--- title: "The Bahamas Visa-free stay (8 months) requirements 2026" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/the-bahamas/visa-free-240d/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- The Bahamas # The Bahamas Visa-free stay (8 months) **First stay:** 8 mo Visa-free visit of up to 8 months Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026, some details partly verified [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 8 mo (Maximum 8 months; the officer at the port of entry sets the period.) - **Who can apply:** 3 nationalities (Citizens of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are recorded here. The list is partial: the official page also exempts most Commonwealth citizens and some other nationals, some for stays of no more than 3 months.) - **Work:** No (Visitors may not engage in any form of gainful occupation while in The Bahamas.) ## Key facts Visa-free stay (8 months) is a long-stay route for The Bahamas. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source. - **First stay:** 8 mo ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Work isn't allowed on this route - Only for passports from United States, Canada, United Kingdom ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - US citizen entering as a bona fide visitor for a stay not exceeding eight months; Canadian citizens and most British Commonwealth citizens, including UK citizens, also enter without a visa. #### What you must show - The visitor must be able to support themselves for the period of stay, and may be asked for evidence of sufficient funds. #### Documents - A valid passport, and a return or onward ticket. #### After you arrive - The maximum period is 8 months; the period written in the passport is at the discretion of the immigration officer at the port of entry. - An extension of stay must be requested from the Department of Immigration. ## When you become tax resident How The Bahamas decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **8 months at first** - **Tax residence:** No income tax residence test applies because no personal income tax is levied; National Insurance applies to employees, employers and the self-employed. - **Foreign-source income:** **No personal income tax** [All tax rules for The Bahamas](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/the-bahamas/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 **Full official text** Visitors may remain in The Bahamas for a maximum of 8 months, and the officer at the port of entry sets the period. US, Canadian and UK citizens do not need a Bahamian visa; the official page states the eight-month stay by nationality only for US citizens. (source 1) #### Requirements - US citizen entering as a bona fide visitor for a stay not exceeding eight months; Canadian citizens and most British Commonwealth citizens, including UK citizens, also enter without a visa. (source 1) - The visitor must be able to support themselves for the period of stay, and may be asked for evidence of sufficient funds. (source 1) - A valid passport, and a return or onward ticket. (source 1) - The maximum period is 8 months; the period written in the passport is at the discretion of the immigration officer at the port of entry. (source 1) - An extension of stay must be requested from the Department of Immigration. (source 1) #### Stay - Maximum 8 months; the officer at the port of entry sets the period. - Initial permitted stay: 8 months. - Visitor stay up to 8 months: Set by the immigration officer at entry. #### Nationality Citizens of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are recorded here. The list is partial: the official page also exempts most Commonwealth citizens and some other nationals, some for stays of no more than 3 months. Open to: United States, Canada, United Kingdom. #### Work Visitors may not engage in any form of gainful occupation while in The Bahamas. Checked 2026-10-12 · partly verified ## Official sources 1. [Entry requirements](https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/) · Bahamas Immigration Department · checked 2026-10-12 ## Visa-free stay (8 months) and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Visa-free stay (8 months) | – | 8 mo | No | | [Visa-free stay](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/visa-free-180d/) Mexico | – | 6 mo | No | | [Andean free movement](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/colombia/free-movement-can/) Colombia | – | 2 yr | Yes | | [Free movement by treaty](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/brazil/free-movement-brazil-uruguay/) Brazil | – | – | – | | [Mercosur residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/argentina/free-movement-mercosur/) Argentina | – | 2 yr, renewable | Yes | ## Questions people ask ### How long can I stay on the Visa-free stay (8 months)? Maximum 8 months; the officer at the port of entry sets the period. ### Can I work on the Visa-free stay (8 months)? No. Visitors may not engage in any form of gainful occupation while in The Bahamas. ### Who can apply for the Visa-free stay (8 months)? Citizens of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are recorded here. The list is partial: the official page also exempts most Commonwealth citizens and some other nationals, some for stays of no more than 3 months. Open to: United States, Canada, United Kingdom. ## Similar visas elsewhere [🇨🇦 Visa-free stay (6 months)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/canada/visa-free-180d/) [🇺🇾 Mercosur residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/uruguay/free-movement-mercosur/) [🇨🇱 Mercosur residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/chile/free-movement-mercosur/) [🇵🇪 Visa-free stay (6 months)](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/peru/visa-free-183d/) [🇦🇬 CARICOM free movement](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/antigua-and-barbuda/free-movement-caricom/) [🇧🇿 CARICOM free movement](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/belize/free-movement-caricom/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## How this was checked **Checked on 2026-10-12 against 1 official source.** Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm. Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out. 1. [Entry requirements](https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/) · Bahamas Immigration Department · checked 2026-10-12 Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.