Digital nomad visa in the Bahamas

Who can apply for the visa

The program covers two categories of applicant.

• Foreign nationals who are self-employed or work for a company outside the Bahamas.
• Students enrolled at an accredited educational institution outside the Bahamas.

Duration and income requirements

The visa is issued for up to one year and can be renewed for up to three years in total. There is no separate income threshold - you have to show that you have funds to support yourself.

Taxes and cost of living

BEATS visa holders pay no local income tax - the rate is 0%.

Estimated monthly expenses:

• A family of four - about $4,600 excluding rent.
• A single person - about $1,300 excluding rent.
• Renting a one-bedroom flat in the city centre - about $1,000 a month.

How the programme works

The programme was launched in October 2020 by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Department of Immigration. It is an annual residence permit for people whose income is not tied to the local labour market: remote employees of foreign companies, self-employed people with clients abroad and students of foreign institutions. The application is online and review takes about 5 business days. After approval you receive a payment email, and after payment a code to show on arrival.

The permit is valid for 12 months from issue. It can be renewed annually for up to three years in total. It does not allow working for a Bahamian employer: local employment needs a separate permit.

What it costs in 2026

• Application fee - $25 for each applicant and each dependent.
• Remote work permit - $1,000 for the main applicant and $500 for each dependent.
• Study permit - $500 per student.
• Health insurance - mandatory for the main applicant and all dependents for the whole stay.
• Housing and living - the islands are expensive: food is mostly imported and VAT is 10%.
• Our support - quoted after a consultation, depending on family size and whether you need a bank account and rental.

Fees are in Bahamian dollars, pegged one to one to the US dollar. We calculate the total for your family in the chat.

Steps and timeline

1. Check - whether your work or studies qualify and everyone travelling is insured.
2. Online application - form, documents and $25 per person.
3. Review - about 5 business days at the Department of Immigration.
4. Permit payment - after the approval email.
5. Entry code - shown to border officers on arrival.
6. Renewal - before the 12 months end, up to three years in total.

Documents

• Passport - data page, valid for the whole stay.
• Health insurance - a policy for the main applicant and each dependent.
• For remote work - a letter from your employer abroad confirming remote work, or proof of self-employment: business registration, contracts, statements.
• For study - proof of enrolment at an accredited institution and funds for living and the return trip; parents' finances also count.
• For the family - marriage and children's birth certificates.

If both spouses work remotely, each submits a separate application.

Requirements and how to get approved

• No insurance for one of the dependents.
• Work not proven - no employer letter or self-employment documents.
• Income from the Bahamas - the permit is not for local employers or clients.
• A working spouse included as a dependent - working spouses need separate applications.
• Late renewal - if not renewed on time, the stay becomes unlawful.

Taxes

• The Bahamas has no personal income tax, no capital gains tax and no inheritance tax.
• VAT - 10% since 1 January 2022.
• Home country taxes - the permit does not change your tax residence by itself. If you spend more than half the year in the Bahamas and leave Russia, it matters to exit residence properly; we discuss this in the consultation.

Life in the Bahamas: what to know

• Islands - most people live on New Providence with the capital Nassau and on Grand Bahama with Freeport; the Out Islands are quieter and supplies cost more.
• Language - English, official and everyday.
• Currency - the Bahamian dollar is pegged one to one to the US dollar, and US dollars are accepted everywhere.
• Hurricane season - June to November; choose housing and insurance with this risk in mind.
• Bank - a local account is convenient for island life: personal account in the Bahamas.

What to do after three years

The extended stay permit does not lead to permanent residence by itself. To stay longer there are two routes: an annual residence permit on another basis, or permanent residence, which the Bahamas considers for foreigners who buy a home, with accelerated review for larger purchases. Purchase rules and costs are on the Bahamas property page.

What the employer letter should say

The letter is the key document of the application, and most refusals are about it. It is written on company letterhead, in English, signed by an authorised person with contact details for verification.

• That you work for the company and since when.
• Your position and that the work is done remotely.
• That the company agrees to you working from the Bahamas for the permit term.
• That your income is paid outside the Bahamas.

Self-employed applicants use business registration, client contracts and bank statements of recent income instead.

Health insurance: what to check

• Cover in the Bahamas - the policy must apply on the islands for the whole permit term, not just for trips.
• Evacuation - complex cases from the Out Islands and Nassau are often flown to Florida, so check medical evacuation cover separately.
• All dependents - a separate policy or a family policy naming each family member.

Where to live and how to choose an island

• New Providence and Nassau - the capital, international airport, hospitals, schools, banks; the highest rents.
• Grand Bahama and Freeport - cheaper and quieter, but after the 2019 hurricane some areas and infrastructure took a long time to recover.
• Out Islands - Exuma, Eleuthera, Abaco: nature and quiet, but supplies and connectivity are weaker and a doctor may be far.
• Flights - Nassau to Miami is about an hour, so many use Florida for shopping and healthcare.
• Traffic - drives on the left.

Choose housing with hurricane season in mind: elevation, roof condition and shutters, home insurance.

Who the programme suits and who it does not

• Suits - remote employees and entrepreneurs with clients abroad who want to live by the ocean in the US East Coast time zone, with no income tax and fast processing.
• Does not suit - those who want to work locally, get permanent status quickly or live cheaply: living costs in the Bahamas are high.
• Students - if studies are fully remote at an accredited foreign institution.

Money and banking

• Dollars - the Bahamian dollar is pegged one to one to the US dollar, and both can be used.
• Account - Bahamian banks check the source of funds and ask for references; with the permit opening an account is easier. Details: personal account in the Bahamas.
• Salary from abroad - income keeps arriving in your foreign account, and you transfer living money to the local one.

Children and school

Children travel as the main applicant's dependents, with their own insurance. Nassau has private schools teaching in English on British and American curricula; the Out Islands offer much less choice. Children studying remotely at a foreign school need no separate permit - they are included in the parent's application.

Alternatives to compare

• Barbados nomad visa - also one year, but with an income threshold.
• Bermuda nomad visa - one year, no income threshold, closer to North America.
• Antigua and Barbuda nomad visa - up to 2 years with an income threshold.

How we work

1. We check whether your work qualifies and find insurance for the whole family.
2. We prepare letters and documents and file applications, including separate ones for working spouses.
3. We support payment and entry and help with rental and a bank account.
4. We remind you about renewal and prepare next year's documents.

We fix our fee in writing after a consultation.

Benefits of the BEATS visa

FAQ