Certificate of Registration for Bahrain

Answering Bahrain’s Request for a “Registration Certificate”

In Bahrain, every business has a commercial registration (CR) certificate issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce through Sijilat, and it is the first thing any Bahraini office asks for. So when Bahraini registries, banks or agents deal with a U.S. company, they naturally ask for “the company’s registration certificate” or “CR”. The United States has no single national commercial register, so that request has to be translated into the right U.S. document. Choosing the wrong one is the most common reason this kind of file is returned.

1. Proof that the company is registered

If the Bahraini office wants the equivalent of a CR, meaning proof that the U.S. company exists, is registered and is active, the answer is a state record from the state of formation. That means a certified copy of the formation document (articles or certificate of formation or incorporation) together with a recent certificate of good standing or status. Some states also issue a “certificate of registration” to companies from other states that register to do business there. That is a foreign qualification, and it rarely answers the Bahraini question on its own. All state records are certified by the state and apostilled by the same state, with no notary.

2. Trademark registration

When the request relates to a brand, for example for a trademark filing with the Ministry, an agency registration or a customs matter, the “registration certificate” is the USPTO trademark registration. Order a USPTO certified copy, preferably a status and title copy showing the current owner. As a federal record, it is apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.

3. “FDA registration” for health products

Bahraini distributors of medicines, devices, food or cosmetics sometimes ask for an “FDA registration certificate”. The FDA does not issue registration certificates. Facility registration and device listing are confirmed in FDA databases, and the “certificates” sold by private agents are private documents. If one is requested, it must be notarized before a state apostille, but Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority and most importers usually need an official FDA export certificate, such as a Certificate to Foreign Government or a COPP, both apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.

Ask before you order

A one-line question to the Bahraini office or your agent, “Do you need proof the company exists, our trademark registration, or an FDA export certificate?”, saves weeks. Send us the request or a scan of what you have, and we will confirm the route. Bahrain has accepted apostilles since December 31, 2013, so whichever document applies, no embassy step is involved.