Relocation intelligence
🇧🇸 Moving to Bahamas: tax, residency and cost of living
Zero income tax – territorial
Thinking of moving to Bahamas? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.
Key facts
- Top income tax
- 0%
- Corporate tax
- 0%
- Capital gains
- 0%
- Wealth tax
- No
- Inheritance tax
- No
- Cost of living index
- 83
- Safety
- 4/10
- Internet quality
- 5/10
- Visa-free destinations
- 156
- Foreigners can own property
- Yes
- Residency in
- 0 months
- Citizenship in
- 0 years
Taxes
The Bahamas levies no personal income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or wealth tax. The primary revenue mechanism is a 10% VAT and customs duties. This makes it one of the most tax-favourable jurisdictions globally for relocating individuals.
Residency and visas
The Bahamas offers several residency pathways including the Annual Residence Permit, the HARP (Harrowing Accelerated Residency Programme) and investment-based Economic Permanent Residency. There is no official digital nomad visa. Permanent residency generally requires a minimum real estate investment of USD 500,000 or USD 1.5 million for expedited processing.
Property ownership
Foreigners may purchase real estate in the Bahamas but must obtain a permit under the International Persons Landholding Act from the Investments Board. Processing times can be substantial. Commercial property is generally accessible; additional business licences may be required.
Cost of living and quality of life
Cost of living is high, comparable to major Western cities, largely due to import dependency. Healthcare is limited; serious cases are frequently referred to Florida. Nassau's crime index is relatively elevated. Internet quality is moderate. English is the official language.
Passport and mobility
The Bahamian passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to approximately 156 countries and territories, including the Schengen Area and the UK. It does not, however, grant visa-free access to the United States.
Residency and visas
- Annual Residence Permit · Residency in 10 years
- Economic Permanent Residency (Standard) · €462,000
- Economic Permanent Residency (Accelerated – HARP) · €1,385,000
Why people move to Bahamas
Zero percent income tax
The Bahamas imposes no income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or wealth tax on individuals, leaving 100% of foreign and local earnings net in the resident's hands.
English-speaking Commonwealth nation with Schengen visa-free travel
With English as the official language, a common-law legal system and visa-free travel to the Schengen Area and the UK, Bahamian residency offers both legal familiarity and international mobility for European expats.
Investor residency with accessible threshold
Economic Permanent Residency is available for real estate investments from USD 500,000, with an expedited track at USD 1.5 million. No tax on foreign income or capital gains applies, making it particularly attractive for high-net-worth individuals.
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- Department of Inland Revenue – Overview of Taxation in The Bahamas
- Value Added Tax – VAT Division, Government of the Bahamas
- Department of Inland Revenue – Corporate Tax Overview
- OECD Tax Treaties – Bahamas results
- Henley Passport Index 2025 – Bahamas
- Cost of Living in Bahamas – Numbeo 2025
- Crime Index for Bahamas – Numbeo 2025
- Life expectancy at birth, total (years) – Bahamas | World Bank Data
- Residency – Department of Immigration, Commonwealth of The Bahamas
- Investments Board – International Persons Landholding Act, Ch. 140
- WHO – Bahamas Country Profile