Bahrain TRA Type Approval: Specs Updated to Version 1.1

Bahrain: TRA Updates Type Approval Technical Specifications to Version 1.1

On 30 July 2026, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain announced the release of Version 1.1 of its Technical Specifications Requirements for Type Approval. The updated document supersedes the first edition published on 27 February 2024 and forms the current technical baseline against which wireless and telecommunications equipment is assessed for the Bahraini market.

According to the TRA, the revised document "reflects some amendments to the technical requirements and specifications applicable to Type Approval," and the Authority has encouraged all relevant stakeholders to review it and ensure their products remain compliant.

Regulatory Background

Under Bahrain's Telecommunications Law, all telecom equipment imported into the Kingdom is subject to the Type Approval Regulation before it can be placed on the local market. The Technical Specifications Requirements for Type Approval is the reference document that defines the scope of products requiring approval, the applicable technical parameters, and the reference standards used in conformity assessment including short range device (SRD) specifications across multiple product categories.

The February 2024 first edition consolidated these requirements into a single published specification. Version 1.1 is an incremental revision of that framework rather than a new regime: the underlying Type Approval process, the online application portal, and the requirement for a local representative are unchanged. What has changed is the technical content of the specification itself, which now governs how equipment is evaluated going forward.

It is important to characterise this update accurately. This is a type approval technical instrument, not a spectrum allocation decision, and it is an enacted, released document rather than a consultation stage draft. The TRA published it directly as an updated specification effective on release, without an accompanying public consultation.

One caveat for compliance teams: the TRA's public announcement does not enumerate the specific clauses that changed between the 2024 edition and Version 1.1. It refers only to "some amendments" to the technical requirements. The practical implication is that manufacturers and their local representatives should obtain the full Version 1.1 document and perform a clause by clause comparison against the edition they previously relied on, rather than assuming continuity.

What the Bahrain TRA Type Approval Update Means for Manufacturers

For manufacturers, importers, and market access teams, the release of Version 1.1 has several practical consequences:

• The current compliance reference has changed. Any conformity assessment, technical file, or test plan mapping that cited the February 2024 edition should now be re-based on Version 1.1. Documentation referencing the superseded version may need updating.

• A gap analysis is required, not optional. Because the TRA has not published a public change log, the specific technical deltas for example, revised SRD parameters, updated reference standards, or adjusted scope can only be established by comparing the two documents directly.

• Existing certificates should be reviewed for continued validity. Type Approval certificates in Bahrain are generally reported to carry a fixed validity period, and equipment already approved under the 2024 edition should be checked against the revised requirements, particularly ahead of renewals or new model variants.

• Test reports remain lab dependent. Bahrain's regime relies on manufacturer supplied conformity documentation, typically test reports from ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories and, where applicable, RF exposure evidence. Version 1.1 may change which reference standards are acceptable, so confirm that existing reports still map to the current specification.

• No new registration route is introduced. The application pathway, portal, and local representative requirement continue as before; this is a specification update, not a procedural overhaul.

  
  

Certification Impact Summary

Area	Status under Version 1.1	Action required
Current technical baseline	Version 1.1 (30 July 2026) supersedes the Feb 2024 first edition	Re-base compliance references on Version 1.1
Specific technical amendments	Not enumerated in the public announcement	Obtain full document; perform clause by clause gap analysis
Type Approval process & portal	Unchanged	None
Local representative requirement	Unchanged	None
Reference standards / SRD parameters	Potentially revised	Confirm test reports still map to accepted standards
Existing certificates	Validity unaffected by announcement; review recommended	Check approved products against revised requirements before renewal
Transition / grace period	Not stated in the announcement	Treat Version 1.1 as effective on release

Timeline and Required Actions

Date	Event / Action	Owner
27 Feb 2024	First edition of Technical Specifications Requirements for Type Approval published	TRA
30 Jul 2026	Version 1.1 released; supersedes the first edition	TRA
Immediate	Obtain the full Version 1.1 document from the TRA website	Manufacturer / local representative
Immediate	Run a gap analysis of Version 1.1 against the 2024 edition	Compliance / certification team
Short term	Update technical files and conformity documentation that cite the superseded edition	Compliance team
Short term	Verify existing test reports map to the reference standards accepted under Version 1.1	Test lab / compliance team
Before next renewal or new variant	Re-confirm approved products against the revised requirements	Local representative