01
First the product, then the legal form
Clients, functions, countries, goods or services, regulation, office, employees, currencies and the movement of own or client money are recorded. This map defines the activity code, foreign ownership, capital, approvals and banking profile.
02
Basic forms of an international project
Typical limited liability company for operating business and joint venture.
Closed joint-stock structure for investors, governance and more complex capital.
Branch of a foreign company without a separate ownership layer; Responsibility remains with the head office.
Selected for asset ownership and financing, but does not replace an operating license.
03
Foreign ownership is checked by activity
In many activities, 100% foreign ownership is available, but Sijilat applies conditions for specific activity and nationality. Commercial agency, some professional and strategic types, real estate and regulated finance have special rules.
- Nationality
- Participants, UBO and country restrictions
- Activity
- Allowable percentage of foreign ownership
- Security check
- May apply to certain foreign applicants
- Local partner
- Only if required by law or selected model
- Control
- The nominee agreement is not hidden
04
Activity code - legal perimeter
One commercial product may include several activities and licensing entities. Financial service, payment, insurance, investment, crypto, healthcare, education, telecom, industrial and professional activity are checked before submission.
MOIC's CR does not authorize CBB regulated activities. First, the CBB license category and permitted activity are determined.
05
CR without license and CR with license
CR without license legally establishes a company and allows you to carry out preparatory actions: rent premises, contact a bank, reserve a name and work with suppliers within the limits allowed. The declared service can be provided after licenses/approvals and the issuance of a CR with license.
06
Sijilat sequence
- 01Pre-check
Form, activity, ownership, name and regulator.
- 02CR without licence
Application, shareholders, directors and signatories.
- 03Address
Site approval and lease by activity.
- 04Approvals
Licensing entity, capital and notarisation.
- 05CR with licence
The right to start activity and operational onboarding.
07
Documents
Passport/ID, address, contacts and source profile.
Register, constitution, incumbency, resolution and UBO chain.
Activity description, plan, contracts, budget and countries.
Legalisation/apostille, Arabic translation and notarisation of the document.
08
Ultimate Beneficial Owner
Order 83/2020 makes UBO disclosure mandatory for CR holders, except for CBB licensees in the specified MOIC exception. UBO is an individual with ultimate ownership or control, including the person on whose behalf the transaction is conducted. Data is fed and updated through Sijilat.
09
After license
- 01
NBR profile, VAT and DMTT assessment.
- 02
Bank KYC, online banking and payment controls.
- 03
LMRA, visas, social insurance and Bahrainisation.
- 04
Accounting, audit, annual return and CR renewal.
- 05
UBO, signatories, address and license updates.
10
Selection Matrix
- Operating SME
- W.L.L. + exact activities
- Investors / complex governance
- B.S.C. closed
- Foreign group contract
- Compare branch and W.L.L.
- FinTech / financial service
- First CBB perimeter and license
- Holding
- Substance, tax transition and banking purpose
- Main criterion
- The right to work and open an account, not the CR speed