How to Get Bahamas CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 6 years
- Language
- Required, no test
- Dual citizenship
- Citizens abroad only
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Partly accepted: for citizens who naturalise abroad onlyNew citizens must give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Americas
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in the Bahamas, subject to the conditions below. Meeting the legal conditions does not guarantee approval, since authorities retain final discretion.
- Residence
- 6 years
Person has been resident in the Bahamas for 12 months immediately prior to the application, and was either resident in the country, in the service of the government, or had partly such residence and partly such service for 6 out of 9 years prior to the 12-month period and intent to make the Bahamas his/her permanent home (either by residence or government service).
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
Renunciation of citizenship of another country required.
- Language
- Required, no test or certificate specified
Condition of sufficient knowledge of English.
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Condition of sufficient knowledge of the duties of a citizen and oath of allegiance required.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person must be of good character.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Marriage or civil partnership
This route covers people married to a citizen of the Bahamas, subject to the conditions below. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is the female spouse of a male citizen. Other conditions: oath of allegiance. Registration can be denied in the interests of national security or public policy, or if the person within a period of 5 years immediately preceding the application was sentenced to death or a prison sentence of at least 12 months, is not of good behaviour, is a danger to public safety, has been declared bankrupt, or has insufficient means for self-support.
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in the Bahamas.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in the Bahamas to a citizen parent in wedlock or to a citizen mother out of wedlock.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a father who himself is a citizen otherwise than by the rules for descent (born abroad).
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a mother who is a citizen married to a foreigner or to a citizen mother who is not married to the foreign father, and registers between the age of 18 and 21. Other conditions: renunciation of another citizenship (unless this is legally impossible), and oath of allegiance. Registration can be denied in the interests of national security or public policy, or if the person within a period of 5 years immediately preceding the application was sentenced to death or a prison sentence of at least 12 months, is not of good behaviour, is a danger to public safety, has been declared bankrupt, or has insufficient means to support him/herself.
Birth in the country
For people born in the Bahamas, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is born in the Bahamas to foreign citizens and submits an application within 1 year after reaching the age of majority. Other conditions: renunciation of another citizenship and oath of allegiance. Registration can be denied in the interests of national security or public policy, if the person within a period of 5 years immediately preceding the application was sentenced to death or to a prison sentence of at least 12 months, is not of good behaviour, is a danger to public safety, has been declared bankrupt, or has insufficient means for self-support.
Child of a new citizen
For children whose parent becomes a citizen of the Bahamas, the rules below set out what applies. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
One parent must be a citizen and person must be under age 18.
Adoption
Adoption by a citizen of the Bahamas is the basis of this route. The Bahamas grants citizenship by operation of law, requiring no decision from any authority.
Person is a minor who is adopted by a citizen or, in case of joint adoption, by a male citizen.
Other family members of citizens
For certain relatives of citizens, former citizens or new citizens of the Bahamas, the rules below set out what applies.
Transfer from deceased citizen
Person is the child of a deceased male citizen.
Spousal coacquisition
Person is the female spouse of someone who a person who becomes citizen. Other conditions: oath of loyalty. Must renounce other citizenship. Registration can be denied in the interests of national security or public policy, or if the person within a period of 5 years immediately preceding the application was sentenced to death or to a prison sentence of at least 12 months, is not of good behaviour, is a danger to public safety, has been declared bankrupt, or has insufficient means for self-support.
Citizens of specific countries
Holding the citizenship of a particular country is the basis of this route in the Bahamas. Where the legal conditions are met, an application leads to a mandatory grant of citizenship.
Person is a Commonwealth citizen or a British protected person. Other conditions: full capacity, renunciation of another citizenship (unless this is legally impossible), and oath of allegiance (only for British protected persons). Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation.
Not available in the Bahamas: Former citizens (reacquisition), Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Stateless persons, Special achievements, Public or military service, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
The two directions differ in the Bahamas: citizens who naturalise abroad are treated differently from new citizens.
- New citizens
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Across the Caribbean, the most common requirement is 6 years, and the Bahamas sets the same period.
Check where Bahamas sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Antigua and Barbuda | 6 years | None | Accepted |
 Barbados | 6 years | None | Accepted |
 Cuba | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Dominica | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Grenada | 6 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 6 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 9, Schedule 2-3.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Bahamas Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/bahamas/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/bahamas/">How to Get Bahamas Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Bahamian citizen?
The nationality law of the Bahamas sets 6 years of residence for ordinary naturalisation, along with further conditions.
Does the Bahamas allow dual citizenship?
Partly. The Bahamas accepts it for citizens who naturalise abroad, but not generally for new citizens.
Do I need a language test for Bahamian citizenship?
Knowledge of the language is required, yet no formal test is defined.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Bahamian citizenship?
Demonstrating civic knowledge is necessary for Bahamian citizenship, yet no test format is specified.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Bahamian citizenship?
Renouncing your current citizenship is a condition of Bahamian citizenship.
Can I get Bahamas citizenship by marriage?
Yes. Marriage to a citizen is a route to citizenship in the Bahamas. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Bahamas citizenship by descent?
Yes, the Bahamas has a descent route. Procedure: automatic, entitlement.
Can I get Bahamas citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for the Bahamas.
Related pages
Also see: Bahamas passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.