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Bahamian visa resources

Bahamas Immigration Processing Times

How long Bahamas permit and visa decisions take, based on figures the Department of Immigration publishes.

Official guidance Regularly updated

Important

This information is for general guidance only. Meeting the requirements does not guarantee your application will be approved.

Processing times vary by route and are only partly published. For work permits and the Permit to Reside, the Department of Immigration advises applicants to contact its Consultation Unit for an update within roughly an 8 to 12 week period, which is the closest thing to an official indicative timeframe.

The BEATS remote-work programme is the fastest route: it is fully online and, according to the programme launch, returns a decision within about five business days. For other routes - short-term work permits, the Home Owner Resident Permit, Resident Spouse, Resident Belonger and permanent residence - the official pages do not state a processing time, so applicants should plan for variability and confirm current timeframes directly with the Department.

Next steps

  1. Check the documents you’ll needView documents
  2. How to applyStart here
  3. Choose your visaFind a visa

Official sources

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.

Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.