Bahamas Digital Nomad Visa (2026)

Digital nomad visa: Yes

Overall8.5/10Among the 5% easiest cities for visas

Good to know

Good to Know

Even though citizens of the US and Canada are technically eligible for stays up to 8 months, the stamp you actually receive on arrival is decided by the individual immigration officer — don't assume you'll get the maximum without asking or having a clear reason for a longer stay.
Always carry proof of onward/return travel and be ready to show proof of funds; these are commonly checked even for visa-exempt nationalities.
Passport must have at least six months validity remaining from your entry date — this is strictly enforced and some airlines will deny boarding without it.
There is no dedicated short-term 'digital nomad visa' baseline covered here — regular tourist entry is what most remote workers use for stays up to 90 days; longer, work-authorized stays fall outside this default entry framework.
There is no fixed minimum income requirement for BEATS — approval is a subjective assessment of whether you can financially support yourself and any dependents.
BEATS is a residency permit, not an entry visa; depending on your nationality you may still need a separate Bahamian entry visa in addition to BEATS.
The Bahamas has no personal income, capital gains, or inheritance tax, but the cost of living (especially housing) is very high, so realistically a solid income is needed to live comfortably despite the low official income bar.
Health insurance covering your entire stay is mandatory for approval, so arrange this before applying.
There have been unconfirmed reports in past years of temporary disruptions to the BEATS program; always confirm the program is actively accepting applications on the official Bahamas Department of Immigration site before making firm plans.
Family members (spouse, dependents) can be added to an application but each requires an additional permit fee.

Visa Free Entry

Official Source: https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/
Baseline Summary: The Bahamas has one of the most open entry regimes in the Caribbean for short-term visitors. Most nomads from the US, Canada, UK, EU/Schengen, and the majority of Commonwealth and Latin American countries can enter without a visa, though the exact permitted stay length varies significantly by nationality and is ultimately set at the discretion of the immigration officer at the port of entry.
Extension Process: Visitors wishing to stay longer than the period granted at entry must apply for a visitor's extension through the Bahamas Department of Immigration before the granted period expires; approval is at the department's discretion. Overstaying is a punishable offense.

Who Qualifies Visa Free

United States citizens
Max Stay
Officially up to 8 months as a 'bona fide visitor' per the Bahamas Immigration Department, though the U.S. State Department and Bahamas tourism board both cite 90 days as the standard tourist allowance.
Notes
Immigration officers commonly stamp an initial shorter period (roughly 3-4 weeks in practice) even though the legal maximum is longer; travelers wanting the full period should be prepared to justify a longer bona fide visit.
Up to 8 months without a visa.
Nationality Group
Canadian citizens
Notes
Canadian permanent residents (non-citizens) holding a Canadian Immigration Record Form 1000 are visa-exempt only for stays up to 30 days.
UK citizens are explicitly listed as not requiring a visa.
Max Stay
Visa-exempt; standard Commonwealth allowance applies (generally 3 months, subject to officer discretion).
Nationality Group
United Kingdom citizens
Max Stay
Generally 3 months visa-free; a small group of nationalities (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands) get up to 8 months.
Nationality Group
EU/Schengen and most Commonwealth and Latin American nationals
Notes
Coverage is broad but not universal — some Commonwealth countries (e.g. Mozambique) and most South American nationalities outside a specified list are excluded from the visa-free list and should verify status individually.
Citizens requiring a visa
Max Stay
Not applicable without a visa; an e-Visa is available for most such nationalities (except Haiti, which requires a physical visa in advance).
Notes
Visa-required travelers can transit without a visa for up to 3 days with a return/onward ticket, except nationals of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nigeria and Pakistan, who must depart the same calendar day, and Haitians, who always need a physical visa even in transit.

General Entry Requirements

Passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry (passport cards are not accepted for air travel).
Proof of a return or onward ticket out of The Bahamas.
Evidence of sufficient funds to be self-sustaining during the stay, if requested by an immigration officer.
A completed Bahamas Immigration Disembarkation/Embarkation card, filled out on arrival.
No intention to engage in gainful employment while on visitor status — remote work for a foreign employer/clients is generally tolerated under visitor entry, but there is no dedicated 'digital nomad visa' baseline; a separate remote-work program (BEATS) exists outside this default tourist-entry framework.

Digital Nomad Visa And Tax

Overview: The Bahamas launched the BEATS program in October 2020 as a residency permit (not a separate entry visa) allowing remote workers and remote students to live in the Bahamas while working for or studying with organizations based outside the country.
Visa Name: Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS) — Work Remotely permit
Beyond Beats: For nomads wanting to stay longer than 3 years, the more conventional route is the Bahamas Annual Residence Permit (renewable yearly) or, for those investing in property, a path toward Permanent Residency; these are separate from BEATS and involve different fee schedules.
Renewal Path: The permit is valid for up to 12 months and can be renewed for two additional 12-month terms, allowing a maximum continuous stay of up to 3 years on BEATS, provided the holder still meets eligibility criteria (ongoing remote work/study arrangement and financial self-sufficiency) and reapplies with updated documentation and fee payment.
Visa Ease Tier: high
Visa Ease Tier Rationale: The Bahamas offers generous visa-free entry for most nationalities plus an accessible, low-cost BEATS remote-work residency permit with no minimum income requirement and no personal income tax.

Tax Notes

VAT: A Value-Added Tax (VAT) of 10% applies to most goods and services purchased locally.
Social Security: Bahamian National Insurance Board (NIB) contributions apply to those earning income for local employment or self-employment within the Bahamas (employee 3.9%, employer 5.9%, self-employed 8.8%, capped monthly), but it is not clearly documented whether BEATS holders earning solely foreign-sourced income are required to contribute.
Personal Income Tax: The Bahamas levies no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance/estate tax, and no tax on foreign-earned income for residents, including BEATS permit holders.
Tax Residency Trigger: Physical presence of more than 183 days in a calendar year is generally cited as the threshold that establishes Bahamian tax residency, though this mainly matters for banking/legal purposes since there is no personal income tax to trigger.
Home Country Obligations: BEATS holders remain fully subject to their home country's tax residency rules and reporting obligations; the Bahamas' zero-income-tax status does not exempt anyone from tax duties elsewhere.

Eligibility

Remote worker employed by a company based outside the Bahamas
Self-employed freelancer or business owner with clients/business based outside the Bahamas
Student enrolled remotely in an accredited institution outside the Bahamas
Open to all nationalities, though citizens of countries that require a Bahamian entry visa must obtain that separately since BEATS is a residency permit, not an entry visa

Application Path

Process: Fully online through the official BEATS portal (linked from the Bahamas Department of Immigration website). Applicants complete the form, select 'Work Remotely' or 'Study Remotely', upload required documents, and pay a non-refundable application fee. A decision is typically returned within about 5 business days. If approved, the applicant pays the permit fee and receives a QR code / electronic resident card to present on entry.
Processing Time: Approximately 5 business days from submission

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 Primary Applicant: BSD 1,000
Note On Total Cost For Solo Professional: A single Work Remotely applicant typically pays the $25 application fee plus the $1,000 permit fee, totaling around $1,025 BSD/USD.

Documents Required

Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining validity
Proof of remote employment or self-employment (employment letter, freelance contracts, or business registration outside the Bahamas)
Proof of income/financial sufficiency (typically bank statements)
Valid health/medical insurance covering the Bahamas for the applicant and all dependents
Certificate of no criminal record for adult applicants
Return/onward travel ticket
Student ID or proof of enrollment (for the Study Remotely track)

Income Requirement

Minimum Specified: No
Description: There is no official minimum monthly income figure published for BEATS. Applicants must instead demonstrate through bank statements, employment letters, or freelance/business documentation that they have sufficient income to support themselves (and any dependents) for the duration of their stay.

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.

1.immigration.gov.bs

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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.