Bahamas digital nomad visa & residency (2026)

The Bahamas Extended Access Travel Stay (BEATS) permit, launched October 2020, allowed remote professionals and students to reside for up to 12 months (renewable twice). It was reportedly suspended without formal notice — communicated only via a Ministry of Immigration flyer — and had just 34 approvals in total before going inactive.

Non-Bahamian nationals may apply for an annual Permit to Reside for purposes 'other than working' in the Bahamas. This is the most accessible current route for remote workers employed by foreign entities, though it does not explicitly authorise remote work and requires renewal each year. Fees include a BSD 200 processing fee plus standard government charges.

The Bahamas offers an Economic Certificate of Permanent Residence ('golden visa') requiring a minimum BSD/USD 1 million qualifying investment in Bahamian real estate or Central Bank zero-coupon bonds, effective 1 January 2025 (raised from BSD 750,000). The investment must be maintained for a minimum of 10 years or residency may be revoked. Government approval fee is BSD 20,000.

Permanent residence is available to spouses of Bahamians (after 5 years of cohabiting marriage), financially independent individuals who own property in the Bahamas, and those who have held legal status in the country for more than 20 consecutive years.

The Bahamas levies no personal income tax on individuals, meaning foreign-sourced remote income is untaxed regardless of residency route. This remains a significant attraction for remote workers and was a key selling point of the now-suspended BEATS programme.

The official immigration portal (portal.immigration.gov.bs) retains BEATS-related payment pages and the programme's promotional website (bahamasbeats.com) remains accessible, creating ambiguity about the programme's formal legal status. Applicants should confirm directly with the Department of Immigration before applying.