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Residency pathway · The Bahamas

Move to The Bahamas.
No income tax.
A real residency permit.

The Bahamas levies no personal income tax, no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax — government revenue comes from VAT, real property tax, stamp and licence fees. MoveToBahamas walks you through the permits that actually exist, the official thresholds and fees, and the filing sequence — so you arrive with a plan, not a brochure.

Start my residency file — $497 →See the pathways ↓
Official thresholds / Vetted local lawyers / Exit Global review
Your residency file, organisedExample
My residency file🔒
🌍 Home country🇧🇸 The Bahamas

One destination. One organised file.

Every document the authority will ask for, in order.
Example checklist3 of 4 added
🛂
Passport + photosValidity checked against the rule
✓
📜
Police clearance, apostilledFrom every country of recent residence
✓
🏦
Proof of funds / incomeMatched to the category threshold
✓
🩺
Health coverAdd it when available
PENDING
Know what you have. See what's next.Less guesswork. Fewer rejected files.
At a glance

The Bahamas in four numbers

Figures are quoted from the official pages linked on each card. Checked 8 September 2026.

Tax system
No income tax

No personal income, capital gains, inheritance or wealth tax. The Department of Inland Revenue collects VAT (10%), real property tax and licence fees.

Official source ↗
Economic permanent residence
$1.0 million

Minimum investment in real estate or Central Bank zero-coupon bonds, held for at least 10 years.

Official source ↗
Time to first decision
8–12 weeks

The Department asks Permit to Reside applicants to check status 8 to 12 weeks after lodging a complete file.

Official source ↗
Citizenship
10 years

Permanent residents may apply after holding that status for 10 years, with at least 6 years' actual residence and the full 12 months before applying.

Official source ↗
Why people choose The Bahamas

The honest case.
And who it isn't for.

No destination is right for everyone. These are the reasons people actually choose The Bahamas — and the situations where we would tell you to look elsewhere.

No tax on what you earn or inherit

There is no personal income tax, capital gains tax, dividend tax, inheritance tax or wealth tax. What you pay instead is 10% VAT on consumption, annual real property tax on your home above the exempt band, and stamp/VAT on property purchases. The trade-off is transparent and predictable.

Close to North America, English-speaking, dollar-pegged

Nassau is under an hour's flight from Florida, English is the official language, the Bahamian dollar is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar, and the islands host a large international banking and trust sector.

Clear, published permit categories

The Department of Immigration publishes its permit categories, document lists and fee scale. Economic permanent residence is a defined investment route; homeowners and financially independent people have annual permits; remote workers have BEATS.

Probably not the right fit if…
  • People on a modest budget — permanent residence needs a $1.0 million investment held for 10 years, the general residence permit costs $3,000 a year, and Nassau living costs are high.
  • Anyone who wants to work locally without sponsorship — employment needs a separate work permit, and economic permanent residence without 'gainful occupation' rights carries a $20,000 certificate fee.
  • Those who expect a fast passport — citizenship follows only after 10 years of permanent residence.
An independent preparation tool. Not a government body. Residency is granted only by the Department of Immigration (Bahamas). Private beta.
01 / The routes that exist

The residency pathways

These are the categories the Department of Immigration publishes today. Figures are the official ones on immigration.gov.bs; the Department's fee scale governs where our summary and a broker's brochure differ.

Permit to Reside (Annual Permit)

Non-Bahamians who want to live in The Bahamas without working — including financially independent people and dependants of permit holders.

  • Letter of request to the Director of Immigration plus notarised First Schedule Form 1
  • Medical certificate dated within 30 days; police certificate dated within 6 months covering the last 5 years of residence (age 14+)
  • Financial-institution reference or CPA statement showing means of support; two character references
  • Fee: $200 non-refundable processing fee, then $3,000 for each year or part-year of the permit ($300 per dependant per year)
  • First-instance applicants should be outside The Bahamas while the application is processed
Timeline / validity: Status check after 8–12 weeks; permit runs year to year and is renewed annually
Official source ↗

Home Owner Resident Permit

Owners of a habitable home in The Bahamas who keep a primary residence in their home country and want easy entry and stays.

  • Registered deed of conveyance for a home in The Bahamas and an International Landholding Certificate under the International Persons Landholding Act
  • Documentary proof that current real property tax is paid
  • Evidence of a primary home outside The Bahamas (insurance, mortgage or tax certificate)
  • Medical certificate within 30 days; police certificate within 6 months (age 14+)
  • Fee: $200 non-refundable processing fee, plus the permit fee on the Department's current scale
Timeline / validity: Annual permit tied to continued ownership; renewed on the same document set
Official source ↗

Economic Permanent Residence

Investors who want a permanent right to reside — the only route that does not need annual renewal.

  • Minimum investment of $1.0 million in Bahamian real estate or Central Bank of The Bahamas zero-coupon bonds, held for at least 10 years
  • Government portal still lists BS$1.5 million or more in a residence for speedy consideration — confirm the current figure with the Department before you buy
  • Notarised application with $10 Bahamian postage stamp, apostilled birth/marriage certificates, medical (30 days), police certificate (6 months), two character references, property deeds
  • Fee: $200 processing; certificate fee $25,000 with the right to engage in gainful occupation or $20,000 without; spouse or child endorsed later $3,000 each
Timeline / validity: No published processing time; permanent once granted
Official source ↗

BEATS remote-work permit

Remote employees, freelancers and online students who want up to a year on the islands without a full residency file.

  • Valid passport and proof of medical insurance for the applicant and every dependant
  • Proof of remote employment or self-employment (students: proof of enrolment and sufficient funds)
  • Fee: $25 application fee per person, then $1,000 permit fee for a working applicant, $500 per dependant, $500 for a student
  • Applications are reviewed by the Department of Immigration; decisions are estimated within 5 days
Timeline / validity: 12 months from issue; renewals considered up to a maximum of 3 years
Official source ↗
The $497 residency-file review

Build the file once.
Pay a lawyer to file — not to chase paper.

You gather the documents; we check the file against the current Department of Immigration requirements and hand you to a vetted Bahamian attorney for filing. Exit Global is an independent advisory team, not a government body — residency is granted only by the Department of Immigration.

$497one-time, per applicant file
Start the process →
What the $497 covers.

A category check against the current official requirements, a document-by-document review of your file, and a warm handover to a vetted local lawyer or licensed agent who files it. Their fees and government fees are separate and quoted up front.

Your information is sensitive. We treat it that way.

Documents are stored privately when you explicitly save them. We use restricted access and do not sell or share your information.

Your tax position once resident

No income tax — and how you prove you actually live there.

The Bahamas has no personal income tax statute. The Department of Inland Revenue administers value added tax, real property tax, business licence fees and stamp duty; there is nothing to file on your salary, dividends, capital gains, pensions or crypto disposals. The practical question is not what The Bahamas taxes but whether your old country accepts that you have left — which turns on a residency permit, a home, and real days on the ground.

Official source ↗
  • No personal income tax, capital gains tax, dividend tax, inheritance tax or wealth tax — foreign and local income alike are untaxed for individuals; the Department of Inland Revenue lists VAT, real property tax, business licence and stamp as its taxes.
  • VAT is 10% on most goods and services; businesses must register once taxable activity exceeds $100,000 in 12 months. Property conveyances and commercial leases also attract VAT — budget for it on purchase.
  • Real property tax on an owner-occupied home: first $300,000 of value exempt, 0.625% on the next $200,000, 1% on the balance above $500,000; due by 31 March with a 10% discount for paying in full by then. Foreign owners pay on the Family Islands where Bahamians are currently exempt.
  • Tax residency certificate: in 2019 the Government announced certificates with a TIN for permanent residents who spend at least 90 days a year in The Bahamas and no more than 183 days in any other country. There is no public application page — our team confirms the current procedure with the Department of Inland Revenue as part of your file.
  • No tax treaties to lean on: The Bahamas has tax-information-exchange agreements and CRS reporting, not double-tax treaties, so your exit from the old country must stand on its own domestic rules.
  • National Insurance contributions apply only if you are employed or self-employed in The Bahamas; permit holders living on foreign income have nothing to pay.

Residency here is only half the move. Your old country has to agree you left.

Find your Exit site →

Exit Global's review is an advisory opinion, not a determination by any tax authority.

02 / Step by step

From decision to residency permit

The order matters: apostilles and police certificates expire, and most authorities want everything dated within a few months of filing.

01

Choose the permit

Annual Permit to Reside, Home Owner permit, economic Permanent Residence or BEATS — matched to your capital, whether you will buy, and how many days you will actually spend on the islands.

02

Collect and apostille documents

Police certificate (within 6 months, covering 5 years), medical certificate (within 30 days), apostilled birth and marriage certificates, bank or CPA reference, two character references, 2×2-inch photos. Non-English documents need certified translations.

03

Buy or lease the home

Investors: complete the purchase, obtain the International Landholding Certificate and the real property tax receipt — these are filed with the residency application. Others: evidence of accommodation.

04

Lodge with the Department of Immigration

Notarised form with the $10 Bahamian stamp and the $200 processing fee, filed through your Bahamian attorney. First-instance applicants should be outside the country while the file is processed.

05

Approval, permit fee and card

Pay the permit or certificate fee on the official scale ($3,000 per year for a residence permit; $20,000–$25,000 for an economic permanent residence certificate) and collect the permit.

06

Establish substance and close the loop at home

Open the Bahamian bank account, keep a day-count, register for real property tax and VAT where relevant, request the tax residency certificate, and finish your old-country exit file (see the Exit sites).

03 / Living there

Living there: the practical facts

The things people ask us after the paperwork: money, health, language and a roof.

Banking

Nassau hosts international banks and trust companies, but onboarding is document-heavy: expect source-of-wealth evidence, references and your residency permit. Exchange control applies to residents converting Bahamian dollars; the B$ is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar.

Healthcare

BEATS requires proof of medical insurance for every applicant, and residency applications require a medical certificate. Private care in Nassau and Freeport is good for routine needs; serious cases are often flown to Florida, so international cover with evacuation is standard.

Language & daily life

English is the official language and all government forms are in English. Living costs are high because almost everything is imported and carries 10% VAT plus duty; Nassau and Grand Bahama have the infrastructure, the Family Islands are quieter and simpler.

Property

Foreigners can buy freehold. Under the International Persons Landholding Act a purchase for a single-family residence is registered and certified; larger or commercial holdings need a permit. Budget for VAT on the conveyance, legal fees and annual real property tax above the $300,000 owner-occupied exemption.

Where are you leaving from?

Each departure has
its own rules.

Getting a card in The Bahamas does not end tax residency where you came from. Pick your departure country to see its residency test, exit tax and departure filings.

🇨🇦 Exit Canada🇺🇸 Exit USA🐻 Exit California🗽 Exit New York🇬🇧 Exit the UK🇮🇪 Exit Ireland🇫🇷 Exit France🇧🇪 Exit Belgium🇳🇱 Exit Netherlands🇪🇸 Exit Spain🇮🇹 Exit Italy🇩🇰 Exit Denmark🇳🇴 Exit Norway🇸🇪 Exit Sweden🇦🇺 Exit Australia🇿🇦 Exit South Africa🇩🇪 Exit Germany🇦🇹 Exit Austria🇫🇮 Exit Finland🇧🇷 Exit Brazil🇯🇵 Exit Japan🇮🇱 Exit Israel🇳🇿 Exit New Zealand🇵🇹 Exit Portugal🇰🇷 Exit South Korea🇦🇷 Exit Argentina🇮🇳 Exit India🇨🇭 Exit Switzerland
Good questions. Clear answers.

Before you
get started.

Answers reflect the official rules as checked on 8 September 2026.

Do I have to live in The Bahamas full-time?

No permit category publishes a minimum-days rule, and the Home Owner permit is designed for people who keep a main home abroad. But if the point of the move is to stop being tax-resident elsewhere, your old country's day tests and the announced 90-day tax-residency-certificate standard both matter — plan for real time on the islands and keep a travel log.

How is Bahamian tax residency triggered?

There is no income tax, so there is no statutory residency day test to trigger it. Bahamian tax residency, for the purpose of showing another country you have left, is evidenced by your residency permit, a home, and the tax residency certificate announced in 2019 for permanent residents spending at least 90 days a year there and no more than 183 days in any other country. We verify the current procedure with the Department of Inland Revenue for every file.

Can my family come?

Yes. Spouses and children under 18 are included as dependants on a Permit to Reside at $300 per dependant per year; a spouse or child can later be endorsed on a permanent residence certificate for $3,000 each; BEATS covers dependants at $25 application plus $500 permit fee each.

Is there a path to citizenship?

Yes, but a long one. A permanent resident who has held that status for 10 years — including the 12 months immediately before applying and at least 6 years of actual residence — may apply to register or naturalise; the certificate of naturalisation fee is $1,000. Annual permit and BEATS years do not count as permanent residence.

What are the government fees?

Processing fee $200 for every residency application. Residence permit $3,000 per year ($300 per dependant). Economic permanent residence certificate $25,000 with gainful-occupation rights or $20,000 without. BEATS $25 application plus $1,000 (worker), $500 (dependant or student). Citizenship application $200 processing, naturalisation certificate $1,000. All figures are from the Department's fee scale and may change.

Do I need a lawyer?

The Department does not require one, but in practice property conveyancing, the International Landholding Certificate and the notarised application are handled by a Bahamian attorney, and permanent residence files almost always are. Our $497 review checks the file before it goes to the attorney, so you pay for filing, not for fixing.

Can I keep working remotely for a foreign employer?

Yes — that is exactly what BEATS is for, and holders of a Permit to Reside or economic permanent residence may live on foreign income. What you cannot do without a work permit or a certificate with gainful-occupation rights is take up employment or run a business inside The Bahamas.

What about my old country's tax residency?

Getting a Bahamian permit does not end tax residency where you came from — and with no double-tax treaties, the exit has to stand on your old country's own rules. Use the relevant Exit site — see exitglobal.app.

The next chapter starts with a plan

Arrive in The Bahamas with a file
the authority will accept.

Start my residency file — $497 →

MoveToBahamas · part of the Exit Global network

The Exit network

One process. Every country.

Each site covers one departure, in that country's own rules. The destination sites cover where you're going. All reviewed by the same team at Exit Global.

Leaving
🌐Exit GlobalPortfolio home🇨🇦Exit CanadaNR73 + departure file🇺🇸Exit USAExpatriation + Form 8854🐻Exit CaliforniaFTB residency🗽Exit New YorkDomicile + statutory residency🇬🇧Exit the UKStatutory Residence Test🇮🇪Exit IrelandOrdinary residence tail🇫🇷Exit FranceArt. 167 bis exit tax🇧🇪Exit BelgiumSpecial departure return🇳🇱Exit NetherlandsM-form + conserverende aanslag🇪🇸Exit SpainArt. 95 bis + quarantine rule🇮🇹Exit ItalyAIRE + black-list presumption🇩🇰Exit DenmarkFraflytterskat🇳🇴Exit NorwayUtflyttingsskatt🇸🇪Exit SwedenTen-year share rule🇦🇺Exit AustraliaCGT event I1🇿🇦Exit South AfricaSection 9H exit charge🇩🇪Exit Germany§ 6 AStG Wegzugsbesteuerung🇦🇹Exit Austria§ 27 (6) Wegzugsbesteuerung🇫🇮Exit FinlandThree-year rule🇧🇷Exit BrazilSaída definitiva🇯🇵Exit JapanExit tax on ¥100m+ assets🇮🇱Exit IsraelCentre of life + s.100A🇳🇿Exit New Zealand325-day rule + IR886🇵🇹Exit PortugalArt. 16 CIRS residency🇰🇷Exit South KoreaExit tax on large shareholders🇦🇷Exit ArgentinaPérdida de residencia + baja🇮🇳Exit IndiaSection 6 residency + RNOR🇨🇭Exit SwitzerlandWegzug + pension withholding
Arriving
🇵🇦Move to PanamaTerritorial tax, Friendly Nations🇦🇪Move to DubaiNo personal income tax🇲🇹Move to MaltaRemittance basis, EU🇨🇾Move to Cyprus60-day rule, non-dom🇵🇾Move to ParaguayTerritorial tax, fast residency🇺🇾Move to UruguayTax holiday for new residents🇨🇷Move to Costa RicaTerritorial tax🇧🇸Move to BahamasNo income tax🇵🇹Move to PortugalD7, D8, Golden Visa, IFICI🇹🇭Move to ThailandLTR visa, remittance basis🇲🇾Move to MalaysiaMM2H, territorial tax🇮🇩Move to IndonesiaSecond Home visa, Bali🇬🇪Move to GeorgiaForeign income exempt, 1% SBS🇵🇷Move to Puerto RicoAct 60 for US citizens🇮🇹Move to ItalyFlat tax, 7% pensioner regime🇬🇷Move to GreeceGolden Visa, non-dom flat tax🇭🇰Move to Hong KongTerritorial, no CGT🇸🇬Move to SingaporeForeign income exempt, no CGT