The Bahamas visa requirements for Indian passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Confirmed for this scope

Diplomatic and official passports of India are exempt for up to 3 months. Ordinary passports are exempt only with a qualifying visa; all other ordinary passports need a Bahamas visa. This guide covers ordinary passports.

Official sources: Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs).

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The self-sponsored visitor visa is for leisure travelers who can support themselves, and a sponsored visitor visa is for trips funded by a resident or company in The Bahamas.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Age Conditions to check

A visa application for a child needs a copy of the child's birth certificate to prove the parental relationship. No separate child fee is stated on the page read.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Residence Conditions to check

Applicants living outside their passport country, such as on a work permit or with permanent residence, must add proof of their legal status where they live. Applicants are interviewed at the visa office they choose in the portal.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Other visas or residence permits Confirmed for this scope

Ordinary Indian passports are exempt for up to 3 months with a valid visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States or a Schengen state that has at least 6 months of validity left. Permanent residents of those countries are exempt with proof of status.

Official sources: Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs).

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

Citizens of visa-required countries still need a Bahamas visa when they arrive by cruise ship from the United States. The exemption for a US, UK, Canadian or Schengen visa is the only route without a Bahamas visa.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Stay and visa validity Conditions to check

A single-entry visa is valid for one entry within 3 months. Multiple-entry visas for 3 months, 6 months or 1 year need scans of three earlier Bahamas visas. The immigration officer records the period you may stay in your passport.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Who can skip the Bahamas visa

Ordinary Indian passports are exempt for up to 3 months if the traveler holds a valid visa issued by Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States or a Schengen state, with at least 6 months of validity left. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs adds that permanent residents of the Schengen states, the United Kingdom, Canada or the United States are also exempt. Show the qualifying visa or proof of permanent residence together with your passport at the border.

All other Indian nationals need a Bahamas visa before they travel.

Official sources: Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Applying for the electronic entry visa

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs an online portal for the Electronic Entry Visa. Choose a self-sponsored visitor visa, a sponsored visitor visa or, for crew, a seaman's visa, then pick single or multiple entry. You upload a passport-size photo and PDFs: the signed form, the passport data pages, a job letter or business license, a bank reference letter, a police report, a medical certificate, your hotel or cruise address and your flight plans, each less than 6 months old. Your passport must have more than 6 months of validity left, and English translations are needed for foreign-language certificates.

The page lists a fee of $160 for a single-entry visa, $250 for a multiple-entry visa of 3 months, 6 months or 1 year, and $20 as a facilitation fee for sponsored visas. Fees are paid by Visa, Mastercard or American Express and are not refundable. Standard processing is 7 to 10 business days once your documents are complete and no interview is needed.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Interview and the New Delhi consulate

Applicants may be interviewed, and have fingerprints taken, at the visa office they choose in the portal. Bahamas Immigration lists a Bahamian consulate in New Delhi among the offices that process and issue visas. Bring your completed application, the visa confirmation page and your original documents.

Official sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs); Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs).

At the border

Present the passport you used to apply together with the Electronic Entry Visa. The immigration officer will also ask for a return or onward ticket, proof of enough money for your stay or a local sponsor, and a completed embarkation card. Your passport must be valid for at least six months, and passport cards are not accepted. A visa does not guarantee entry, and admittance is at the officer's discretion.

Official sources: Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs); Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs); Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas (mofa.gov.bs).

Staying longer

The officer decides how long you may stay and records it in your passport. To stay longer, apply to the Department of Immigration before your stay ends and attend an in-person interview. Overstaying is an offence.

Official sources: Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs); Bahamas Immigration Department (immigration.gov.bs).