Just Landed in Bahamas? Your First 7 Days

The Bahamas has two mobile networks: BTC (the long-standing incumbent) and Aliv (launched in 2016), both offering 4G LTE across Nassau, Freeport and most populated islands, with 5G expanding in the main centres. Prepaid SIMs are cheap and easy, but registration with a passport is legally mandatory. Home internet is delivered mainly by BTC and Aliv over fibre and cable in the urban areas.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM costs roughly USD 5–15 (Aliv SIMs often bundle a starter plan). Data bundles start around USD 3–4 for small amounts, with several-GB monthly plans at roughly USD 30–50 and unlimited packages higher. Home fibre broadband typically runs USD 60–100+ per month.

The Bahamian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar and the two circulate interchangeably, so you can pay in either and receive change in a mix. Cards work in Nassau hotels, supermarkets and larger shops, but cash still rules for taxis, jitneys, straw markets, roadside vendors and almost everything on the Family Islands. There is also a government-backed digital currency, the Sand Dollar, though everyday adoption is limited.

Opening an account: Opening a resident account is slow and paperwork-heavy, and banks apply strict anti-money-laundering checks. Foreigner-friendly options include Scotiabank, RBC Royal Bank, CIBC Caribbean and the locally owned Commonwealth Bank and Fidelity Bank. Expect to show your immigration permit or visa, proof of a local address, one or two reference letters, and to face minimum balance requirements. Book an appointment and allow a few weeks for the account to be fully active.

Cash: Cash-heavy outside tourist zones. Carry small USD or BSD notes for jitneys (exact fare, no change is given), taxis, markets and small vendors, and never assume a small business takes cards. Popular local mobile wallets such as Kanoo and Sand Dollar are gaining ground for person-to-person and small-business payments.

Tipping: Restaurants usually add a 15 per cent gratuity automatically, so check the bill before adding more. Tip taxi drivers around 10–15 per cent, hotel porters USD 1–2 per bag, and housekeeping a couple of dollars a day. Note that a 10 per cent VAT also appears on most bills separately from any gratuity.

There is no residential or address registration system for people arriving in the Bahamas — you do not report to a town hall or police station to log where you live, as you would in much of continental Europe. What governs your stay is your immigration status, not your address. Work permits, annual and permanent residence, and homeowner’s residency cards are all administered by the Department of Immigration, and your legal right to remain is tied entirely to the type and expiry of that permit. Keep your permit valid, obey its conditions (a work permit, for example, ties you to a specific employer), and diarise renewal well in advance, because overstaying or breaching conditions carries serious penalties.

Where: Department of Immigration, Hawkins Hill, Nassau (for permit and residency matters, not for address registration). Grand Bahama has a separate immigration office in Freeport.

Nassau has cheap jitney buses running fixed routes and licensed taxis with government-set zone fares, but there is no metro, no train, and no Uber or Lyft anywhere in the country. Jitneys are the cheapest way around New Providence but stop running in the evening and do not serve the airport, so most residents end up owning or renting a car. Remember that driving is on the left, frequently in right-hand-drive vehicles imported from Japan.

From the airport: Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) to downtown Nassau is a 20–30 minute licensed taxi ride, roughly USD 20; Cable Beach is around USD 25–35 and Paradise Island around USD 40–55 including the bridge toll. Agree the zone fare before setting off, as meters are rarely used, and note jitneys do not run directly to the airport.

Most expats rent furnished or unfurnished apartments and houses on New Providence (Nassau) or Grand Bahama. Listings appear on local Facebook groups, through estate agents such as Bahamas Realty, HG Christie and Coldwell Banker Lightbourn, and on classifieds; quality and price vary enormously, and electricity is often a large separate monthly cost. Gated communities command a premium for security and amenities.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom in a decent Nassau area runs roughly USD 1,300–2,000 per month, with cheaper options further from the centre and far higher prices in gated western communities and on Paradise Island. Family homes in secure estates can run several thousand a month.

Deposit norm: Typically first month’s rent plus one to two months as a security deposit, all paid upfront. Landlords often ask for references, and it is common to see rents quoted and paid in US dollars.

The public system is anchored by Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau and the Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, backed by community clinics, with the well-regarded private Doctors Hospital in Nassau as the main private facility. Public care can be slow and under-resourced, specialists are limited, and complex or serious cases are routinely airlifted to hospitals in Florida.

How to access it: For faster service, walk in or book at a private clinic or Doctors Hospital in Nassau; public clinics serve residents but expect long waits. Keep a card and some cash ready, as upfront payment or proof of insurance is common, especially for non-residents. A National Health Insurance scheme provides basic primary care, but it does not replace comprehensive cover.

Insurance: Private health insurance is strongly advised and, given the reliance on US medical evacuation for serious cases, your policy should explicitly include air ambulance and overseas treatment. Local insurers such as Colina and Family Guardian offer plans, and many expats hold international policies. Confirm your cover is active before you need it, as evacuation flights are extremely expensive out of pocket.

• Greet people properly with ‘good morning’, ‘good afternoon’ or ‘good night’ before getting to business; skipping the greeting reads as rude, especially in shops, offices and with officials.
• Dress neatly for banks, government offices and church; beachwear and swimsuits belong only at the beach, and turning up under-dressed to official errands can get you turned away.
• Be patient and unhurried — ‘island time’ is real, and visibly pushing for speed or showing frustration tends to slow things down rather than speed them up.
• Show genuine respect for elders and for religious faith, which run deep; Sunday is widely observed and many businesses close or reduce hours.
• Build relationships and be courteous with the same people repeatedly, because a lot gets done through familiarity, politeness and personal connection rather than pure procedure.
• Address people you don’t know well as Mr, Mrs or Miss with their surname until invited to use first names, particularly with older Bahamians.
• Learn a little of the local dialect and take teasing and banter in good humour; warmth and easy conversation are prized, coldness is not.

• Do not assume US-style speed and efficiency; government processes, deliveries and tradespeople can be slow, so build in buffer time and follow up politely.
• Avoid walking alone at night in unfamiliar parts of Nassau, particularly ‘Over-the-Hill’ inner-city areas away from the tourist and residential zones.
• Take hurricane season (June to November) seriously: know your building’s plan, keep water, cash, fuel and supplies ready, and follow official alerts.
• Expect power cuts from BPL and plan around them — don’t rely on card machines, electric gates or Wi-Fi being available at all times.
• Don’t be loudly critical or dismissive of local ways of doing things; the community is small, word travels, and a reputation for arrogance follows you.