Ordinarily, United States law requires a passport to be valid for at least six months for a visitor to travel to the United States or apply for a visitor’s visa.

Under the terms of the Agreement, however, United States authorities can now issue a non-immigrant (visitor’s) visa in a Bahamian passport up to the final day the passport is valid. In addition, Bahamian visitors to the United States can travel on their existing passport up to the final date the passport is valid (with a valid Police Certificate)

On The Bahamas side, the Agreement was facilitated by the fact that citizens of The Bahamas have always been able to return to The Bahamas on expired Bahamian passports.

In light of these new measures, Bahamians are advised that for travel to the United States, there is no longer a need to apply for a new Bahaman passport six months in advance of the expiry date of their current passport.

The Ministry would like to remind the Public, however that it is still necessary to have a valid Police Certificate when traveling to the United States without a visa and that visas are necessary when traveling to the United States from a third country or by cruise ship.

Nassau