Before Your Arrival - Bahamas Immigration Department

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entry Criteria

In accordance with the Statute Law of The Bahamas, Immigration Act- Chapter 191 Section 22 (2a-l), all travellers who are not citizens or legal residents of The Bahamas must meet prescribed criteria at the border in order to be eligible to be granted leave to land in The Bahamas.  During the interview at the border, the prospective visitor must:

  • possess a valid return ticket/ means of departing The Bahamas,
  • must not intend to engage in any gainful employment while in The Bahamas
  • have financial means to sustain him/herself during the stay (or identify a local sponsor who will receive him/her)
  • present a passport that is valid for at least six months (passport cards will not be accepted)
  • present a completed Bahamas Immigration Disembarkation/Embarkation Card

Please note that admittance is not automatic and although a traveller may meet the aforementioned requirements, extenuating circumstances and other factors may result in refusal of leave to land.  For passengers arriving by sea, kindly complete the Inward Passenger and Crew Manifest for all individuals aboard your vessel.

Overstaying is a punishable offence in The Bahamas. If you want to stay beyond the period granted, you can apply for a visitor extension before the time granted expires and is subject to the discretion of the Department of Immigration.

 

Visa Requirements for Entry to The Bahamas

Holders of diplomatic, official, and ordinary passports from the following countries do not need a visa to enter The Bahamas for a stay up to eight (8) months.

Antigua and Barbuda
Belgium
Canada
Denmark
Greece
Iceland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Norway
San Marino
Switzerland
Türkiye
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United States of America.

Holders of diplomatic, official, and ordinary passports from the following countries do not need a visa to enter The Bahamas for a stay up to three (3) months.

Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Cabo Verde
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czechia
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Holy See
Honduras
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Republic of
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lesotho
Lithuania
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Moldova, Republic of
Monaco
Namibia
Nauru
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
Nicaragua
North Macedonia
Oman
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin (French side)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten (Dutch side)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Suriname
Sweden
Tanzania, United Republic of
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Visa Required

Holders of diplomatic, official and ordinary passports from the following countries must obtain a visa to enter The Bahamas.

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Belarus
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Côte d’Ivoire
Djibouti
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Mauritania
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine, State of
Philippines
Senegal
Serbia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Viet Nam
Yemen.

Please note that as aforementioned, visa requirements also relate and correspond to one’s period of leave to land, therefore, it is recommended that all visitors intending to remain in The Bahamas for an excess of ninety (90) days review the visa requirement for their specific country.

 

Special Note

Cuba: Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Dominican Republic: Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders are exempt for up to 3 months only if they hold a valid permanent residence card or visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or a Schengen Member State, with at least 6 months’ remaining validity. All other ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Equatorial Guinea: Diplomatic and official/service passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Haiti: Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders are exempt for up to 3 months only if they hold a valid permanent residence card or visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or a Schengen Member State, with at least 6 months’ remaining validity. All other ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

India: Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders are exempt for up to 3 months only if they hold a valid visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or a Schengen Member State, with at least 6 months’ remaining validity. All other ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Saudi Arabia: Diplomatic and official passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months. Ordinary passport holders are exempt for up to 3 months only if they hold a valid visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America or a Schengen Member State, with at least 6 months’ remaining validity. All other ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Hong Kong (China): Ordinary passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 3 months.

Macao (China): Ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Taiwan (China): Ordinary passport holders must obtain a visa.

Designated Bahamas Visa Processing Centers

Please be advised that although Bahamas Immigration Officers check for Bahamian visas at the border, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas is the entity responsible for the processing and issuing Bahamian visas via their Consular Division and all Bahamian visas are issued in advance of travel to The Bahamas.

Please be advised that citizens of countries requiring Bahamian visas who may attempt to enter The Bahamas without acquiring said visa beforehand would be refused leave to land at the border.

 

Bahamian visas may be processed and issued at the following offices:

  • Bahamian Consulate in Bridgetown, Barbados
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Brussels, Belgium
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Belize
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Toronto, Canada
  • Bahamian High Commission in Ottawa, Canada
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Santiago, Chile
  • Consulate of the Bahamas in Hong Kong, Hong Kong
  • Bahamian Embassy in Beijing, China
  • Embassy of Bahamas in Havana, Cuba
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Paris, France
  • Bahamian Consulate in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • Bahamian Consulate in Athens, Greece
  • Bahamian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • Bahamian Consulate in New Delhi, India
  • Bahamian Consulate in Tel Aviv, Israel
  • Bahamian Consulate in Milan, Italy
  • Bahamian Consulate in Rome, Italy
  • Bahamian Consulate in Kingston, Jamaica
  • Honorary Consulate of The Bahamas in Monaco, Monaco
  • Bahamian Consulate in Oslo, Norway
  • Bahamian Consulate in Panama City, Panama
  • Bahamian Consulate in Asuncion, Paraguay
  • Bahamian Consulate in Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Bahamian Consulate in Stockholm, Sweden
  • Bahamian Consulate in Zurich, Switzerland
  • Bahamian Consulate in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Bahamian Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey
  • Bahamian High Commission in London, the United Kingdom
  • Bahamian Consulate General in Atlanta, the United States
  • The Bahamas Permanent Mission to the United Nations
  • Bahamian Consulate General in Miami, the United States
  • Bahamian Consulate General in New York, the United States
  • Bahamian Embassy in Washington, the United States

 

Please review the following link to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration website outlining the entire visa requirement and application process:

https://mofa.gov.bs/evisa-online-services/

Yellow Fever Vaccination Requirement

The Bahamas requires proof of yellow fever vaccination from travellers arriving from countries where yellow fever is endemic or where there is an active outbreak.

  • Travellers over 1 year of age arriving directly from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission (see list below), whether visiting or resident in that country.
  • Travellers who have transited more than 12 hours through an airport located in a country with risk of yellow fever transmission.
  • Travellers must be vaccinated at least 10 days before entering The Bahamas for the certificate to be considered valid.
  • Trinidad and Tobago: Effective January 2014, proof of yellow fever vaccination is no longer required for travellers arriving from Trinidad and Tobago.

 

Countries with Risk of Yellow Fever Transmission

Proof of vaccination is required for travellers arriving from, or transiting more than 12 hours through, any of the following countries:

Africa
Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela

Central America
Panama

This list is subject to change based on updated risk assessments. Travellers should confirm current requirements prior to travel.