Non-Bahamian nationals who are desirous of living for any purpose other than working in the Bahamas, must seek authorization from the Department of Immigration.  This comes in the form of a Residence Permit, also commonly known as an Annual Permit.

Eligibility

Any non-Bahamian who is:

• Attending school, college or university; or
• A dependent of someone who is legally authorized to reside in the Bahamas, Bahamian or non-Bahamian. (Dependents may be spouses, or children under the age of 18)

Process

1. Complete application form
2. Attach the completed notarised form to the supporting documents
3. Submit to the Department of Immigration

Application Form(s)

First Schedule Form I (Questions 1 to 20 & 30 to 35)

Supporting Documents

• A letter of request addressed to the Director of Immigration
• A copy of the bio-data page of the applicant's passport
• 2 passport-sized identical colour photographs of the applicant, with the applicant’s name printed on the reverse side (photographs must not be more than 6 months old)
• A police certificate of character covering 5 years’ residence in The Bahamas (issued not more than six months prior to the submission of the application)
• A medical certificate dated not more than 30 days prior to the submission of the application
• 2 written character references
• Marriage certificate (married persons)
• Spouse’s death certificate (widowed persons)
• Divorce decree (divorcees)
• Financial statements from the applicant’s financial institution showing proof of financial support, indicating a figure range
• $10.00 Bahamian Stamp affixed to application

Turn-around time

Once the actual application has been accurately and completely submitted, applicant should contact the Inquiries Unit @ 502-0550 for an update of the status of the application within a 3 to 4 week period.

Deadline

There is no deadline for this service.

Related Fee(s)

There is a non-refundable processing fee of BS$100.00

For more information please contact