National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
Central Bank of Bahrain
Global JurisdictionSource / Native Reference: 巴林中央银行
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-2
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 10
- Active / regulated
- 10
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Central Bank of Bahrain (Central Bank of Bahrain) exercises statutory authority over commercial banks, deposit-taking institutions, foreign exchange dealers, and payment service providers in Global Jurisdiction.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-2Tier-2 sovereign central bank and macroprudential banking supervisor for Global Jurisdiction, enforcing Basel III capital adequacy and national payment system integrity.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (Central Bank of Bahrain)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by Central Bank of Bahrain in Global Jurisdiction.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A / Commercial Banking Charter | Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence | Deposit-taking, commercial lending, interbank FX market-making, trade finance, and institutional custody. | USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital | Minimum Basel III Total Capital Ratio ≥ 10.5%–12.5%, CET1 ≥ 7.0%, LCR ≥ 100%, and NSFR ≥ 100%. |
| EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence | Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence | Cross-border remittance, electronic money issuance, merchant payment acquiring, and deliverable spot FX conversion. | USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit. | 100% daily safeguarding of customer float in segregated commercial bank trust accounts. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under Central Bank of Bahrain.
Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.
Central Bank of Bahrain Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reserve and Nostro/Vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at Tier-1 correspondent banks.
Central Bank of Bahrain Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction
- Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards
- National Payment Systems & Foreign Exchange Control Regulations (Global Jurisdiction)
- FATF-Aligned Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing (AML/CFT) Banking Directives
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Monthly/Quarterly Basel III COREP/FINREP prudential capital and liquidity returns to Central Bank of BahrainAnnual IFRS statutory financial audit by an approved central-bank-panel external audit firmReal-time large-exposure, foreign exchange position, and suspicious transaction reporting (STR)
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Requires Central Bank of Bahrain home-host supervisory college approval or local branch/representative office licensing for cross-border banking operations.
Supervised institutions & Central Bank of Bahrain licence records in our database
10 licence records referencing Central Bank of Bahrain (10 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binance DEX(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Binance Bahrain BSC(c) | 2022 | |
| Ahli United Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Ahli United Bank | 2018-10-09 | |
| Bahrain Credit(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company B.S.C. | 2005-6-26 | |
| Bahrain Development Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bahrain Development Bank | 1992-1-22 | |
| Bahrain Islamic Bank(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bahrain Islamic Bank | 1978-10-29 | |
| Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait | 1971-3-16 | |
| Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait | 1971-3-16 | |
| National Bank of Bahrain(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | National Bank of Bahrain | 1957-1-1 | |
| BitOasis(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | BitOasis Bahrain W.L.L | 2024-05-29 | |
| Pyypl(Global network record) | Not supplied | Regulated | Pyypl Ltd | — |
Central Bank of Bahrain (Global Jurisdiction): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under Central Bank of Bahrain (Global Jurisdiction)?
Central Bank of Bahrain (Central Bank of Bahrain) supervises financial institutions in Global Jurisdiction under Central Bank & Banking Supervision Act of Global Jurisdiction and Basel III Capital Adequacy (CET1 / Tier 1 / Total Capital) & Liquidity (LCR / NSFR) Prudential Standards. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Class A / Commercial Banking Charter (Full Commercial & Institutional Banking Licence — min. capital: USD $5,000,000 – $15,000,000 equivalent statutory paid-up banking capital); EMI / Payment & FX Institution Licence (Authorised Payment Institution / Electronic Money & FX Remittance Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $500,000 equivalent paid-up capital plus statutory central bank security deposit.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does Central Bank of Bahrain provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under Central Bank of Bahrain's framework, investor protection is governed by Statutory Deposit Insurance & Bank Resolution Scheme (Global Jurisdiction) with maximum coverage of Protected up to statutory national deposit insurance ceiling per banking depositor (Retail depositors and eligible corporate deposit accounts held at licensed credit institutions.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with Central Bank of Bahrain Prudential Safeguarding & Custody Directives, performing daily reserve and nostro/vostro liquidity reconciliation; 100% ring-fencing of payment institution safeguarding accounts. with central bank reserve accounts or ring-fenced statutory trust accounts at tier-1 correspondent banks..
How does Central Bank of Bahrain regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
Central Bank of Bahrain's digital-asset regime is structured around Central Bank of Bahrain Prudential Cryptoasset Exposure (BCBS SCO60) & CBDC / Stablecoin Oversight (Regulates bank custody, payment settlement rails, fiat-backed stablecoin reserve backing, and Basel SCO60 capital weights.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full FATF Recommendation 16 Wire Transfer & Virtual Asset Travel Rule compliance across supervised banking rails.
How can I verify an institution's Central Bank of Bahrain licence number and check our 10 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 10 licence records referencing Central Bank of Bahrain (10 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open Central Bank of Bahrain's official public register (https://www.cbb.gov.bh/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
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Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for Central Bank of Bahrain (Global Jurisdiction) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on Central Bank of Bahrain’s official public register.