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Money & duty free for Bahrain

Currency information: 

Dinar (BHD) = 1,000 fils. Notes appear in denominations of BHD20, 10, 5, and 1, and 500 fils. Coins are in denominations of 100, 50, 25 and 10 fils.

Credit cards: 

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted in hotels, major stores and restaurants. Smaller shops may prefer to deal in cash. ATMs are available in major cities.

ATM: 

ATMs are available in major cities.

Travellers cheques: 

The use of traveller’s cheques in Bahrain is becoming increasingly uncommon. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars.

Banking hours: 

Sun-Thu 0730-1500. Government offices, businesses and most offices are closed on Friday, which is a weekly holiday.

Currency restriction: 

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency.

Currency exchange: 

Currency can be exchanged at the airport, at most hotels and in banks and bureaux de change. Rates are more preferential at the bureaux de change than at the airport or at hotels.

Bahrain duty free

The following goods may be imported into Bahrain by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars and 250g of tobacco in opened packets.
• 1L of alcoholic beverages and six cans of beer (non-Muslim passengers only).
• 8oz of perfume.
• Gifts up to the value of BHD250 (approximately US$600).

Banned imports: 

Firearms, ammunition, drugs, methylated spirits and jewellery. There is also a temporary ban on all live poultry and birds from Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong [SAR]), Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Korea (Rep), Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam.

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