A Guide to Obtaining a Bahamas Travel Visa
Who needs a visa to enter the Bahamas? The Republic of the Bahamas requires a visa for citizens of the following countries to enter and travel there:
- Afghanistan
- Guinea
- North Korea
- Albania
- Guinea-Bissau
- Pakistan
- Algeria
- Haiti
- Palau
- Angola
- India
- Palestine
- Belarus
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Benin \sIslamic Republic of Iran
- Rwanda
- Bhutan
- Iraq
- Saudi Arabia
- Bosnia Jordan, Senegal, the Hashemite Kingdom
- Burkina Faso
- Kazakhstan
- Serbia
- Burundi
- Kyrgystan (The Kyrgyz Republic) (The Kyrgyz Republic)
- Somalia
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Sudan \sCameroon \sLebanon
- Syria
- The country of Central Africa
- Liberia
- Taiwan \sChad
- Libya
- Tajikistan
- Comoros
- Macau
- Thailand
- Congo
- Madagascar
- Timor-Leste Cote d’Ivoire
- Mauritania
- Togo
- Cuba
- Micronesia
- Tunisia
- Djibouti
- Mongolia
- Turkmenistan
- Dominican Republic
- Montenegro
- Ukraine
- Egypt
- Morocco
- Uzbekistan
- Equatorial Guinea
- Mozambique
- Vietnam \sEritrea
- Myanmar
- Yemen \sEthiopia
- Nepal \sZaire
- Gabon
- Niger
- Ghana
- Nigeria
Indian nationals who possess a valid visa or permanent residency status from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, or Schengen countries, as well as diplomatic or official passports, are not required to obtain a visa to enter the Bahamas. All other Indian citizens must apply for visas.
How to Apply for a Bahamas Visa
Follow these procedures to apply for a Visa to the Bahamas:
- To make an appointment, get in touch with the Bahamas embassy or consulate that is closest to your home nation.
- Fill out the application form entirely. An application form is available from the Bahamas’ embassy or consulate. Complete the application only in BLOCK letters using blue or black ink.
- Gather and hand in the necessary documentation to the Bahamas embassy or consulate in your nation. For more details on the required papers, see “Bahamas Visa Requirements.”
- Wait for a reply. The processing of your Bahama visa application will take seven to fourteen days.
Note: Bahamas citizens who want to host a friend or family from abroad must apply in person for a Bahamian visa at the Bahamas Consular Division in Nassau.
Bahamas Visa Conditions
The prerequisites for submitting a visa application to the Bahamas are as follows:
Authentic passport. After your return date, your passport must still be valid for three months. Make sure your passport is in good condition.
Two photos from a passport: Your photos must be recent—within the last six months, at the very least.
The application form must be filled out completely and precisely.
Bank records: Your ability to support yourself throughout your stay in the Bahamas must be shown in this document, which must show your financial stability.
Health protection: Evidence that your travel insurance is still in effect in the Bahamas.
Accommodations Proof: Evidence proving you are legally able to live in the Bahamas. This document could be, among other things, a lease or a hotel reservation.
Request letter: Your family members or close friends will write the invitation letter. According to the letter, you have a place to stay and a host waiting for you in the Bahamas.
Criminal history: Show that you do not pose a threat to the Bahamas Republic by providing evidence.
Flight schedule: The flight itinerary, which includes the date and time of your trip, the name of the airline, the name of your return ticket, and other important details, describes your flight method.
Civil Status Records: The validity of these documents depends on your current civil status. Include documentation of a joint bank account, evidence of cohabitation, etc. if you live with your partner. If you are married, a birth certificate should also be included.
Make sure you gather all the documentation needed by the Bahamas embassy or consulate because any missing papers could lead to a visa denial.
Timeframe for Bahamas visas
The Bahamas Republic issues many different types of visas. Depending on the type of visa requested, the duration of a Bahamas visa varies:
- For 24 hours, a transit visa is valid.
- A short-term visa is good for three months.
- The duration of an extended stay visa is one year.
Fees for Bahamas visas
Depending on the type of visa requested, there are various Bahamas visa fees:
When a Visa is missing biometric data features
- Visa with several entry privileges for three months $110
- Six-month multiple-entry permit $110
- $110 for a one-year visa with numerous entries
- A three-year visa with numerous entries costs $500.
- Lone entrance permit $100
- A seafarer’s visa $110
- Visa for diplomats: ZERO
For a Biometrically-Enabled Visa
- Visa with several entry privileges for three months $250
- Six-month multiple-entry permit $250
- $250 for a multiple-entry visa good for a year.
- Multiple admissions permitted for three years with a visa $500
- Lone entrance permit$160
- A seafarer’s visa $160
- Travel Permit $100
Bahamas visa application fees are not refundable.
Long-term Visas for the Bahamas
The Bahamas will let you stay for a year with a long-stay visa.
Nevertheless, depending on why you’re visiting, you may be eligible for various types of long-stay visas, such as:
- Work visa.
- Investment visa.
- Study visa.
- Visa for family reunion.
Permission to Remain in the Bahamas on an Annual Basis
If you want to stay in the Bahamas permanently, you can also submit an application for an annual resident permit. Once you have legally entered the Bahamas as a tourist, you can then seek to have your annual residence permit renewed.
You can apply for a permanent resident permit after five years of residing in the Bahamas on an annual residence permit.
Be aware that an annual residence licence costs $100 British Pounds.
For a permit to live permanently in the Bahamas
You need to apply for a permanent residency visa if you plan to stay in the Bahamas for more than five years. The Department of Immigration must receive your application for a permanent residency permit. Five years of residence, employment, and education in the Bahamas are permitted with a permanent resident permit. However, in order to be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa, you must fall under one of the following categories:
- If you’ve had a long-stay visa and five years of authorized residence in the Bahamas.
- If you have been married to a Bahamian citizen for five years. After five years of marriage, the foreign spouse may apply for a visa for permanent residence or Bahamian citizenship.
- If you can demonstrate that you live with a citizen of the Bahamas.
$100 BS is the application fee for a Bahamas resident permit. The payment is non-refundable. If the answer is yes, you will also need to pay a fee of BS$250 for your residency permit application.
Three to four weeks after submitting an application for a residence permit, you must physically contact the Inquiries Unit at the Department of Immigration to inquire about the status of your request for a Bahamas residence permit. The results of your application for a residence permit will be communicated to you by the Iniguries Unit.