Launching a new business venture is almost always an exciting and terrifying experience in equal measures. On one hand, you are finally getting a chance to execute that exciting business idea you’ve been mulling over for a while. But at the same time, you must first tick off a whole bunch of unavoidable formalities and paperwork before you can finally get the ball rolling with your new business.
Don’t worry, though — Sijilat, the Commercial Registration (CR) portal operated by Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, is there to help you at every step along the way.
Sijilat’s sole purpose is to ensure that the Kingdom’s homegrown startup community can competently and time-efficiently navigate all the pre-registration legal and regulatory procedures mandated by the government.
To accomplish the intended objective, it has rolled out what is most likely one of the most detailed yet easiest-to-navigate websites you’ll ever see. But just in case you’re a new user who’s not yet familiar with Sijilat, here’s how you make the most out of the platform:
Key Sijilat features
- The Sijilat portal is a one-stop-platform for new startups to reach out to all licensing authorities.
- Provides detailed outlines and instructions to explain how to obtain business licenses in easy steps.
- Availability is never an issue as Sijilat is open 24×7.
- All your applications are automatically routed to the relevant licensing authorities.
- Applicants can easily track the status of their applications.
- All commercial activities are appropriately classified in a logical and easy-to-understand manner.
How to log in and access different Sijilat features
You can access the Sijilat portal from any device so long as it has a web browser and an active internet connection. All browsers including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safar, just to name a few, are supported. However, Safari users may need to enable browser cookies for a seamless experience.
Anyone with legitimate Bahrain-based business can access the full functionality of the Sijilat platform provided they are one of the following:
- The sole proprietor of the business seeking registration.
- One of the business partners.
- A registered professional body with a valid letter of authorization.
- A person with a notarized power of attorney and a smart card/CPR issued by the Bahraini government.
You must have an eKey handy if you want to access the Sijilat portal in your personal capacity as the proprietor/partner of your organization. An eKey is a highly secure digital system that grants you access to a whole range of government services including Sijilat. All you need to do to get an eKey is to visit a local e-government center with your smart card, and the process should take no longer than 10 minutes. Here’s a list of service centers you can visit to get your eKey.
Alternatively, you can also access Sijilat services by submitting your application through a registered professional body or an authorized person (as discussed above).
Once you have your eKey ready, just head over to www.sijilat.bh and sign in by providing your credentials as prompted on-screen.
How to make the most out of Sijilat’s online services
Based on your requirement, you are free to pick from any of the following services after logging in:
- Agency Registration (Register your company)
- Agency Renewal (Renew Company CR)
- Change Principal Name (Change company name)
- Change Principal Address (Change company address)
- Change Agreement Clauses (Change company agreement clauses)
- Manage Products/Services (Manage product/services information of the company)
- Cancel Agency (Cancel Company CR)
- Appeal Against Cancellation
As you can see, the names of the services listed above are pretty self-explanatory and need no further explanation. (For example, the service “Agency Renewal” is for renewing the agency registration. Similarly, to “modify or totally alter agreement details, you have to go to “Change Agreement Clauses.”)
Also, note that the services listed above aren’t necessarily listed in that order on the Sijilat portal. For example, Agency Registration Renewal and Registration Status Inquiry are both clubbed into the main menu of Agency Registration among other services.
However, finding what you’re looking for will hardly take more than a few seconds as the website comes with a pretty neat interface and is incredibly easy to navigate. Just hover the cursor over the main menu buttons (or tap on the menu options if you’re on mobile) and chances are you’ll find it there right away. Alternatively, you can also use the on-site search function to find any particular service/feature.
Also, the services that are offered are not only limited to the ones listed above. You can also use the Sijilat portal for a wide range of other purposes such as adding a new branch, adding new branches, adding new activities, transfer ownership, request to remove policy violation, and so on. Head over to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism portal for further info on these services.
So that’s in brief about how you can access the Sijilat portal and use it to the full advantage of your up-and-coming startup. If you think we skipped any vital information, make sure to notify us over at our social media channels. While you’re there, make sure to share your thoughts about the Sijilat portal.
