Bahamas residency & citizenship

Overview

The Bahamas has no citizenship-by-investment programme and no digital nomad visa. Access is through work permits (annual), permanent residence (economic or long-term work), or property ownership. The country has a territorial tax system with no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, and no inheritance tax. Naturalization requires 10 years of permanent residence with at least 6 years of physical presence. ^[1]

Residency Programs

Per-Program Detail

investment_residency

• Official name: Permanent Residence (Economic)
• Conditions: Minimum US$1,000,000 investment in Bahamian real estate OR Zero Coupon Bonds from the Central Bank. Asset must be held 10 years minimum. ^[2]
• Duration / renewal: Permanent — issued for life (unless revoked). Also possible via: spouse of Bahamian (after 5 years marriage), 20+ years on work permits, 10+ years special categories (police, teachers, nurses, doctors, ministers).
• Path to citizenship: After 10 years of holding permanent residence (including 12 months immediately before application) + 6 years physical presence.
• Official source: https://www.immigration.gov.bs/residence/permanent-residence
• Community verdict: Works well for high-net-worth individuals ($1,000,000+ buy-in); discretionary processing; property ownership is the practical route.

passive_income_residency

• Official name: Annual Residence Permit (non-work)
• Conditions: Proof of independent financial means; property ownership (or long-term lease) in Bahamas preferred. Not statutorily fixed dollar amount — assessed case-by-case.
• Duration / renewal: Annual, renewable. Processing fee: $200 + $10 stamp. Processing 8–12 weeks.
• Path to citizenship: Does NOT count directly toward permanent residence. Must convert to permanent residence first.
• Official source: https://www.immigration.gov.bs
• Community verdict: Mixed (discretionary; property ownership effectively required; slow processing 8–12 weeks).

employment_residency

• Official name: Annual Work Permit
• Conditions: Letter of request to Director of Immigration; completed Form I with $10 stamp; Labour Certificate from Dept of Labour; 3 consecutive days of newspaper vacancy ads; 2 employer references; medical certificate (≤30 days old); police certificate (≤6 months, covering 5 years). ^[3]
• Duration / renewal: Annual, renewable. Processing: 8–12 weeks. $200 non-refundable processing fee.
• Path to citizenship: After 20+ consecutive years on work permits → permanent residence; after 10 more years as permanent resident → citizenship.
• Official source: https://www.immigration.gov.bs/residence/annual-work-permit
• Community verdict: Works but slow (8–12 week processing; labour market test requires job ads; employer-driven).

retired_residency

• Official name: Annual Residence Permit (retiree) / Permanent Residence
• Conditions: Proof of pension or foreign-source passive income; property ownership or long-term lease in Bahamas. Homeowner route: purchasing a residence for BSD 1,500,000+ (~US$1,500,000) gets "speedy consideration" for permanent residence. ^[4]
• Duration / renewal: Annual (residence permit) or permanent (if meeting $1,500,000 property threshold).
• Path to citizenship: After permanent residence: 10 years + 6 years physical presence.
• Official source: https://mofa.gov.bs/applying-for-permanent-residence
• Community verdict: Mixed (dual-track: wealthy retirees buying $1,500,000+ homes get fast-track permanent residence; others on annual permits face slow, discretionary process).

Citizenship

• By naturalization: 10 years as legal permanent resident including 12 months immediately before application, PLUS at least 6 years physical presence in preceding 12-month period's prior years. Good character, English proficiency (no formal exam), intent to reside. ^[5]
• By marriage: Female spouse of Bahamian citizen may register for citizenship (male spouse must naturalize).
• Dual citizenship: NOT recognized by Bahamas. Naturalizing citizens must renounce prior nationality.

Tax

• No personal income tax. No corporate income tax. No capital gains tax. No inheritance tax. No wealth tax.
• Revenue from VAT (10%), customs duties, stamp duties, property tax.
• No double-taxation agreements; tax residency not heavily policed.

IT / Digital Nomad

Not available. No dedicated digital nomad visa. Remote workers may enter as tourists and work remotely for foreign employers (90-day tourist visa extendable to 8 months). No legal framework for long-term digital nomad residence.

Yacht / Maritime

The Bahamas is a major yacht and maritime hub — one of the world's largest ship registries (Bahamas Maritime Authority). Yacht registration, crew visas, and cruising permits all well-established. No special yacht-residence programme, but crews are accommodated under maritime-specific work permit channels.

Notes for RU citizens

• Russian nationals require a visa to enter The Bahamas. No visa-free access.
• Annual residence permits available but discretionary. Property purchase strongly recommended.
• No dual citizenship means naturalization requires renouncing Russian citizenship — a significant barrier.

Community pulse

• High barrier to entry for non-millionaires. Work permit path is slow (20 years to permanent residence). Citizenship path is among the longest in the region (20+ years total).
• Bahamas is a tax haven — popular with those who have substantial offshore wealth and don't need local citizenship.
• Expats generally satisfied with quality of life but frustrated with immigration bureaucracy.