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Pathway

Bahamas Work Permit

Bahamas Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

If you want to work in The Bahamas for more than 90 days, you generally need a work permit supported by your employer. The application normally requires a Labor Certificate and proof that the job was advertised locally. Approval covers the specified employer and job. Work lasting up to 90 days uses a separate short-term permit process.

Job offer required?
Yes, for a named employer and vacancy
Recruitment records
Required Labor Certificate and local advertising, unless a specific exemption applies
Worker’s records
Passport, medical and police certificates, past-employer references, and relevant qualifications

Summary

The Bahamas work permit allows foreign nationals to take an approved local job. For work longer than 90 days, the application must identify the employer and vacancy and include a Labor Certificate and evidence that the vacancy was advertised in a local newspaper for three consecutive days. Work of 90 days or less uses the short-term process. A spouse or other dependent is not automatically endorsed on the worker's permit and files a separate Permit to Reside. Long service can support a separate permanent-residence application only in the Department's specific categories; it is not an automatic 10-year result.

Renewal requires updated employer and worker records rather than an automatic extension of the original job approval. Recruitment exemptions exist for certain senior roles, while domestic and similar jobs have specific labor-certificate requirements under the September 2025 rules.

The employer and proposed job are part of the application
  1. Define the employer, role, and duration Choose the ordinary or short-term work-permit process for the actual proposed work.
  2. Complete the labor-market steps The employer prepares the required vacancy, local advertising, Labor Certificate, and business evidence.
  3. Obtain authorization before starting Submit the worker’s documents and wait for the permit authorizing the named employment.

A job offer alone does not authorize work. Changes of employer or role, outside work, and accompanying family members may require separate applications.

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Eligibility

The Department's current new-permit checklist requires evidence including:

Some companies and jobs are asked for further evidence, such as the worker's qualifications, a staff list by position and nationality, or a financial reference. The employer should confirm the exact Labor Certificate process and occupation-specific licensing before applying.

The Department distinguishes:

The current fee scale varies significantly by occupation and category. Check the official scale for the precise role and confirm who is responsible for each fee before applying.

Family members

The Department's work-permit page says accompanying dependents must apply for a Permit to Reside. A spouse does not receive work authorization through the worker's permit and needs a separate work permit to work.

What This Route Allows

An approved permit allows the named non-Bahamian to perform the work authorized by that permit for its validity period. The issued document and approval conditions control the employer, role and duration.

The permit can be renewed if the employer and worker remain eligible and the Department approves a complete renewal. The renewal checklist again requires employer, immigration, tax/National Insurance and labor-market documents. The Department exempts certain senior roles from the labor-certificate and advertisement requirements. For domestic and similar jobs in Fee Scale 8, a labor certificate is required for new applications and renewals from September 1, 2025, and every two years thereafter.

Long service can create a separate possibility of permanent residence, but the official categories are specific. The Department currently lists people with more than 20 consecutive years of lawful work-permit status, and people who resided for at least 10 but less than 20 years while holding work permits in scales 5–8. This is an application for permanent residence, not an automatic conversion.

What This Route Is Not

Next Steps

  1. Obtain a written offer that identifies the Bahamian employer, position, duties and proposed term.
  2. Have the employer confirm the Department of Labor vacancy, advertisement and Labor Certificate process before any work begins.
  3. Gather the employer's business, National Insurance and staffing records and the worker's qualifications, references, passport, police and medical evidence.
  4. Use the short-term route if the work will last no more than 90 days; otherwise use the new work-permit process for employment over 90 days.
  5. Check the current immigration fee scale for the exact occupation and verify the fee with the Department.
  6. File separate Permit to Reside applications for accompanying dependents and a separate work permit for any family member who will work.
  7. Do not begin work until the authorization has been issued. Before expiry, use the current renewal checklist and disclose any employer or role change.

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Sources