At a glance
You can apply for economic permanent residence in The Bahamas through a qualifying investment of at least BSD 1,000,000 in Bahamian real estate or Central Bank zero-coupon bonds. For applications under the rules effective January 1, 2025, you must keep the investment for at least ten years. Approval is not automatic, and this route does not grant citizenship.
- Investment
- At least BSD 1,000,000 in qualifying Bahamian property or Central Bank zero-coupon bonds
- Holding period
- At least ten years under the rules effective January 1, 2025
- Records needed
- Investment, lawful funding, required approvals, and a medical certificate less than 30 days old
Summary
The Bahamas grants an Economic Certificate of Permanent Residence to foreign investors who commit at least BSD 1,000,000 (up from BSD 750,000 as of 1 January 2025) to Bahamian real estate or to Central Bank Zero-Coupon Bonds. The investment must be held for a minimum of 10 years, and property must be registered in the applicant's name or in the name of a company the applicant controls. Economic PR is permanent, confers no local work rights without a separate permit, and starts the clock toward naturalization after 10 years of PR.
The certificate normally lasts for your lifetime unless it is canceled. Keep meeting its investment conditions. The Bahamian dollar and US dollar are different currencies, even though they generally trade at the same value; record the investment amount and payment currency clearly.
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Choose eligible property or Central Bank bonds Review title, valuation, lawful funds, and the applicable investment conditions.
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Prepare the permanent-residence application Add the current identity, background, medical, and family evidence.
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Check the certificate’s rights and continuing conditions Confirm work rights and retain evidence that the required investment is maintained.
The investment does not guarantee approval and does not grant citizenship.
Eligibility
The core statutory requirement is a qualifying investment of at least BSD 1,000,000 for a minimum ten-year period in one of these forms:
- real estate in The Bahamas; or
- zero-coupon bonds issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
A deed of gift cannot be used as the real-estate investment for this category.
For a real-estate application, the 2024 amendment requires evidence including the conveyance, sales agreement, real-property-tax assessment number, proof that the relevant tax was paid and the conveyance lodged for recording, and a valuation by a licensed appraiser. For a bond application, the applicant must provide a Central Bank receipt confirming the qualifying purchase.
The Department of Immigration also lists general permanent-residence documents. These currently include:
- a completed and notarized application and request letter;
- a medical certificate issued no more than 30 days before submission;
- a police certificate for each applicant aged 14 or older, issued no more than six months before submission and covering five years of residence;
- passport, birth-certificate, photograph and, where applicable, marriage and family documents;
- two character references;
- proof of current immigration status and property-tax payment, where applicable; and
- properly authenticated foreign documents and certified English translations.
The official checklist should be checked immediately before applying because document, authentication and fee requirements can change.
What This Route Allows
An approved certificate gives permanent-resident status for the holder's lifetime unless revoked. The Department describes permanent residence as carrying the right to reside and/or work, but the precise permission is recorded on the certificate. Applicants who intend to work should confirm that the certificate expressly includes the right to work rather than assuming that investment alone authorizes employment.
A spouse and children may need their own applications or endorsements and supporting civil-status documents. Family inclusion should therefore be confirmed with the Department for the particular household before making the investment.
After the minimum ten-year holding period has been completed, the investment condition does not by itself convert residence into citizenship. Any later citizenship application is a separate process under Bahamian nationality law.
What This Route Is Not
- It is not a Bahamian passport or a citizenship-by-investment program.
- Investing BSD 1,000,000 does not guarantee approval; the Immigration Board decides the application.
- Buying any property does not qualify automatically. The value, ownership and required transaction records must satisfy the statutory rules.
- A deed of gift does not count as the qualifying real-estate investment.
- The certificate should not be treated as automatic permission to work unless the issued certificate says that the holder may work.
- It is not a short-term or liquid investment route: the qualifying asset must be held for at least ten years.
- Permanent residence alone does not settle an applicant's tax residence, tax liability or citizenship position in another country. Those questions require separate advice based on the person's facts.
Next Steps
- Read the current Department of Immigration permanent-residence page and download the economic permanent-residence form.
- Choose between qualifying real estate and Central Bank zero-coupon bonds, then obtain advice on title, valuation, taxes, source-of-funds evidence and the ten-year holding obligation before committing funds.
- If using real estate, confirm that the conveyance, sales agreement, tax-assessment number, proof of tax payment and licensed appraisal will meet section 17A. Do not rely on a deed of gift.
- If using bonds, confirm the current purchase process directly with the Central Bank and obtain the receipt required by section 17A.
- Assemble the Department's current identity, police, medical, civil-status, authentication and translation documents. Check each document's validity window before submission.
- Confirm the current fees and whether the requested certificate will include the right to work. Keep evidence that the qualifying asset remains held for the required ten years.
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Sources
- Permanent Residence — Bahamas Department of Immigration — current categories, application form and document checklist.
- Immigration (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2024 — official Gazette text establishing the BSD 1,000,000 investment, ten-year holding period, permitted assets and evidence rules from January 1, 2025.
- 2024/2025 Budget Communication — Office of the Prime Minister — official explanation of the January 1, 2025 change.
- Immigration fee scale — Bahamas Department of Immigration — published fee schedule; verify that it remains current before payment.