THE BAHAMAS ISLAND Residency Visas

1. Residency, Visas & Living in The Bahamas

Short-Stay Access

Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, EU member states, and most Commonwealth countries can enter The Bahamas without a visa for short stays of up to eight months (for US citizens) or three to six months for other nationalities, depending on entry conditions. This covers property viewing trips, holiday stays, and short-term residence without any formal application.

Annual Residence Certificate (Residency by Investment)

The Bahamas offers a formal residency pathway for qualifying property buyers through the Annual Residence Certificate programme. This is one of the most straightforward and best-established residency-by-investment routes in the Caribbean:

Key parameters:

• ⦁ Qualifying investment: Purchase of residential real estate with a market value of at least US$750,000
• ⦁ Application is made to the Department of Immigration with evidence of the qualifying property purchase
• ⦁ The Annual Residence Certificate confers the legal right to reside in the Bahamas indefinitely (subject to annual renewal and continued ownership of the qualifying property)
• ⦁ It does not automatically grant citizenship or a Bahamian passport
• ⦁ Holders do not have the right to work for a Bahamian employer (only to manage their own business interests)

For buyers investing US$1.5 million or more in residential real estate, an expedited process may be available — your attorney or immigration adviser should confirm current thresholds and processing parameters, as these are subject to review.

Permanent Residency

Permanent residency (as distinct from the Annual Residence Certificate) can be obtained through various routes, including long-term continuous residence in the Bahamas. This is a lengthier process and typically requires many years of established residency. Buyers who establish residency through the Annual Residence Certificate route and wish to convert to permanent status should take specific immigration advice about the pathway and timeline.

Citizenship

Bahamian citizenship is not available by investment. The Bahamas does not operate a citizenship by investment programme (unlike Antigua, Grenada, St Kitts or Dominica). Citizenship in the Bahamas is acquired through birth, descent, marriage to a Bahamian citizen (subject to conditions), or naturalisation after an extended period of lawful residence. Buyers whose primary goal is a second passport should note that the Bahamas does not provide this route and should consider other Caribbean jurisdictions with CIP programmes if that is their priority.

Tax Residency

For buyers from high-tax jurisdictions who are considering the Bahamas as a genuine residence — and who want to access the zero income tax, zero capital gains, zero inheritance tax environment — formal tax residency is a distinct question from immigration residency. Establishing tax residency requires meeting both the Bahamian legal residence requirements and the exit requirements of your home country (which may involve meeting specific day-count thresholds, demonstrating a genuine centre of life in the Bahamas, and formally notifying your home tax authority). Tax residency planning in the Bahamas is complex and requires specialist advice from international tax advisers with experience of your home jurisdiction as well as the Bahamas.

Residency Summary: The Bahamas

• ⦁ Short stay: Visa-free for US (8 months), UK/Canada/EU (3–6 months)
• ⦁ Annual Residence Certificate: From US$750,000 qualifying property investment
• ⦁ Permanent Residency: Via extended lawful residence (multi-year process)
• ⦁ Citizenship by Investment: NOT available — Bahamas has no CIP programme
• ⦁ Tax residency: Zero income / capital gains / inheritance tax — specialist advice required to establish