Bahamas Home Owner Resident Card in 2026

The Bahamas has a distinct annual immigration document for qualifying foreign homeowners: the Home Owner Resident Card. It is separate from ordinary annual residence and separate again from the $1 million economic permanent-residence programme.

The current Immigration (General) Regulations expressly recognize an annual home owner resident biometric card issued in connection with the International Persons Landholding Act.

What the Department asks for

The Department’s current Home Owner Resident Card application lists:

  • a request letter to the Director of Immigration;
  • two passport photographs;
  • a valid, readable passport;
  • a medical certificate issued within 30 days;
  • a police certificate issued within six months;
  • documentary proof that current Real Property Tax has been paid;
  • a registered Deed of Conveyance showing ownership of a home in The Bahamas; and
  • an International Landholding Certificate.

The form states a $200 processing fee and shows a $10 stamp tax.

Is there a minimum property price for the homeowner card?

The Department’s homeowner-card application does not state a universal minimum purchase price for this annual card. Do not import the $1,000,000 economic-permanent-residence threshold into the homeowner-card rules.

The $1,000,000 figure belongs to the separate economic permanent residence statute, where the qualifying real estate or Central Bank bond investment must be held for at least ten years.

What the card does — and does not do

The homeowner card is designed to document annual residence/entry for an eligible owner. It does not by itself turn the owner into an economic permanent resident, and property ownership does not create an automatic right to take local employment.

If the holder wants to engage in gainful occupation, the work question must be addressed under the Bahamas work permit rules or another status that expressly carries work rights.

Property records matter

The application’s requirement for a registered deed, landholding certificate and current Real Property Tax evidence means that informal purchase arrangements are not a substitute for completed property documentation. Keep conveyance, registration and tax records organized before filing.

For a large investment intended to support permanent status, the legal requirements are stricter. The government’s current economic-permanent-residence regime requires qualifying value, ten-year holding, and additional formal evidence; a deed of gift cannot be used to qualify under section 17A.

Family members

Government investment guidance has historically described the homeowner card as facilitating residence for the owner and family, but immigration status should be confirmed for each spouse/child rather than assuming a work entitlement. A spouse of a Bahamian citizen should use the separate resident spouse route when appropriate.

Homeowner card versus annual residence

Choose the correct paperwork for the factual basis:

  • Homeowner card: ownership-specific, with deed, landholding and RPT evidence.
  • Annual residence: broader non-work residence case based on accommodation, means and reason for residence.
  • Economic permanent residence: permanent statutory status requiring at least $1,000,000 in qualifying assets held for ten years.

Owning a home can be relevant to all three situations, but the legal tests are not interchangeable.

Return to the Bahamas residence hub, review annual residence, or compare Caribbean relocation options.

Verified against Bahamian government sources on 16 September 2026.

Official and supporting sources

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