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For the Bahamas, your passport decides and your UAE residence does not. The Bahamas foreign ministry lists about 70 nationalities that need a visa, among them India, the Philippines, Egypt, Nepal and Nigeria, and a separate list of countries that do not, including the UAE, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kenya. The single entry eVISA costs USD 160 and takes 7 to 10 business days.
Check your passport first
Most UAE residents ask the wrong question. They ask what their Emirates ID allows. The Bahamas lists do not mention UAE residence at all. They go by citizenship.
Passports common in the UAE fall like this, from the ministry pages we read in :
| Passport | Bahamas rule |
|---|---|
| India | Visa needed, unless you hold a visa for or permanent residence in the US, UK, Canada or a Schengen country |
| Philippines | Visa needed |
| Egypt | Visa needed |
| Nepal | Visa needed |
| Nigeria | Visa needed |
| Bangladesh | No visa |
| Sri Lanka | No visa |
| Kenya | No visa |
| UK, USA | No visa |
| UAE | No visa |
The Bahamas immigration site also says visa-waived visitors can stay 3 or 8 months, depending on the agreement. It does not say which one applies to each country, so ask before you plan a long stay.
Fees and processing
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single entry visitor visa | USD 160 |
| Sponsored visitor visa, facilitation fee | USD 20 |
| Multiple entry, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year | USD 250 |
| Multiple entry, 3 years | USD 500, not available online |
Source: Bahamas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, eVISA online services, checked . Fees are non-refundable and paid by Visa, Mastercard or American Express. A single entry visa is valid for one entry within 3 months. For a multiple entry visa you must upload scans of three earlier successful Bahamas visas, so first-time visitors start with single entry.
Standard processing is 7 to 10 business days, not counting the submission date, if your documents are in order and no interview is needed. We found no Dubai agency that publishes a price for a Bahamas visa, so we show no agency range.
Self-sponsored or sponsored
The portal has two visitor categories. A self-sponsored visitor can support themselves financially during the trip. A sponsored visitor has a trip funded and guaranteed by a resident or company in the Bahamas. The sponsored route carries the small facilitation fee above. If a friend or hotel group in Nassau is paying for you, ask them for the sponsor details before you start the form.
What goes in the file
The portal asks for a valid e-mail address, a valid passport with more than 6 months left, the visa type and entry type, a recent digital photo in jpg, scanned supporting documents in PDF and a valid card. Each nationality has its own checklist inside the portal. We read the general rules but not the country checklists, so we pull yours up before we prepare anything.
Interview and fingerprints
Applicants choose a preferred visa office in the portal. If an interview or fingerprints are needed, you attend that office with the application form, the confirmation page and your original documents. The ministry says that where necessary you may be sent to another Bahamas overseas office by e-mail. We could not find which office takes UAE applicants, and the Bahamas embassy in Abu Dhabi announced its opening without mentioning visas. We confirm the office for you before you pay.
At the border
Visa or no visa, the Bahamas immigration site lists five border criteria. You need a valid return ticket or means of leaving, no plan to take paid work, money to support yourself or a local sponsor, a passport valid at least 6 months (passport cards are refused) and a completed arrival card. It adds that entry is not automatic. If you arrive by cruise ship from the United States and your passport needs a visa, you need the visa for that too.
Why files get refused
- A passport with 6 months or less left.
- Missing documents from the nationality checklist.
- Scans that are not in the format the portal asks for.
- A card payment that fails, which stops the file from moving.
- No clear funds or sponsor.
How it works with us
Send your passport page and travel dates on WhatsApp or through the form. An adviser first tells you if your passport needs a visa at all, because many do not. If yours does, we collect the documents, build the file for the portal, pay attention to the format of every scan and submit it. You see one total price, with the USD 160 government fee shown separately, before you agree. We then follow the file and tell you if the office asks for an interview. We are a private visa service, and the Bahamas authorities decide.
The visa fee is not refunded after a refusal. Before you pay, your adviser writes down what part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- Bahamas MFA, who needs a visa: nationalities that need a visa.
- Bahamas MFA, who does not need a visa: exempt nationalities.
- Bahamas MFA, eVISA online services: fees, processing, interview.
- Bahamas Immigration Department, before your arrival: border criteria.
- Bahamas MFA, UAE visa exemption agreement: signed in Abu Dhabi.
Flying through the US? Check US visa from Dubai first. For countries where your residence helps, see visa-free countries for UAE residents. Bahamian passport holders heading the other way have their own page: Dubai visa for Bahamians. Every destination is on visas from Dubai.
