Bahamas Digital Nomad Visa (2026): Long Island Bahamas

Digital nomad visa: Yes

Overall8/10Easier visas than about 90% of cities

Good to know

Good to Know

Most Western nomads (US, Canada, UK, EU, Australia) can enter The Bahamas, including Long Island, without a visa — no pre-arrival application needed for a typical stay.
US citizens get the most generous baseline: up to 8 months as a 'bona fide visitor', though officers often stamp a shorter period first and you may need to request the longer duration or apply for an extension.
Most other visa-exempt nationalities are capped at 3 months (90 days) per visit — confirm your specific country's allowance before assuming the 8-month US/Canada rule applies to you.
Always carry proof of a return/onward ticket and be ready to show proof of funds or your accommodation address — Bahamian immigration officers have discretion to deny entry even to visa-exempt nationals.
If you want to stay longer than your stamped period, apply for an extension at the Department of Immigration in Nassau before it expires — don't let it lapse, since overstaying is a punishable offense.
Long Island itself has no separate port-of-entry immigration desk for international arrivals in the way Nassau or Freeport do — most nomads clear Bahamian immigration in Nassau or Freeport first, then fly or ferry onward to Long Island.
BEATS does not publish a minimum income number — you just need to show you can support yourself with income from outside the Bahamas (bank statements, employer letter, or client contracts).
The permit tops out at 3 years total (1 year plus two renewals); plan ahead if you want to stay longer, since the main long-term route beyond that is an investment-based Permanent Residence Permit requiring a large qualifying investment.
There's no personal income tax locally, but that doesn't erase your home-country tax obligations — US citizens especially still owe worldwide-income tax filings even while BEATS-resident in the Bahamas.
Some older articles claimed the BEATS program was suspended in 2022; more recent sources and the official BEATS portal describe it as active, so it's worth emailing immigrationbeats@bahamas.gov.bs to confirm current status before making firm plans.

Visa Free Entry

Overview: The Bahamas (including the Out Island of Long Island, which is entered via the same national immigration system as Nassau/Freeport) operates a broad visa-free entry regime for tourists and short-stay visitors. There is no 'Schengen-style' regional visa; entry rules are set nationally by the Bahamas Department of Immigration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Extensions: Visitors wishing to stay beyond their granted period can apply for a visitor extension at the Department of Immigration in Nassau before the original stamped period expires. A non-refundable processing fee applies for Extension of Stay applications, currently BSD 200 (this is equivalent to roughly USD 200, as the Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar). Approval is discretionary.
Entry Process: No advance visa application is needed for exempt nationalities. On arrival travelers must present a passport valid at least 6 months beyond entry, a completed Immigration Disembarkation/Embarkation card, a return or onward ticket, and (if asked) proof of sufficient funds and accommodation details. Admission is discretionary — an immigration officer can deny entry even if paperwork is in order.
Who Qualifies: Citizens of roughly 120 countries and territories are visa-exempt, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, all EU member states, Australia, Japan, most Commonwealth countries, and most South/Central American nations. Nationals of countries not on the exemption list generally need a Bahamian visa (or e-Visa) obtained in advance.
Overstay Consequences: Overstaying is a punishable offense under Bahamian law; travelers who need more time should apply for an extension before their authorized stay expires rather than overstaying.
Important Caveat For Nomads: Visa-free/visitor status does NOT permit working for a Bahamian or foreign employer/client while physically in the country beyond the terms of a tourist stay in the technical letter of the law — anyone wanting to work remotely long-term should look at the country's dedicated remote-work permit (BEATS programme) rather than relying purely on the tourist entry stamp, since the visitor status is nominally for tourism/business visits, not paid work.

Official Sources

Typical Stay Length

UK Citizens: Visa-exempt; UK nationals are on the exempt list under standard short-stay terms.
US Citizens: Up to 8 months as a 'bona fide visitor', though officers commonly stamp an initial 30 days and travelers must request more time at entry or extend later.
EU Countries: 3 months for most EU nationals, with some exceptions receiving 8 months as noted above.
Canadian Citizens: Up to 8 months without a visa (a visa is only required if the stay exceeds 8 months); Canadian Permanent Residents (non-citizens) traveling on a national passport with a PR card are limited to 30 days without a visa.
Most Other Visa Exempt Nationalities: Generally 3 months (90 days) per visit, though a handful of specific bilateral agreements (e.g. Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands) grant up to 8 months.

Digital Nomad Visa And Tax

Visa Name: Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS) — 'Work Remotely' permit (with a separate 'Study Remotely' track for online students)
Visa Ease Tier: high
Administering Body: Bahamas Department of Immigration, via the official BEATS online portal
Visa Ease Tier Rationale: BEATS combines a short baseline visa-free tourist entry (~90 days) with a comparatively simple, fully-online remote-work permit that has no fixed minimum-income figure, ~5-business-day processing, zero personal income tax, and renewability up to a 3-year cap, though moving beyond that cap requires a much costlier investment-based residency route.
Baseline Visa Free Entry Considered: Most Western nationals (US, Canada, EU, UK) can enter the Bahamas visa-free as tourists for short stays of up to roughly 90 days; BEATS/the Work Remotely permit is the legal route required to stay and work remotely beyond a normal tourist stay.
Program Status Note: Multiple 2026-dated sources (including the official-looking bahamasbeats.com portal and recent guides) describe BEATS as currently active and accepting applications, though at least one older report claimed the program was suspended in early 2022. Confirm current operational status directly with immigrationbeats@bahamas.gov.bs before relying on this route.

Fees

Application Fee: BSD 25
Work Remotely Permit Fee Per Dependent: BSD 500
Study Remotely Permit Fee Per Applicant: BSD 500
Work Remotely Permit Fee Main Applicant: BSD 1,000
Fee Note: The Bahamian dollar (BSD) is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, so local and USD figures are identical.

Tax Notes

Social Security: Bahamian residents who are locally employed or self-employed within the Bahamas contribute to the National Insurance Board, but BEATS holders working exclusively for foreign employers/clients are not engaged in local employment.
Other Direct Taxes: No capital gains tax, no inheritance/estate tax, no corporate tax on individuals; the government instead relies on VAT (currently 10% on most goods and services), customs/import duties, stamp taxes, and property taxes.
Personal Income Tax: None — the Bahamas levies no personal income tax on residents or non-residents, and does not tax foreign-sourced income.
Home Country Exposure: BEATS/local tax-free status does not remove home-country tax obligations. US citizens in particular remain taxed on worldwide income regardless of Bahamas residence and must continue annual US filing (potentially using the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or Foreign Tax Credit); there is no US–Bahamas tax treaty.
Tax Residency Day Count Trigger: There is no local personal income-tax filing system, so there is no meaningful 'day count' tax-residency trigger for Bahamian tax purposes — residency status there mainly matters for immigration, not for local tax liability.

Eligibility

Remote employees of a company based outside the Bahamas
Self-employed individuals/freelancers with clients or a business registered outside the Bahamas
Online/remote students enrolled at an accredited institution outside the Bahamas
Open to applicants of any nationality; work for Bahamian companies or participation in the local job market is not permitted

Application Path

Process: Fully online. Complete the BEATS application form on the official portal, select 'Work Remotely' (or 'Study Remotely'), upload supporting documents, and submit. Immigration reviews and approves/denies within about 5 business days; once approved, the applicant pays the permit fee online and receives a confirmation QR code to present on arrival.
Processing Time: Approximately 5 business days

Documents Required

Valid passport (at least 6 months' remaining validity) for applicant and any dependents
Proof of remote employment (employer job letter) or proof of self-employment/client contracts
Proof of medical/health insurance valid in the Bahamas for the applicant and all dependents
Evidence of sufficient funds/income (e.g., bank statements) to support the stay
For students: proof of enrollment in an accredited institution outside the Bahamas, plus proof of funds (parental bank statements accepted if financially dependent)

Income Requirement

Minimum Income Specified: No
Description: No fixed minimum income figure is published. Applicants must instead demonstrate 'financial self-sufficiency' — i.e., sufficient income from outside the Bahamas (salary, freelance/client income, or business income) to support themselves (and any dependents) for the length of stay, typically evidenced with bank statements and an employment or client contract.

Duration And Renewal

Renewal: Renewable annually for additional 12-month terms provided the holder still meets eligibility and maintains a genuine remote-work/study arrangement outside the Bahamas
Initial Stay: Up to 12 months from approval
Maximum Total Stay On This Permit: Up to 3 years total (initial year plus two renewals); a different residency route (e.g., Annual Residence Permit, or the investment-based Economic Permanent Residence requiring a BSD $1,000,000+ qualifying investment) is needed to stay legally beyond that.

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

Sources cited for this category

These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

More About Long Island Bahamas

Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.