ready)

Kindly note that property owners can directly receive SMS status updates (please ensure you include a valid cell phone number at the application stage) via the following:

Enter the Benayat website in the “Property Owner” section, according to the illustration indicated below: