The US State Department urged US citizens on Tuesday to defer travel to Bahrain and suggested Americans there should leave due to ongoing political and civil unrest.

The State Department also said in a statement that family members of US embassy staff were authorised to leave voluntarily.

The Philippines also advised its 31,000 citizens in Bahrain to leave the kingdom voluntarily, reports said.

"We are urging 31,000 Filipinos to restrict movements to only those absolutely essential and to voluntarily depart the country," Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis told reporters.

He said embassy staff in Manama had been in contact with Filipino community leaders there and briefed them on contingency plans.

"We are hopeful the political situation will stabilise, but precautionary measures are in place," he said.