Bahamas Residency by Investment

The minimum qualifying investment is $1,000,000 USD, effective January 1, 2025, raised from $750,000. It must be a single qualifying property (values are not combined across properties), or approved Central Bank zero-coupon bonds, held for at least ten years. Purchases of $1,500,000 or above qualify for accelerated review.

The Bahamas levies no income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance or estate tax and no wealth tax, and the dollar is pegged 1:1 to the USD. These are features of the jurisdiction rather than EPR perks, and they do not by themselves override your home-country tax obligations, which you should confirm with qualified tax counsel.

Most applications take several months from submission, commonly a few months up to around a year. The timeline depends on documentation and Immigration workload, with an interview part-way through, and purchases of $1,500,000 or above qualify for accelerated review. The single biggest source of delay is police clearance certificates from previous countries of residence, so start those as soon as a property is under contract, and file concurrently with the closing to avoid losing weeks to sequential processing.

Yes. A spouse and dependent children under 18 can be included, with a $300 endorsement fee per dependent, and they receive the same right of residence as the primary applicant. Adult dependents over 18 should be discussed in advance, as their treatment depends on current Department of Immigration guidelines.

No. Standard EPR grants the right to reside indefinitely but not to work or run a business; a separate permit is required for employment or commerce. EPR with work rights is available at a higher government fee of $25,000, versus $20,000 for standard EPR. Glenn advises on the right application type during the eligibility assessment.

No. Standard EPR does not impose a minimum number of days in-country, and holders can travel freely and maintain residency elsewhere. There is no annual residency report. Maintaining meaningful ties, such as property ownership and regular visits, is advisable to support the status if it is reviewed.

Residential condominiums, single-family homes, waterfront estates and land all qualify, provided the single investment is $1,000,000 or above. Central Bank zero-coupon bonds qualify as an alternative to real estate. For condos, units at that level in Aqualina, One Cable Beach, Goldwynn, Baha Mar and One Ocean are eligible. For homes and estates, see the foreign buyer's guide.

No. Buying a qualifying property does not grant residency automatically; it makes you eligible to apply for Economic Permanent Residency. You still file an application with the Department of Immigration, which reviews and approves it. The purchase qualifies you, but it does not by itself confer the status.

Not automatically. Permanent Residency and citizenship are separate processes, and EPR does not grant a Bahamian passport. Citizenship may be pursued later through naturalisation where eligible, but it is a distinct and discretionary process with its own long residency requirements.

The qualifying investment is expected to be held for at least ten years to maintain the basis for your EPR. Selling earlier can put that basis at risk, so any sale or replacement within the period should be planned in advance with your attorney and confirmed with the Department of Immigration.

Yes. Owners commonly place qualifying condos in managed rental programmes. Note that renting it rather than living in it generally makes the property non-owner-occupied for real property tax, which is assessed on a different scale, but it does not remove the property's role as your qualifying EPR investment.

The government fee is $20,000 for standard EPR and $25,000 for EPR with work rights, plus $300 per dependent spouse or child under 18. Fees are payable to the Department of Immigration, non-refundable once submitted, and fixed by regulation, not subject to agent mark-up. Legal, due diligence and acquisition costs apply separately; see the closing costs calculator.

Yes. A qualifying Nassau condo at $1,000,000 or above can support an EPR application. Units at that level in Aqualina, Goldwynn, One Cable Beach, Baha Mar and One Ocean qualify; Palm Cay also has qualifying units at $1M+. See the Nassau condos page for current listings.