COVID-19 cases in the United States, as well as an uptick in cases in The Bahamas, the following restrictions have been put in place to protect the health and wellbeing of both residents and visitors, and to prevent the spread of the virus throughout The Bahamas, which remain of primary importance. As a reminder, expect this situation to remain fluid/dynamic and you are strongly advised to check Bahamas.com/TravelUpdates for frequent updates.
BAHAMAS HEALTH VISA
1. All passengers must apply at travel.gov.bs (click on the International Tab) for a Bahamas Health Visa and upload a COVID 19 test which displays the following characteristics:
RT PCR test (not an antigen test nor an antibody test).
A negative result.
Valid for 10 days from the date the specimen was provided.
Name and address of the accredited lab where test was performed.
2. For US-based travelers, an accredited lab can be found here. Once at the webpage, scroll down to “Advanced Search”, click on “Show” and type in the zip code in which the traveler wishes to perform the coronavirus test. All accredited labs in the requested zip code are listed. For all travelers from other countries, labs that have been accredited by the local medical health officials should be used.
3. The only applicants for a Bahamas Health Visa that are not required to provide a COVID-19 test are:
Children under the age of ten (10).
Pilots and crew who remain overnight in The Bahamas.
No longer will exemptions exist for citizens and residents who make short trips overseas.
QUARANTINE
1. All visitors and returning residents are required to quarantine for fourteen (14) days upon arrival into The Bahamas. Quarantine can occur in one of the following:
A private residence or rented accommodation (like AirBnB) where the person can quarantine in an unoccupied bedroom with its own connected bathroom.
A hotel or private club where the person can quarantine in an unoccupied bedroom with its own connected bathroom.
A private boat.
If the traveler cannot quarantine in any of the above, they will be directed into a Government Mandated Quarantine Facility at their own expense.
2. Upon arrival, every visitor or returning resident will be directed to the Ministry of Health officials at the airport or Port of Entry. They will declare the location of their intended quarantine site or their intention to utilize the Government Mandated Quarantine Facility.
3. Once the Ministry of Health officials approves/verifies the intended quarantine site, the HubbCat APP will be installed on their telephones for purposes of contact tracing to be performed exclusively by the COVID Enforcement Unit.
4. Once a room/site is declared as an approved quarantine site, no persons, other than those approved to quarantine in that site, will be allowed to enter that designated quarantine site for the entire quarantine period.
5. Once the fourteen (14) day quarantine period is completed, all persons intending to remain in the country will be required to complete another COVID-19 test, at their own expense, to exit quarantine. The Chief Medical Officer or her designate can grant exemptions to this requirement.
6. Persons in mandatory quarantine, wishing to leave the country before the expiration of the fourteen (14) day mandatory quarantine period, can do so at any time without the need to perform another COVID-19 test once they inform the COVID Enforcement Unit.
7. A visitor who refuses to quarantine and have the HubbCat APP installed on their telephones for the purposes of contact tracing will be deported and placed in mandatory quarantine in a government facility until such deportation.
HOTELS
1. All hotels are designated as quarantine sites. As such, persons quarantining in a hotel can make use of all of the facilities in the hotel. Casinos and nightclubs will be closed.
2. All beaches in the Out Islands are currently open except during weekend lockdowns. All beaches in Nassau and Grand Bahama are currently closed.
COMMERCIAL & PRIVATE AVIATION
1. All commercial and private aircraft transporting passengers or cargo arriving in The Bahamas from an international destination are welcome and will not be required, before arrival, to obtain any prior authorization from the Director General of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) or his designate.
2. From time to time, the Government of The Bahamas will restrict commercial or private aircraft from transporting passengers or cargo into certain islands (or the entire country). In those instances, prior authorization from the Director General of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) or his designate will be required before the flights commence. Currently, the following islands are subjected to restricted travel: Grand Bahama Island (GBI) – international arrivals.
3. All requests for permission to transport passengers or cargo into restricted islands require the completion of a Request for Flight Approval Form (found online at Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority) as issued by the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority and should be directed to: covid19info@bcaabahamas.com or (242) 826-8588 or (242) 603-5636.
4. All commercial and private aircraft departing The Bahamas for an international destination will not be required to obtain any prior authorization from the Director General of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) or his designate.
5. All commercial and private aircraft transporting passengers on a domestic inter-island flight from one unrestricted island to another unrestricted island are currently prohibited unless the passengers obtain a Bahamas Health Visa (see above) and unless the passengers adhere to the fourteen (14) day quarantine requirements (see above) upon arrival. Securing a Bahamas Health Visa requires the uploading of a COVID-19 test, so this would have to be secured prior to the flight.
6. All commercial and private aircraft arriving in The Bahamas from an international destination that make one stop in The Bahamas simply to clear Bahamas Customs and Immigration before proceeding onto their final destination in The Bahamas, the entire flight, for the purposes of determining whether this is an international or domestic flight, will be considered to be an international flight.
BOATS & YACHTS
1. All private yachts and pleasure craft with passengers arriving in The Bahamas from an international destination are welcome.
2. From time to time, the Government of The Bahamas will restrict yachts and pleasure craft from traveling into certain islands (or the entire country). Currently, the following islands are subjected to restricted travel: Grand Bahama Island (GBI) – international arrivals.
3. All ports of entry used by yachts and pleasure craft in all islands other than New Providence and Grand Bahama are closed except for the public dock on that island. All ports of entry in New Providence and Grand Bahama Island remain open.
4. Yachts and pleasure craft must now proceed to the public dock to clear Bahamas Customs and Immigration and check in with the local health officials to establish their intended quarantine site. Following their enrollment onto the HubbCat APP, yachts and pleasure craft will be allowed to proceed to a marina or an uninhabited island/cay to commence their quarantine.
5. Based upon the quarantine guideless (see above), persons are allowed to quarantine on a yacht or pleasure craft and will only be allowed to come ashore for the following reasons:
To provision.
To visit a medical facility or a pharmacy.
To secure fuel.
6. Persons arriving into an island by yacht and pleasure craft are allowed to quarantine onshore as opposed to on the boat. Access to and from the boat, while quarantining on shore, is allowed once no contact with other persons during the movement to and from the boat can be assured. 7. All yachts and pleasure craft are prohibited from traveling on a domestic journey, i.e. from one inhabited island to another inhabited island, unless the passengers obtain a Bahamas Health Visa (see above) and unless the passengers adhere to the fourteen (14) day quarantine requirements (see above) upon arrival. 8. During the quarantine period, yachts and pleasure craft for visitors and residents will be allowed to move throughout The Bahamas from one uninhabited island to another uninhabited island. An uninhabited island will be defined as all islands with less than twenty-five (25) permanent residents. However, if they decide to check in with another inhabited island, the quarantine period will reset back to the original fourteen (14) days. 9. All yachts and pleasure craft wishing to depart The Bahamas for an international destination will not be required to obtain any additional authorization except what is typically required. Travel Safely! Travel Responsibly!
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