The Bahamas · Passive income
Annual Residence Permit
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open. It renews annually, at the discretion of the Director of Immigration.
This is a cheap, low-commitment way to establish lawful residence in a zero-tax jurisdiction without putting up BSD 1m. It works well as a bridge or a trial run, and it is enough on its own for a family whose only goal is to break tax residency elsewhere and spend real time in The Bahamas.
Qualifying routes
$3k
General resident
BSD 3,000 a year for the head of household, plus BSD 300 per dependant. Retired persons with 20+ years' standing pay BSD 250 a year.
The facts
- Minimum
- $3k
- Total landed cost
- BSD 3,000 per year, plus BSD 300 per dependant, plus a BSD 200 processing fee. Expediting costs BSD 400, or a 10% surcharge.
- Route type
- Income requirement
- Timeline
- 1–4 months (Discretionary)
- Physical presence
- There is no minimum stay required, but the permit grants permission to reside, not simply to visit.
- Family
- SpouseDependent children
- Permanent residency
- Time spent on annual permits can support a later application for permanent residence, but it does not accrue automatically.
- Citizenship
- Not directly. See the EPR entry.
- Language test
- None
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- Proof of financial self-sufficiencyA police certificateA medical certificateNo local employment
What can go wrong
- The permit is annual and discretionary. It can simply not be renewed, and it comes with no security of tenure.
- A residence permit is not a work permit. You cannot work in The Bahamas on one, full stop.
- Many guides still in circulation quote BSD 1,000 for the head of household and BSD 25 per dependant. That figure dates to roughly 2018. The official Immigration fee scale now sets these at BSD 3,000 and BSD 300. Do not rely on the old numbers.