Permit to Reside (Annual Permit) - students and dependants
Non-Bahamians who want to live in The Bahamas for any purpose other than work need a Permit to Reside. It covers students at a school, college or university, and dependants (spouses and children under 18) of people legally living there. Adults applying on their own need a bank reference or accountant's statement.
Life in Bahamas
Money
3
Currency
Bahamian Dollar
BSD
Bahamian Dollar
Cost of living
109
Price level · US = 100
World Bank price levels, 2025
Your edge here Members
What gives you an edge here: passports, visas and permits you hold, work, study, language and family ties
Who it’s for
Students enrolled in Bahamian schools, and spouses and minor children of work permit holders or other legal residents.
Eligibility
Purpose
Studying at a school, college or university, or being a dependant of a person legally allowed to live in The Bahamas.
Dependants
Dependants can be spouses or children under 18.
Official wording
Spouses, or children under 18.
Outside the country
First-time applicants should not be in The Bahamas while the application is processed.
A sneak peek at what's inside
- Next requirementFinancial reference
- Document checklistLetter of request to the Director of Immigration
- FeesProcessing fee
The full requirements are for members
Create an account and subscribe to see every requirement, the full document checklist, fees, steps, processing times and conditions, and how your profile compares.
- 1 more requirement
- 12 documents
- 2 fees
- 3 steps
- Processing times and conditions
Places to visit in Bahamas
Attractions picked for you, based on your profile and interests.
Finding places for you…
Official sources
Other routes to Bahamas
- Visit & tourismVisiting The Bahamas
- Work permitsAnnual Work Permit
- Permanent residencePermanent Residence
- FamilyResident Spouse Permit
- CitizenshipBahamian citizenship
- Status in-countryHome Owner Resident Permit
Status in-country in other countries
- CanadaRestoration of temporary resident status
- Côte d’IvoireECOWAS resident card
- Costa RicaTemporary Residence – Pensionado
- Cape VerdeCabo Verde residence visa (work, investment, study, family reunification) leading to a residence permit
- DjiboutiResidence card (carte de séjour) and investor resident card
- HondurasResidence as rentista, pensioner or investor, and the special residence route (Migration Law art. 21(8), Ministerial Agreement 374-2025)
