Individuals seeking to become legal residents of The Bahamas may make application to the Department of Immigration for either permanent residence or an annual permit to reside. The application process is typically handled by a local law firm.
ECONOMIC PERMANENT RESIDENCY
Economic Permanent Residency in the Bahamas is a status issued to an individual for the duration of his/her life; and gives the individual the right to reside permanently in The Bahamas and travel freely to and from The Bahamas. This status does not confer citizenship or the right to be gainfully employed in The Bahamas and it may be revoked in rare instances pursuant to one of the very serious grounds set forth in Section 18 of the Immigration Act.
Financially independent non-Bahamian nationals are eligible to apply for Economic Permanent Residency upon a purchase of a residence in The Bahamas valued in excess of $750,000.00.
The application for permanent residence is comprised of a Government form which must be notarized by a Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public and submitted to the Department of Immigration together with the following supporting documents:
- A copy of the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
- Two passport-sized identical colour photographs of the applicant, with the applicant’s name printed on the reverse side (photographs must not be more than six months old)
- An original police certificate (issued not more than six months prior to the submission of the application) together with a complete set of fingerprints. The fingerprints can be obtained in Nassau if need be. The police certificate and fingerprints are also required from spouses.
- Certified copy of birth certificate
- An original medical certificate dated not more than thirty days prior to the submission of the application
- Two original character references, written by persons known to the applicant for at least five years
- Certified copy of marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Certified copy of spouse’s birth certificate (if applicable)
- Certified copy of child’s birth certificate (if applicable)
- Financial statements from applicant’s financial institution citing a figure range, and verifying economic worth
An authenticated English translation must be provided for all non-English documents.
It can take a few months for the application to be processed so we frequently recommend that an interim application be made for Annual Residency. The turnaround time for the issuance of Annual Residency permit is a much less than for permanent residency.
As part of the application process the Immigration Department will invite the applicant and spouse to attend the Immigration Department for an interview. If the application is approved, the spouse of the primary applicant and children under the age of 18 can be endorsed on the Certificate.
There is a non-refundable processing fee of B$200.00 per application (primary applicant and eligible endorsees). Upon approval the Government one-time only fee for the permanent residency certificate is B$15,000.00 plus $25 for each endorsee. The legal fee for attendances to an application for permanent residency is $5,000.00 plus $250 for each endorsee plus disbursements.
ANNUAL RESIDENCE PERMIT
Another option for residency status in the Bahamas is an annual residence permit which is issued to successful non-Bahamian applicants who wish to reside in the Bahamas for any purpose other than employment. This permit to reside is an annual permit which is typically issued for one to three years in duration but may be issued for up to five years in certain circumstances at the discretion of the Department of Immigration. There is no requirement to purchase or lease a home but it is generally understood that this will facilitate the application.
The application is comprised of a Government form which must be notarized by a Justice of the Peace or a Notary Public and submitted to the Department of Immigration together with the following supporting documents:
- A copy of the bio-data page of the applicant’s passport
- Two passport-sized identical colour photographs of the applicant, with the applicant’s name printed on the reverse side (photographs must not be more than 6 months old)
- A police certificate (or certificates if applicable) covering 5 years’ previous residence (issued not more than six months prior to the submission of the application)
- A medical certificate dated not more than 30 days prior to the submission of the application
- Two written character references
- Marriage certificate (married persons)
- Spouse’s death certificate (widowed persons)
- Divorce decree (divorcees)
- Financial statements from the applicant’s financial institution showing proof of financial support, indicating a figure range
- $10.00 Bahamian Stamp affixed to application
For the annual residency permits there is a non-refundable processing fee of B$200.00. Upon approval the Government fee for the permit is B$2,000.00 and $25 for each dependent. The legal fee for attendances to an application for annual residency is $2,500.00 plus disbursemen