At a glance
If your main home is outside The Bahamas and you also own a habitable home there, you can apply for a Home Owner Resident Permit to make entry easier. You need proof of ownership and up-to-date property-tax payments. Buying a property does not automatically give you the permit.
- Bahamian home
- A registered deed, current property-tax records, and an International Landholding Certificate
- Main home
- Proof that your primary home is outside The Bahamas
- First application
- You should remain outside The Bahamas while the application is processed
Summary
This homeowner permit is tied to a habitable Bahamian residence owned by the applicant and a primary residence outside The Bahamas. The current checklist calls for the registered conveyance, current real-property-tax evidence, and an International Landholding Certificate. It does not itself authorize work, promise a fixed stay on each visit, or automatically cover a spouse or children on the same card. Official pages currently show conflicting fee information, so confirm the current amount before payment. See the official Home Owner Resident Permit page.
The official homeowner pages do not publish a minimum property value for this permit. It is separate from the BSD 1,000,000 economic permanent-residence route and is issued under the International Persons Landholding Act.
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Confirm the home and ownership structure Check that the habitable Bahamian home and the proposed ownership arrangement fit the official requirements.
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Document both homes and current records Prepare the conveyance, property-tax and landholding records, plus evidence of your primary home outside The Bahamas.
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Apply and read the issued conditions Submit the personal and property evidence, then confirm the permit’s validity and entry terms if approved.
The Home Owner Resident Permit is separate from economic permanent residence. It does not itself authorize work or automatically cover accompanying family members.
Eligibility
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says any non-Bahamian who owns property on one of the islands should be eligible to apply. The Department's newer checklist is more specific and asks for:
- a registered deed of conveyance for a home in The Bahamas;
- proof that current real property tax has been paid;
- an International Landholding Certificate;
- proof of a primary home outside The Bahamas, such as home insurance, mortgage documents or a tax certificate;
- the application form and request letter;
- a medical certificate issued no more than 30 days before submission;
- for an applicant aged 14 or older, a police certificate issued no more than six months before submission and covering five years of residence;
- passport and photograph evidence; and
- corporate good-standing, incumbency, marriage or birth records where applicable.
The Department says foreign-language documents require certified English translations and that a first-time applicant should not be in The Bahamas while the application is being processed.
The official pages are not fully aligned on the processing fee: the newer Department page lists BSD 200, while the older Ministry page lists BSD 100 plus BSD 500 on approval. Confirm the amount directly with the Department before payment.
What This Route Allows
The stated purpose is to facilitate a foreign homeowner's entry and residence in connection with the Bahamian home. The same Department form is used for renewal, so the status is renewable if the person continues to qualify and the Department approves the renewal.
The permit issued to the applicant is the controlling document. Applicants should confirm its exact validity dates, entry terms and any conditions rather than rely on generalized statements about how long each visit may last.
What This Route Is Not
- It is not permanent residence, citizenship or a Bahamian passport.
- It is not a work permit and should not be presented as authority for employment, self-employment, operating a local business or remote work.
- It is not automatically issued with a property purchase.
- It does not automatically cover a spouse or children. The official checklist is written per applicant; ask the Department what separate status each family member needs.
- The official pages do not support promises of a particular maximum stay, waiver of a return ticket, public benefits or a citizenship-residence clock.
- Owning through a company should not be assumed to qualify merely because the applicant is a beneficial owner; the Department requests corporate records where applicable and should confirm the accepted ownership structure.
- The permit does not decide tax residence or tax liability.
Next Steps
- Before buying property for this purpose, ask the Department to confirm that the proposed home and ownership structure will qualify and whether an International Landholding Certificate is required.
- Register the conveyance and keep the real-property-tax account current.
- Obtain proof of the applicant's primary home outside The Bahamas.
- Download the current form from the Department's Home Owner Resident Permit page and assemble the listed identity, police, medical, property and corporate records.
- Confirm the current processing and issuance fees because the two official web pages currently show different amounts.
- Follow the Department's current direction about filing from outside The Bahamas and ask what separate applications family members need.
- On approval, read the permit's validity and conditions carefully. Do not work without separate authorization.
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Sources
- Home Owner Resident Permit — Bahamas Department of Immigration — current purpose, documents, translation rules and form.
- Applying for a Home Owners Resident Card — Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs — official eligibility summary, older process information and published fee information.
- Laws of The Bahamas — official source for the International Persons Landholding Act and immigration legislation.