100+ Free Bahrain Private Notary Exam Practice Questions

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Sample Bahrain Private Notary Exam Practice Questions

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1Under Legislative Decree No. 14 of 1971 (Notarization Law) as amended by Law No. 37 of 2017, what is the primary function of the Notary Directorate (Idarat al-Tawtheeq) in Bahrain?

A.Authenticating deeds and contracts, certifying signatures, and supervising the licensed private notaries

B.Registering title to land and recording mortgages in the Land Register

C.Registering commercial companies and issuing their commercial registration certificates

D.Certifying documents for use abroad by affixing the apostille

Explanation: Under Article 1 of Legislative Decree No. 14 of 1971, the Notary Directorate at the Ministry of Justice is tasked with authenticating formal deeds and contracts, verifying the identities and capacity of contracting parties, and certifying signatures on customary documents.

2Under Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 regarding the Regulation of Private Notaries in Bahrain, what is the minimum statutory practical legal experience required for an applicant to be licensed as a Private Notary?

A.Four years spent in legal work

B.Two years spent in legal work

C.Seven years spent in legal work

D.Ten years spent in legal work

Explanation: Article 4(5) of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 requires the applicant to have spent not less than four years in legal work. That sits on top of the conditions in the Notarization Law itself: Article 1 bis, added by Law No. 37 of 2017, requires full capacity, good conduct and reputation, no previous conviction for a felony or an offence against honour or trust even if rehabilitated or pardoned, and that the applicant be drawn from retired judges, members of the Public Prosecution and members of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, or from lawyers and legal professionals licensed on conditions set by decision of the Minister.

3Under Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017, what is the statutory initial licensing fee for obtaining a Private Notary license in Bahrain, and what is its validity duration?

A.1,000 Bahraini Dinars for an initial licence valid for three (3) years

B.350 Bahraini Dinars for an initial licence valid for three (3) years

C.1,000 Bahraini Dinars for an initial licence valid for one (1) year

D.1,000 Bahraini Dinars for an initial licence valid for five (5) years

Explanation: Under Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017 (Tariff of Fees for Notarization and Private Notaries), the fee for issuing a Private Notary license is 1,000 BHD valid for three years, renewable for 350 BHD every three years.

4What is the difference under Bahrain Notarization Law between Authentication (Tawtheeq / Tadleel) and Signature Certification (Tasdeeq ala al-Tawqee'at)?

A.Authentication involves the notary drafting or adopting the deed, verifying its legal contents and capacity, and creating an official instrument; Signature Certification merely certifies that the signatures were affixed in the notary's presence without vouching for the body of the customary document.

B.Signature certification applies only to foreign passports, while authentication applies only to birth certificates.

C.Authentication is performed by commercial banks, while signature certification is performed by traffic police.

D.There is no difference; both terms are legally identical in procedure and probative effect.

Explanation: Authentication (Tawtheeq) creates an authentic official deed (Muharrar Rasmi) where the notary verifies legality, capacity, and contents. Certification of signature (Tasdeeq) confirms only the identity of signers and the act of signing a customary private deed (Muharrar Urfi) on a certain date.

5Under Article 3 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017, which notarial work is expressly excluded from what a Private Notary may be licensed to perform?

A.Contracts creating, transferring, altering or extinguishing a real property right, the powers of attorney relating to them, and powers of attorney relating to disposition and management

B.Certification of signatures on customary documents and authentication of debt acknowledgments

C.Authentication of the memoranda of association of commercial companies and of their amendments

D.Authentication of documents drawn up in the English language

Explanation: Article 3 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 allows a private notary to be licensed for all or some of the notarisation work provided for in the Notarization Law, but expressly excepts the notarisation of contracts that would create, transfer, alter or extinguish any real property right, the powers of attorney relating to those contracts, and powers of attorney relating to disposition and management. Those excepted matters stay with the Ministry's own Notary Office. The article adds that no notarisation work at all may be carried on without a licence issued under the Decision.

6What is the statutory notarial fee prescribed by Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017 for authenticating the Memorandum of Association of a Joint Stock Company (B.S.C.)?

A.250 Bahraini Dinars

B.5 Bahraini Dinars

C.5,000 Bahraini Dinars

D.50 Bahraini Dinars

Explanation: Under the fee tariff in Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017, the statutory fee for authenticating the Memorandum and Articles of Association of a Shareholding Company (B.S.C. Public or Closed) is 250 BHD.

7Under the Bahrain Notarization Law, what must a notary do if a contracting party appearing before them is illiterate or unable to sign?

A.Take the party's fingerprint (thumbprint) on the deed in the presence of two competent witnesses who know the party and sign the instrument

B.Sign on behalf of the illiterate party without any witnesses

C.Refuse to provide any notarial service and expel the party from the office

D.Require the party to learn how to write a signature within 48 hours

Explanation: Under Article 7 of Legislative Decree No. 14 of 1971, if a party cannot sign due to illiteracy or physical disability, the notary takes their thumbprint/fingerprint on the deed in the presence of two qualified witnesses who confirm identity and sign the document.

8Under Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017, what disciplinary penalties may the Disciplinary Committee at the Ministry of Justice impose on a licensed Private Notary for professional misconduct?

A.A written warning, suspension of the licence for not more than six months, or striking off the private notary register

B.A written warning, suspension of the licence for not more than three years, or striking off the private notary register

C.A written warning, an administrative fine of up to one thousand dinars, or striking off the private notary register

D.A written warning or striking off only; Bahraini law provides no power to suspend a private notary's licence

Explanation: Article 16 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 has the Notary Office report the private notary's breaches to a disciplinary committee formed by the Minister, which recommends the appropriate penalty. The Minister may then impose one or more of three penalties: a written warning, suspension of the licence for a period not exceeding six months, and striking off the private notary register. The same article separately allows the Minister, where the public interest requires it, to close the office or suspend its work administratively by reasoned decision pending determination of the breach.

9What is the statutory fee for authenticating the Memorandum of Association of a With Limited Liability Company (W.L.L.) under Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017?

A.30 Bahraini Dinars

B.500 Bahraini Dinars

C.1 Bahraini Dinar

D.100 Bahraini Dinars

Explanation: Under Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017, the fee for authenticating contracts for the establishment or amendment of non-shareholding companies (such as W.L.L., general partnerships, and limited partnerships) is 30 BHD.

10Under Bahrain Notarization Law, in what language must authentic deeds and documents be drafted, and what is required if a document is drafted in a foreign language?

A.Documents are notarised in Arabic, and where a contracting party does not know Arabic the notary uses a translator whom the parties present and trust, who must sign the document with them and the notary

B.Documents are notarised in Arabic, and a foreign-language document may only be received if a court-appointed expert translator certifies it in advance

C.Documents may be notarised in any language the parties choose, provided all of them declare that they understand it

D.Foreign-language documents cannot be notarised in Bahrain in any circumstances

Explanation: Article 5 of the Notarization Law, as replaced by Law No. 37 of 2017, provides that documents are notarised in Arabic, and that where one of the contracting parties does not know the language or does not master it, the notary is assisted by a translator whom the contracting parties present and whom they trust, and the translator must sign the document together with the parties and the notary. The same article allows documents to be notarised in English where the law permits it and in other documents specified by decision of the Minister, and provides that English notarisation is done by notaries named by decision of the Minister or by a private notary whose licence states that they may notarise documents in English.

About the Bahrain Private Notary Exam Exam

Study preparation for licensing as a private notary (katib al-adl al-khas) in Bahrain under Article 1 bis of the Notarization Law, added by Law No. 37 of 2017, and Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017. Article 3 of that Decision defines the scope tightly: a private notary may be licensed for all or some notarisation work except contracts creating, transferring, altering or extinguishing a real property right, the powers of attorney relating to them, and powers of attorney relating to disposition and management, all of which stay with the Ministry's Notary Office. These free questions cover the licensing conditions and the four-year experience rule, the three-year licence term and the fee tariff in Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017, the duties in Article 11 including the 30,000-dinar professional indemnity policy, the seal and registers, the disciplinary penalties in Article 16, the language rules in Article 5 of the Notarization Law, the evidentiary force of the deeds a private notary draws up, remote visual notarisation, and AML obligations under Decree-Law No. 4 of 2001. They are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation, not an official translation or an exam simulation.

Assessment

Licensing of a private notary (katib al-adl al-khas) rests on Article 1 bis of the Notarization Law, added by Law No. 37 of 2017, and on Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017. Article 1 bis restricts the licence to retired judges, members of the Public Prosecution and members of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, or to lawyers and legal professionals licensed on ministerial conditions, and requires full capacity, good repute and no conviction for a felony or an offence against honour or trust. Article 4 of the Decision adds Bahraini nationality (with an express exception allowing non-Bahrainis to be licensed for English-language notarisation), no employment with others, suitable premises, at least four years in legal work, and passing the prescribed tests, training and interviews. Article 2 of the Notarization Law as replaced requires an oath before the Minister before work begins. The official process is conducted in Arabic and English rather than as a multiple-choice examination; the questions here are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation, not an official translation or a simulation of the tests and interviews.

Time Limit

Not published

Passing Score

Not published; Article 4(4) of Decision No. 76 of 2017 requires passing the prescribed tests, training and interviews

Exam Fee

No sitting fee published. The licence itself costs 1,000 BHD, with 350 BHD to renew every three years, under Article 4 of Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017 (Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf; the Notary Office supervises and inspects licensed private notaries)

Bahrain Private Notary Exam Exam Content Outline

38%

Notarization Law, Licensing & Supervision

Decree-Law 14/1971 as amended by Law 37/2017, Ministerial Decision 76/2017 (Article 3 scope, Article 4 licensing conditions and the four-year rule, Article 9 three-year term, Article 11 duties including the 30,000-dinar indemnity policy, Article 14 premises, Article 16 penalties), and the Decision 91/2017 fee tariff. These weightings are this site's own study emphasis; the Ministry publishes no official blueprint.

19%

Property & Conveyancing Context

Real Estate Registration Law 13/2013 and the SLRB, usufruct, musataha and pre-emption, RERA Law 27/2017 and off-plan escrow, and the categories Article 3 of Decision 76/2017 reserves to the Ministry's Notary Office.

18%

Commercial, Corporate & Financial Instruments

Commercial Companies Law 21/2001 memoranda and amendments, commercial pledge of a business, debt acknowledgments, settlement, assignment of rights and of debt, novation, and the executory formula.

14%

Evidentiary Value, Electronic & Remote Notarization, Ethics

Official documents, official copies and claims of forgery under the Law of Evidence 14/1996, the probative force Article 1 bis confers on a private notary's deeds, Electronic Transactions Law 54/2018, remote visual notarisation, and AML/CFT duties under Decree-Law 4/2001.

11%

Agency & Powers of Attorney

Acts of administration against acts of disposition, capacity, self-dealing, sub-delegation, revocation and termination of the mandate, and the exclusion of disposition and management powers of attorney from the private notary's licence.

How to Pass the Bahrain Private Notary Exam Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Not published; Article 4(4) of Decision No. 76 of 2017 requires passing the prescribed tests, training and interviews
Assessment: Licensing of a private notary (katib al-adl al-khas) rests on Article 1 bis of the Notarization Law, added by Law No. 37 of 2017, and on Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017. Article 1 bis restricts the licence to retired judges, members of the Public Prosecution and members of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, or to lawyers and legal professionals licensed on ministerial conditions, and requires full capacity, good repute and no conviction for a felony or an offence against honour or trust. Article 4 of the Decision adds Bahraini nationality (with an express exception allowing non-Bahrainis to be licensed for English-language notarisation), no employment with others, suitable premises, at least four years in legal work, and passing the prescribed tests, training and interviews. Article 2 of the Notarization Law as replaced requires an oath before the Minister before work begins. The official process is conducted in Arabic and English rather than as a multiple-choice examination; the questions here are an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation, not an official translation or a simulation of the tests and interviews.
Time limit: Not published
Exam fee: No sitting fee published. The licence itself costs 1,000 BHD, with 350 BHD to renew every three years, under Article 4 of Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017

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Bahrain Private Notary Exam Study Tips from Top Performers

1Start with Article 3 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017. It is the single most examinable rule of the credential: a private notary may be licensed for all or some notarisation work except contracts creating, transferring, altering or extinguishing a real property right, the powers of attorney relating to them, and powers of attorney for disposition and management. Knowing the fee for a transaction is not the same as being competent to do it.

2Know the exact fee amounts in Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017: 250 dinars for shareholding company contracts, 30 for non-shareholding companies, 25 for the sale of commercial shops and ships, 20 for official deeds bearing the executory formula and for real-property-right contracts, 15 for affixing the executory formula, 10 for agency contracts in disposition and management, 6 for other documents, and 5 for signature certification, date authentication or certifying a translator's signature. Article 3's 25-dinar travel charge expressly does not apply to the private notary's work.

3Separate acts of administration from acts of disposition, and keep in mind that although the distinction is central to agency law, powers of attorney for disposition and management are outside what a private notary may be licensed to handle.

4Review AML/CFT compliance obligations under Decree-Law No. 4 of 2001, including Customer Due Diligence (CDD), beneficial ownership verification, and the prohibition of tipping off on Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Private Notary in Bahrain?

A Private Notary (Katib Adl Khas / Muwathiq Khas) is a qualified legal professional licensed by the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf under Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 to perform notarial acts, authenticate deeds and contracts, and certify signatures in accordance with Bahrain Notarization Law.

What are the eligibility requirements to become a Private Notary?

Article 1 bis of the Notarization Law, added by Law No. 37 of 2017, requires full legal capacity, good conduct and reputation, no previous conviction for a felony or an offence against honour or trust even if the applicant was rehabilitated or pardoned, and that the applicant be drawn from retired judges, members of the Public Prosecution and members of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, or from lawyers and legal professionals licensed on conditions set by ministerial decision. Article 4 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 adds Bahraini nationality, with an express exception allowing non-Bahrainis to be licensed to notarise documents in English, no employment with others apart from that English-language category, suitable premises, at least four years spent in legal work, passing the prescribed tests, training and interviews, and never having been struck off the private notary register.

What fees are associated with the Private Notary license?

Article 4 of Ministerial Decision No. 91 of 2017 sets a fixed licence fee of 1,000 Bahraini Dinars and a renewal fee of 350 Bahraini Dinars every three years, plus 20 dinars for a replacement of lost private notary cards, seals or licence statements. It also imposes a proportional charge of 1% of the fee prescribed for each transaction the private notary carries out, of not less than one dinar, for performing the work through the Ministry's electronic system. Note that this 1% runs on the prescribed fee, not on the value of the transaction.

Can Private Notaries perform remote video notarization in Bahrain?

Yes. The Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments launched remote visual notarisation in March 2025, and its announcement states that the service is provided by the private notaries in coordination with the Information and eGovernment Authority, through the site notary.moj.gov.bh. The Ministry described the service as optional and to be applied gradually, covering specified types of transaction in its first phase, and as dispensing with personal attendance and paper circulation by holding the transactions as encrypted digital records. It operates inside Bahrain, since Article 8 of Ministerial Decision No. 76 of 2017 bars a private notary from working outside the Kingdom.