Digital Nomad & Residency · Bermuda
Bermuda digital nomad visa & residency (2026)
Bermuda shaded by its digital nomad & residency status
Bermuda's dedicated digital-nomad visa, the 'Work from Bermuda' One Year Residential Certificate, closed to new applications on 28 February 2025. Remote workers can still relocate via the multi-year 'Permission to Reside on an Annual Basis' route, which explicitly permits remote work for non-Bermuda employers, while high-net-worth relocators can obtain residency through the Economic Investment and Residential Certificate (EIRC).
Key points
The COVID-era 'Work from Bermuda' One Year Residential Certificate (launched August 2020, ~1,800 participants) stopped accepting applications on 28 February 2025; there is no longer a stand-alone digital-nomad visa.
'Permission to Reside on an Annual Basis' lets non-employed individuals live in Bermuda without a local work permit; remote work for companies based outside Bermuda is expressly permitted, while seeking local employment is not.
Applicants must be over 18, of good character, financially self-sufficient and hold valid health insurance; permission may be granted for periods of up to five years (fees ~$275 for one year, ~$1,215 for five years).
The Economic Investment and Residential Certificate grants resident status (with the right to live and seek employment) to individuals investing at least US$2.5 million in qualifying Bermuda real estate, businesses, charities or government funds, available to the holder plus spouse and minor dependents.
Under the revised EIRC policy, residency rights are conferred from the date of issuance, removing the former five-year waiting period that applied under the earlier Economic Investment Certificate.
The Government announced in February 2025 that it is transitioning away from the one-year nomad certificate back toward multi-year residency permissions, signalling a structural shift rather than a temporary pause.
Timeline - major decisions & events
Bermuda's first major overhaul of work-permit rules since 2017 took effect, adding English-proficiency tests, a new Family Office Permit and stronger Bermudian-hiring priority; it consolidated the framework that replaced the digital-nomad scheme.
Government of Bermuda ↗Economy and Labour Minister Jason Hayward formally outlined the conclusion of the Work from Bermuda initiative and the coming work-permit reforms, citing long-term economic and housing-affordability strategy.
The Royal Gazette ↗With the nomad certificate gone, remote workers must now use the Immigration and Protection Act's 'Permission to Reside on an Annual Basis' — no local work permitted, but remote work for overseas employers is allowed for those with means and health insurance.
Appleby ↗Bermuda closed its Work from Bermuda one-year residential certificate after roughly 1,800 permits over 4.5 years; existing holders get 90 days from expiry to depart, ending the dedicated digital-nomad pathway.
Fragomen ↗The 2021 EIC and Residential Certificate policies were merged into a single EIRC granting an indefinite right to reside immediately on a $2.5M qualifying investment, removing the prior five-year wait — Bermuda's main investor-residency route.
Government of Bermuda ↗An official update reported about 937 certificates approved in the first year and 74 holders approved for one-year extensions, confirming the scheme as renewable case-by-case for up to five years.
Government of Bermuda ↗A new investor-residency policy took effect: a $2.5M investment in Bermuda's economy earned a five-year right to reside (EIC) plus a path to a longer-term Residential Certificate, broadening high-net-worth residency options.
Government of Bermuda ↗Bermuda became an early mover among digital-nomad destinations, opening a $263 certificate letting remote workers ('digital nomads') and remote students live on the island for 12 months without seeking local work.
Government of Bermuda ↗The foundational statute governing all entry, residence and work in Bermuda — including residential certificates, permanent resident's certificates and ministerial permission to reside — remains the legal basis for every later residency scheme.
Bermuda Laws (Government of Bermuda) ↗Bermuda - other topics
Last verified 5/23/2026 · Orientation, not legal advice - verify against the primary sources linked above. Explore the full world map →