Bahamas Entry and Travel Requirements

Bahamas Entry Requirements determine the rules that all visitors traveling to the Bahamas must follow for hassle-free entry to the country. These requirements include the necessary documents as well as the restrictions introduced due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

Apart from a valid passport, nationals of some countries may need to obtain a visa for the Bahamas. Depending on the traveler's nationality, the visa requirements may differ. The Bahamas visa policy distinguishes a few visa types or travel permits. Most travelers who need a visa for the Bahamas do not need to visit Embassy for this purpose. However, all travelers who wish to stay in the Bahamas for longer, especially for working or living purposes, will need to make an appointment at the Bahamas diplomatic mission and apply for the appropriate permit or visa.

Currently, nationals of 120 countries can travel to the Bahamas for 3 months visa-free. In addition, diplomatic or official passports issued to Haiti and Cuba nationals qualify them for visa exemption for the Bahamas. 

The Bahamas also offers a visa on arrival service for Indian citizens who hold visas issued by the US, Canada, UK, or Schengen Member State. They may stay in the Bahamas with VoA for maximally 90 days. All arrivals to the Bahamas are also required to complete the Immigration Form upon arrival.

The Bahamas remains open for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated international visitors. Depending on the vaccination status and age of a traveler, the Bahamas entry and travel requirements may vary and are subject to change at short notice. 

Before going to the Bahamas, we highly advise all travelers to check the latest information on entry requirements, including testing, vaccination, and quarantine requirements, as well as the documents they may need to enter the Bahamas amid Covid-19.
 
Important Update! As of 19 June 2022, the Bahamas eliminated the requirement to hold the Bahamas Travel Health Visa as well as pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travelers.

Documents check-list for entering the Bahamas

• a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of the planned trip
• Travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage
• RT-PCR or antigen rapid negative test result (depending on vaccination status) taken within 3 days before arrival
• Vaccination proof (if vaccinated)

Bahamas Travel Health Visa

All international visitors to the Bahamas (excluding Bahamian citizens and legal residents) must obtain a Bahamas Travel Health Visa in advance of their trip. From October 2021, a Travel Health Visa is no longer mandatory for inter-island travel within the Bahamas.

Citizens of all countries around the globe are eligible for two types of Bahamas Travel Health Visa. Each type differs in terms of the allowed period of stay in the Bahamas. Depending on particular travel needs, applicants can apply either for:

• a single-entry visa for a 5-day stay or
• a single-entry visa for a stay longer than 5 days (30 days at most)

The application for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa should be submitted individually by every person aged 18 and older. Travelers aged 17 years and younger should be added to the account of their parents or guardians who need to complete the individual health visa applications on behalf of their underage travel companion.

Testing, vaccination, and quarantine requirements

Fully vaccinated travelers need to provide a negative COVID-19 test result to enter the Bahamas. It may be either a RAT or RT-PCR test performed no earlier than 72 hours before arrival. Unvaccinated travelers going to the Bahamas must provide an RT-PCR negative test report taken no more than 3 days before the planned arrival date. Rapid antigen tests are not acceptable in the case of unvaccinated arrivals.

Children between 2 and 11 years of age are not exempt from the testing requirements as well. They may provide either a RAT or RT-PCR test performed within 72 hours prior to the arrival.

All Bahamian residents and citizens who plan to travel abroad for 2 days or more must provide a COVID-19 test performed in the visited destination in order to travel back to the Bahamas. Any RT-PCR or RAT taken in the Bahamas before a trip abroad will not be recognized as valid for re-entry unless the traveler is leaving the Bahamas and going back within 24 hours.

Vaccination requirements

Travelers planning to visit the Bahamas do not need to be fully vaccinated. Nevertheless, vaccinated travelers may use the vaccination proof to enter the Bahamas easier and access many tourist activities trouble-free.

The Bahamas Government accepts the following COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers:

• AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria/Covishield)
• Janssen (Johnson&Johnson)
• Sinopharm
• Sinovac
• Covaxin
• Moderna (Spikevax)
• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)

A traveler must have received the required full regimen of the coronavirus vaccine at least 14 days prior to the planned arrival date in the Bahamas. It is the 2-week immunity period necessary to be recognized as fully vaccinated by the Bahamian authorities.

Quarantine requirements

Currently, there is no mandatory quarantine for travelers who hold a valid Bahamas Travel Health Visa. However, any visitor who has coronavirus symptoms on arrival or during their stay in the Bahamas is required to take a COVID-19 RAT before continuing with their further trip.

A person who tested positive for COVID-19 is required to take a follow-up RT-PCR test. If the result is negative, they are allowed to continue their vacation. In the case of a positive follow-up RT-PCR test, a person is subject to isolation for 7-14 days. The quarantine period is determined by the severity of coronavirus symptoms. In order to legally end the isolation, an infected traveler must consult the Public Health Official.

Entering the Bahamas by sea

A traveler who plans to enter the Bahamas by sea must stop at an entry port and submit to the local authorities a copy of the valid Bahamas Travel Health Visa, a negative COVID-19 test report, and a certificate confirming that a person has received a full regimen of coronavirus vaccination.

All passengers traveling to the Bahamas by sea, no matter on a personal or commercial vessel, for longer than 72 hours, are obliged to present a certificate proving that their COVID-19 test was valid at their departure time and that their trip had no prior stops before reaching the Bahamas.

Entry Requirements for Children

• Testing: Children aged 2 and younger are exempt from any testing requirements; travelers aged 2-11 can provide either a RAT or RT-PCR negative test (taken within 72 hours before arrival).
• Vaccination: There is no obligation to be vaccinated in order to enter the Bahamas.
• BTHV: All travelers need to hold a Bahamas Travel Health Visa; underage travelers should be added to the profiles of their parents or guardians who need to apply for the BTHV on their behalf.

Local Travel Requirements

The Bahamas is an archipelago consisting of over 700 islands and cays, which are spread over 100,000 square miles. In practice, it means that restrictions and situations caused by COVID-19 may differ on each of the 16 islands available for visitors.

Depending on the visited island, the restrictions implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic may be different for restaurants, various establishments, beaches, and other tourist attractions.

All public and private parks and beaches are open and operate on normal terms. Restaurants located on most islands allow guests to dine both indoors and outdoors.

Wearing masks should be respected in any situation when necessary, including in public spaces.

Before going to the Bahamas, travelers should check the detailed restrictions applicable to a given island destination they plan to visit.

Travel Insurance

Every visitor who wishes to enter the Bahamas, regardless of their vaccination status, is obliged to purchase health insurance when submitting an application for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa. The insurance will cover a traveler for up to a 30-day stay in the Bahamas and include all potential COVID-19 treatment costs.