Bahamas Economic Permanent Residence in 2026

The Bahamas has a statutory economic permanent residence route under section 17A of the Immigration Act. This is the closest legal match to searches such as “Bahamas permanent residence by investment,” but it should not be described as citizenship by investment: the status is permanent residence, not automatic Bahamian nationality.

Current $1,000,000 investment rule

The Immigration (Amendment)(No. 2) Act 2024, effective 1 January 2025, replaced the prior threshold with a requirement to make an investment of $1,000,000 for a minimum period of 10 years in:

  1. real estate in The Bahamas; or
  2. Zero Coupon Bonds issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas.

The government’s 2024/25 Budget Communication announced the same change and ten-year holding requirement.

The statute does not turn a small second-home purchase into economic permanent residence. For ordinary homeowner documentation, review the Home Owner Resident Card.

Ninety days per year

Section 17A, introduced in 2021, also requires an economic permanent resident to reside in The Bahamas for a cumulative period of no less than 90 days per year. The 2024 amendment changed the qualifying investment paragraph but did not remove that residence requirement.

Planning only to own an asset while never spending the statutory time in The Bahamas is therefore not consistent with the section 17A framework.

Real-estate evidence

For the real-estate route, current government policy and legislation require formal evidence rather than an informal valuation claim. The 2024 reform requires or supports checks including:

  • conveyance/property documents;
  • evidence of VAT/payment and recording;
  • sales agreement;
  • Real Property Tax assessment number and tax compliance; and
  • an appraisal by a licensed appraiser confirming value.

A Deed of Gift does not qualify as the real-estate investment for economic permanent residence.

Central Bank zero-coupon bonds

The alternative is a $1,000,000 purchase of qualifying Zero Coupon Bonds issued by the Central Bank of The Bahamas, again held for at least ten years. The statutory purpose of this option is distinct from a normal bank deposit or private security; do not substitute an unrelated investment product.

Certificate fees in 2026

The 2023 fee amendment created two economic-permanent-residence certificate fees:

  • $25,000 where the certificate includes the right to engage in gainful occupation in the holder’s own business; and
  • $20,000 without that right.

The 2026 fee amendment raised the second category from $20,000 to $25,000. Accordingly, the current prescribed certificate fee is $25,000 for either economic PR variant, before any separate application/processing charge that applies.

A separate $500 reinstatement fee exists for the statutory inactive-application situation after the relevant 90-day fee-payment deadline.

Work rights are not unlimited

The section 17A work-enabled variant is phrased around gainful occupation in the holder’s own business. It should not be marketed as an unrestricted employee work permit for any employer. If you plan ordinary employment outside your own business, confirm the work-permit consequences.

Lifetime status, continuing obligations

An economic permanent residence certificate is designed to remain in force for the holder’s lifetime unless revoked. Section 17A also requires the qualifying asset to remain at the prescribed value for the minimum holding period and includes recurring declaration obligations.

Permanent residence can still be revoked in circumstances provided by the Act. Keep the qualifying investment, residence-day evidence, tax/property records and material personal information current.

Application documents

The Department’s economic permanent residence form requests birth/marriage records, police and medical certificates, photographs, character references, financial references demonstrating economic worth, notarization and information about residence and investments. Current section 17A property/bond rules add the qualifying investment evidence described above.

Not a citizenship-by-investment programme

Economic permanent residence does not itself confer citizenship. Nationality has separate constitutional/statutory rules. Anyone seeking a passport rather than residence should not treat a $1 million investment as a citizenship purchase.

For other permanent categories, see Bahamas Permanent Residence. For a renewable non-work option, see annual residence.

Return to the Bahamas residence hub, Caribbean relocation options or investor routes.

Verified against Bahamian government sources on 16 September 2026.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Bahamas