Every way into Bahamas.

Nationals of countries that are not visa-exempt (over 100 countries, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria) must obtain a Bahamas visa before travel, available online through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal. The single-entry visitor visa costs USD 160 and is valid for three months, allowing one entry for leisure or visiting. Standard processing is 7-10 business days from submission, provided documents are complete and no interview is required. The self-sponsored category is for visitors who can support themselves financially during their stay. The visa permits tourism and visiting only and does not authorise work. Fees are payable by credit card at application and are non-refundable.

Government fee

$160

Processing time

10 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, most Commonwealth countries and many other nations may enter The Bahamas without a visa as bona fide visitors. The Department of Immigration permits visitors to remain for a maximum of 8 months provided they can support themselves, although the actual stay granted at the port of entry is at the discretion of the immigration officer and is often shorter (for example, 30 days for some nationalities). Holders of a valid Schengen, United Kingdom, Canadian or United States visa are also exempt from the Bahamas visa requirement when presenting that visa with their passport. Visitors must hold a valid passport and a return or onward ticket and may be asked to show sufficient funds. Visitors may not engage in any form of gainful occupation.

Max stay

240 days

Validity

240 days

The multiple-entry Bahamas eVisa allows visa nationals to make several trips to The Bahamas over a validity period of three, six or twelve months and costs USD 250. To qualify, applicants must provide scanned copies of three previous successful Bahamas visas as supporting documents. As with the single-entry visa, each visit is for tourism or visiting and does not authorise work; visitors may generally stay up to the period granted by the immigration officer. Standard processing is 7-10 business days from a complete submission. Fees are payable by credit card at application and are non-refundable.

Government fee

$250

Processing time

10 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

365 days

The sponsored visitor eVisa is for visa nationals whose visit is funded by a Bahamas resident or a legal entity in The Bahamas, covering business visits, meetings and visits hosted by a local sponsor. The visa fee is USD 160 for single entry (USD 250 for multiple entry), plus a facilitation fee of USD 20 for the sponsored category. The host provides supporting documentation. The visa permits the visit or business activity for which it is issued but does not authorise taking up local employment, which requires a work permit. Standard processing is 7-10 business days from a complete submission, and fees are non-refundable.

Government fee

$160

Processing time

10 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The Permit to Reside, also called the Annual Permit, allows non-Bahamians to reside in The Bahamas for purposes other than employment, including attending a school, college or university in The Bahamas. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200, and the residence grant fee for a full-time student or trainee is USD 300 per year under the Immigration Fee Scale. The permit is generally granted for one year and renewed annually for the duration of the studies. Applicants must be of good character, financially stable and meet health and security requirements; first-time applicants should not be in the country while the application is processed. The permit does not authorise employment.

• Study: Enrolment at a Bahamian school, college or university.

Government fee

$200

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The student track of the Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS) lets overseas college and university students study online (remotely) from The Bahamas for up to one year. The total cost is USD 525: a USD 25 application processing fee plus a USD 500 Student Remotely permit fee. Applications are filed online and approved within about 5 business days. The permit is valid for up to one year and renewable, with no minimum length of stay. It covers remote study with a foreign institution and does not authorise local employment. It is distinct from enrolment at a Bahamian school, which requires a Permit to Reside as a student.

• Study: Remote (online) study with an overseas college or university.

Government fee

$500

Processing time

5 days

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS) is a one-year residency permit, launched in 2020, allowing professionals to work remotely for an overseas employer or business from any of The Bahamas' 16 islands. Applications are made online and approved within about 5 business days. The total cost is USD 1,025 per professional: a USD 25 application processing fee plus a USD 1,000 Work Remotely permit fee; dependants are USD 500 each (a dependant who also works remotely pays the full USD 1,000). The permit is valid for up to one year and can be renewed twice, for a maximum stay of three years, with no minimum length of stay. Permit holders work only for foreign clients or employers and may not take up local Bahamian employment. The Bahamas levies no income tax, which is a major draw for remote workers.

• Work: Remote work for an overseas employer or clients only; no local Bahamian employment.
• Family: Dependants may be included at USD 500 each; a remote-working dependant pays the full USD 1,000 permit fee.

Government fee

$1,000

Processing time

5 days

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

Any non-Bahamian who wishes to work in The Bahamas for more than 90 days must first hold a valid annual work permit issued by the Department of Immigration, sponsored by a specific Bahamian employer. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200, but the permit grant fee is set by the Immigration Fee Scale by occupation, ranging from USD 500 (Scale 9, registered farm labourers) up to USD 16,275 (Scale 1, executives and senior management), with professionals such as doctors and lawyers at USD 13,125 (Scale 2). The employer must demonstrate the post could not be filled by a Bahamian, including a Labour Certificate with Notification of Vacancy from the Department of Labour and newspaper advertisements. The permit is tied to the employer and the position and is typically valid for one year and renewable. Applicants should follow up with the Consultation Unit after 8 to 12 weeks. The Bahamas has no personal income tax.

• Work: Authorises work only for the sponsoring employer and the position specified.
• Residency after 20 years

Government fee

$200

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

Any non-Bahamian who wishes to work in The Bahamas for a period of 1 to 90 days must obtain a Short Term Work Permit from the Department of Immigration before arriving. The process is split into a 1-30 day category and a 31-90 day category, with the longer category also requiring an original police and medical certificate. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200 (BSD 200) for the 1-30 day category; permits are intended for emergencies and are meant to be a one-time application, with extensions beyond 30 days handled as a long-term work permit. The application is filed before the employee arrives, and decisions are typically issued within about 7 days of a complete submission.

• Work: Authorises short-term work for the named employer for up to 90 days.

Government fee

$200

Processing time

7 days

Max stay

90 days

Validity

90 days

The Home Owner's Identification Card is a type of residence permit that facilitates entry and stay for persons who lawfully own a primary residence in their country of origin and also own a habitable residence in The Bahamas, under the International Persons Land Holding Act (Chapter 140). The card costs USD 500 per year and speeds entry and stay for the owner and immediate family but does not grant the right to work. The card holder may use it to enter and remain in The Bahamas without a separate visa. First-time applicants should not be in the country while the application is processed. The Bahamas levies no income, capital gains or inheritance tax, a key attraction for property owners. It is distinct from, and a common stepping stone toward, permanent residence by investment.

• Residency after 1 year
• Family: Facilitates entry and stay for the owner and immediate family.

Government fee

$500

Validity

365 days

The Economic Certificate of Permanent Residence is the Bahamas' accelerated residence-by-investment route. Effective 1 January 2025, the minimum qualifying investment was raised to USD 1.0 million (from USD 750,000), made in Bahamian real estate or in Zero-Coupon Bonds issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas, and must be held for at least 10 years. The certificate is issued for life unless revoked and grants the right to reside indefinitely; the permanent-residence certificate fee under the Immigration Fee Scale is USD 20,000 without the right to engage in gainful occupation or USD 25,000 with the right to work, in addition to a USD 200 processing fee. The Bahamas has no income, capital gains, wealth or inheritance tax, and economic permanent residence is a recognised stepping stone toward eventual citizenship. Applicants may request accelerated consideration where the investment is USD 1.5 million or more.

• Study: Permanent residents may study in The Bahamas.
• Residency: This is permanent residence itself, issued for life unless revoked; a recognised stepping stone toward citizenship.
• Family: Spouse and dependent children may be endorsed on the certificate; child of a PR holder fee USD 3,000.

Government fee

$20,000

Min. investment

$1,000,000

The Resident Spouse Permit allows a non-Bahamian married to a Bahamian citizen to legally live and work in The Bahamas, provided the couple lives together. It is the route for spouses married for less than five years at the time of application. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200, with an additional grant fee of USD 250-300 on approval under the Immigration Fee Scale. After five years of marriage the spouse may apply for an extension of the permit, for permanent residence, or for Bahamian citizenship. Unusually for Bahamian residence permits, this permit confers the right to work. All foreign documents must be apostilled or legalised and authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• Work: Permit allows the spouse to live and work in The Bahamas while residing with the Bahamian spouse.
• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 5 years
• Family: Permit is for the non-Bahamian spouse; children may apply for dependant residence.

Government fee

$200

Validity

365 days

The dependant category of the Permit to Reside (Annual Permit) allows the spouse or a child under 18 of a person legally authorised to reside in The Bahamas (such as a work-permit holder) to reside in the country. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200, and the dependant residence grant fee is USD 300 per year under the Immigration Fee Scale. The permit is granted for one year and renewed annually in line with the principal's status. Applicants must be of good character, financially supported and meet health and security requirements; the permit does not authorise employment. Children require additional school-enrolment and custody documentation.

• Study: A dependent child may attend school in The Bahamas.
• Family: Category covers the spouse and children under 18 of the principal resident.

Government fee

$200

Max stay

365 days

Validity

365 days

The general Annual Residence Permit (Permit to Reside) lets a financially independent non-Bahamian reside in The Bahamas for purposes other than employment, for example retirees, the self-supporting and others not seeking local work. The non-refundable processing fee is USD 200, with a general residence grant fee of USD 3,000 per year under the Immigration Fee Scale. The permit is granted for one year and renewed annually, and holding it (or a Home Owner's Card) for at least a year is the normal precondition for applying for permanent residence. Applicants must show good character, financial stability and meet health and security requirements; first-time applicants should not be in the country while the application is processed. The permit does not authorise employment, and The Bahamas levies no income tax.

• Study: Lawful residence permits study.
• Residency after 1 year

Government fee

$200

Validity

365 days

A Certificate of Permanent Residence is a lifetime legal status (unless revoked) giving the right to reside and, in some categories, to work in The Bahamas. Apart from the economic-investment route, eligible categories include spouses of Bahamians (married 5 years in a cohabiting relationship), long-term residents (20+ consecutive years on work permits, or 10-20 years on Scale 5-8 permits), and long-serving professionals such as police/prison officers and teachers (10+ years) or nurses, ministers and doctors (10-20+ years). The standard permanent-residence certificate fee is USD 15,000, with reduced fees for widowed spouses and children of PR holders (USD 3,000) and for very long residence (USD 1,000-3,000), plus a USD 200 processing fee. All foreign documents require apostille or legalisation and authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Bahamas levies no income tax.

• Study: Permanent residents may study in The Bahamas.
• Residency: This is permanent residence itself, issued for life unless revoked; a recognised stepping stone toward citizenship.
• Family: Spouse and children may be included; widowed spouse and child of PR holder fee USD 3,000 each.

Government fee

$15,000