VisaA Bahamas cruising permit does not replace the crew’s immigration clearance
A current-rule guide covers private-vessel arrival formalities, the April 2026 fee schedule and separate permissions for longer stays and fishing.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Clear the vessel and the people at a designated port
Private non-commercial pleasure-boat visitors to the Bahamas must clear Customs and Immigration at the nearest designated port of entry. The tourism ministry’s boating guidance says to fly the yellow quarantine flag, notify Customs and allow only the captain ashore until clearance. Buying or applying online for a cruising permit does not remove the requirement to see the border authorities.
The arrival checklist includes vessel registration or ownership evidence, passports and an Immigration Card for each person. Prepare passenger and crew identification, pet permits where relevant and a declaration of firearms and ammunition. The guidance recommends submitting the electronic declaration before leaving the home port and links approved permit channels. It explains existing formalities rather than a new waiver for boat arrivals. The boat’s documents and each person’s admission should both be checked before continuing between islands.
Choose the permit duration using the current fee notice
The ministry’s 6 April 2026 notice publishes revised cruising and anchorage charges effective 1 April 2026. For a vessel longer than thirty feet but not exceeding fifty, a thirty-day cruising permit costs $250. A six-month permit for a vessel not exceeding fifty feet costs $300, and a twelve-month permit costs $500. Other length bands have different prices, so check the actual vessel length rather than rounding into a cheaper category.
The thirty-day permit includes no free re-entry. The six-month permit includes one and the twelve-month permit two, within their validity. Anchorage charges apply to pleasure vessels not docking at a marina. For the same forty-foot vessel, the notice lists $100 anchorage for thirty days, $150 for six months and $200 for twelve months. Illustratively, the thirty-day cruising and anchorage entries total $350; that is not an all-inclusive trip quotation. Marina charges and other applicable services remain separate. These April rates should not be presented as a price change first taking effect in November.
Seek a visitor extension before the personal admission expires
The Immigration Department’s 2023 annual report describes visitor and crew admission as an allotted period determined by the officer. Its extension section says requests must be made before that period expires and remain discretionary. A six-month vessel permit therefore should not be read as proof that every passenger personally received six months’ immigration permission.
For a visitor or crew member aboard a vessel, the report identifies the cruising permit or transire, manifest, vessel registration, passport and Immigration Landing Card as supporting documents. Keep these available together when approaching Immigration about an extended stay, and make sure the request identifies the person whose admission needs extension. The report is older public procedural evidence, not confirmation of a 2026 appointment, current fee or processing guarantee. Verify the receiving office’s current submission method before relying on the historic list. If weather, repairs or a change of itinerary will delay departure, raise the issue while the original admission remains valid; an extension request should not be described as an already approved extra period.
Arrange fishing permission and check the actual conditions
The ministry’s separate fishing FAQ says fishing from a non-Bahamian-owned vessel requires a sport-fishing permit. Home ownership or permanent residence does not remove that vessel-based permit requirement. Visitors cannot sell or trade their catch. Fishing permission also carries restrictions on equipment and catch: nets and spears require specific written authorisation, and spearguns are prohibited. A cruising document should not be treated as permission for every planned activity.
The FAQ contains inconsistent online instructions. One section describes advance applications through official vendors, while another says online clearance and permit acquisition are unavailable and directs fishers to obtain the permit at entry. Resolve the applicable process with the issuing authority and do not fish before the required permission is in place. The page lists catch limits, seasonal qualifications and separate flats-fishing requirements; choose the section matching the activity. A large group on board does not multiply the ordinary vessel catch allowance. Retain the issued permit and inspect its endorsements, rather than relying solely on an application receipt or an old package-price description.
