No travel can be guaranteed safe. Read all the advice in this guide. You may also find it helpful to:
\n\nIf you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency.
\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help you make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice.
\n\nSign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
\n\nFollow FCDO:
\n\n\n\n","slug":"warnings-and-insurance","title":"Warnings and insurance"},{"body":"This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of The Bahamas’ current rules for the most common types of travel.
\n\nThe authorities in The Bahamas set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact The Bahamas High Commission in the UK.
\n\nTo enter The Bahamas, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you plan to leave.
\n\nWhen returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual Citizenship.
\n\nYou can usually stay in The Bahamas for up to 30 days without a visa. You can get extensions up to a maximum of 8 months. Penalties for overstaying include a fine, detention and deportation. The Bahamas High Commission lists more information about visas.
\n\nIf you arrive in The Bahamas from the USA, and you have an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), the time you spend in The Bahamas counts towards the 90 days you have on your ESTA. If you are in any doubt about your US visa status, ask the US Immigration and Naturalization Service or any US diplomatic mission before starting your return journey.
\n\nTo enter The Bahamas, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination if you’re coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
\n\nFor full details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Bahamas guide.
\n\nThe Bahamian Government issued a Travel Advisory note which introduces health screening, possible quarantine or isolation measures for travellers who have visited affected regions within 30 days of their arrival to The Bahamas.
\n\nThe World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared this a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
\n\nThere are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of The Bahamas. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
\n\n","slug":"entry-requirements","title":"Entry requirements"},{"body":"There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
\n\nUK Counter Terrorism Policing has information and advice on staying safe abroad and what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. Find out how to reduce your risk from terrorism while abroad.
\n\nAlthough there’s no recent history of terrorism in The Bahamas, attacks cannot be ruled out.
\n\nAttacks could be indiscriminate including in places visited by foreigners. Stay aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities.
\n\nThere have been violent crimes and armed robberies, sometimes fatal, in residential and tourist areas of New Providence and Grand Bahama.
\n\nTo reduce your risk, do not go on foot outside the main tourist areas and beaches, especially if you are alone. Stay in downtown Nassau, where there are regular police patrols. Avoid unlit areas, and travel in groups after dusk.
\n\nTake care if travelling on local bus services at night away from the main tourist areas. If you are attacked, do not resist and comply with any demands. Robbers may have concealed weapons.
\n\nThere is an increase in reported break-ins and thefts. The outlying islands of The Bahamas (known as the Family or Out Islands) have lower crime rates.
\n\nThe risk of petty theft and pickpocketing increases during regattas and festivals. You can take precautions by keeping valuables in a safe place. Take care to lock doors and windows when staying at short-term vacation rental properties, especially if there are no security guards.
\n\nThe risk of sexual assault increases during regattas and festivals. Do not leave your drinks unattended.
\n\nThere have been reports of sexual assaults on foreign nationals by jet ski operators in Nassau.
\n\nPenalties for possessing or trafficking drugs are severe. Tourists may encounter drugs in pubs and bars. Police are vigilant and you could face a substantial fine, deportation or imprisonment.
\n\nLocal attitudes towards the LGBT+ community are mostly conservative throughout the Caribbean. In The Bahamas, same-sex sexual relations have been legal since 1991, with an age of consent of 18. However, LGBT+ travellers should be aware that showing affection in public may receive unwanted and negative attention. Showing affection in public, especially for same-sex couples, is uncommon.
\n\nRead more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
\n\nFatal shark attacks can happen without warning. Night swimming (including at dusk), puts you at a higher risk, even in shallow waters close to resorts. Paddle boards in deeper water could be at risk. The Bahamian authorities warn of a particular threat in New Providence and nearby islands and cays.
\n\nSome organisers of day excursions use bait to attract marine life, which can also increase the risk of sharks attacking. Never go into water that has been baited. Several attacks in wider Bahamian waters have been linked to tour operators offering shark encounters too close to where fishermen have been gutting fish.
\n\nBeware of jet skis when swimming. Most swimming areas are marked by buoys, but these are not always respected by jet ski operators or tourists.
\n\nSee water safety on holiday from the Royal Life Saving Society.
\n\nThe water sports industry in The Bahamas is poorly regulated. Be careful when renting jet skis and other water sports equipment, as many companies and individuals offering water sports activities are unregistered or use poor quality equipment. People have been killed and seriously injured, or killed others, when using jet skis and other watercraft recklessly.
\n\nSee watersports safety advice from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA).
\n\nIf you are planning to drive a hire car or a UK vehicle, see information on driving abroad.
\n\nYou can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in The Bahamas for up to 3 months. If you still have a paper driving licence, you may need to update it to a photocard licence or get the 1968 version of the international driving permit (IDP).
\n\nIf you’re staying longer or living in The Bahamas, you’ll need to get a Bahamian driving licence.
\n\nAlthough traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road, most vehicles, including hire cars, are imported from the USA and are left-hand drive.
\n\nThe legal alcohol limit when driving is the same as in England, but this law is not always enforced – so driving in the evening and on rural roads may be dangerous.
\n\nThe hurricane season in The Bahamas normally runs from 1 June to 30 November. Hurricanes and resulting floods in The Bahamas can be deadly. In preparation for a hurricane, make sure your residence is secure, you have sufficient drinking water and access to life jackets in case there is a tidal surge.
\n\nThe Government of The Bahamas issues wireless emergency alerts directly to mobile phones and provides updates on the Bahamas Department of Meteorology website
\n\nOfficial shelters can be found here
\n\nDue to the risk of flight cancellation, local residents tend to make departure plans well in advance of a possible evacuation order.
\n\nFollow local weather updates and monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website.
\n\nFind out more about how to respond to hurricane warnings.
\n\n","slug":"safety-and-security","title":"Safety and security"},{"body":"Before you travel check that:
\n\nThis is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant.
\n\nCall 911 or 919 and ask for an ambulance.
\n\nContact your insurance company quickly if you’re referred to a medical facility for treatment.
\n\nAt least 8 weeks before your trip:
\n\nSee what health risks you’ll face in The Bahamas, including:
\n\nIt’s estimated that at least 7,600 adults aged 15 or over in The Bahamas are living with HIV – around 3.2% of the adult population. This compares to around 0.3% in the UK. Take normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV.
\n\nThe legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or bought in the UK can be different in other countries.
\n\nRead best practice when travelling with medicines on TravelHealthPro.
\n\nFCDO has a list of medical providers in The Bahamas.
\n\nMedical treatment is of a good standard but can be expensive. Emergency medical facilities are limited on all the Family Islands. Serious cases are transferred to Nassau or Freeport – or Miami, USA – by air ambulance. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
\n\nRead FCDO guidance on travel and mental health. There is also mental health guidance on TravelHealthPro.
\n\n","slug":"health","title":"Health"},{"body":"The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.
\n\nTelephone: 911 or 919 (ambulance, fire, police)
\n\nContact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.
\n\nFor refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.
\n\nFind out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:
\n\nFCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:
\n\nSee how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency.
\n\nYou can call FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
\n\nTelephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)
\n\n\n\nSign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.
\n\nFollow FCDO:
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