Naturalizationactive
Naturalization as the spouse of a citizen
The foreign wife of a Bahamian man may register as a citizen with no residence requirement.
Citizenship routes
Ancestryreviewed
Naturalizationreviewed
Birthreviewed
Investmentreviewed
Ancestryactive
Citizenship through a qualifying Bahamian parent
The Constitution provides citizenship at birth or a registration route for a person born abroad through a qualifying Bahamian parent; the applicable rule depends on parentage and the circumstances of birth.
Sources: Constitution of The Bahamas — citizenship · Bahamas Nationality Act
Birthactive
Citizenship connected to birth in The Bahamas
Birth in The Bahamas confers citizenship at birth when a parent is Bahamian. A person born there to non-citizen parents may instead apply for registration at age 18 and before turning 19, subject to the constitutional conditions.
Naturalizationactive
Naturalization after a qualifying residence period
The Nationality Act requires twelve months of residence immediately before application and at least six aggregate years during the preceding nine years, alongside character, English, civic-knowledge and permanent-home requirements.
Sources: Bahamas Nationality Act
Residence & settlement
Annual Residence Permit (Permit to Reside)
Annually renewable permit to reside for any purpose other than working — the route used by financially independent persons and second-home owners wanting actual residence status short of PR. Fee BSD 3,000/year (BSD 300 for dependents/students); no work rights.
Sources: Permit to Reside — Bahamas Department of Immigration
Home Owner Identification Card (annual homeowner's resident card)
Renewable identification/residence card for non-Bahamians who own a habitable residence in The Bahamas while maintaining a primary residence abroad. No minimum property value stated; facilitates entry and extended stays; no work rights.
Sources: Home Owner Identification — Bahamas Department of Immigration
Economic Permanent Residence (real estate or Central Bank zero-coupon bonds)
Lifetime Certificate of Permanent Residence for economic applicants: minimum investment of BSD 1,000,000 via real estate or Central Bank of The Bahamas zero-coupon bonds, held for a minimum of 10 years. Discretionary grant; one-time certificate fee BSD 25,000 (with own-business work rights) or BSD 20,000 (without).
from BSD 1,000,000
Sources: Permanent Residence — Bahamas Department of Immigration
Digital nomad →ended
BEATS (Extended Access Travel Stay) — ended
The Bahamas ran the BEATS remote-work and study permit from October 2020 (USD 25 application, USD 1,000 worker permit, renewable up to three years); the dedicated application portal no longer resolves.
Sources: Bahamas Department of Immigration — BEATS portal (Wayback of official application)
Driving licence
Where a licence connected to Bahamas can be exchanged, based on mapped official lists. Search every issuing country.
Licence issued in Bahamas
1 mapped destination- FinlandNo tests requiredOfficial exchange list
Exchange normally requires residence in the destination and replaces the original licence. The official authority still decides validity, deadlines, classes, and any extra checks.