Coronavirus Travel Information

This page sets out our most up-to-date policies and information regarding Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic and it’s affect on our tours. Scroll to the bottom of this page for Official Bahamas Government Travel Information.

Latest Travel Information

Updated 02 Oct 2020

Key Dates: 15th October Tourism Sector Reopens. 1st November Bahamas fully open with rapid antigen testing and removed 14 Day Quarantine requirement. 

• Private Air Charter flights operating as normal. Please complete our Air Charter Request form here.
• Day Trips to begin operating from 1st November 2020.
• For international travel entry into the Bahamas before 31st October 2020 only:
  1. All Travellers must have received a Bahamas Electronic Health Visa at travel.gov.bs [Requires 72 hours processing]
  2. COVID-19 PCR Swab Test with a Negative Result, must be presented upon arrival, no older than FIVE (5) days old: Day 1 being the day you took the test, therefore the test expires on the 5th Day.
  3. All arrivals into the Bahamas from any country are subject to a mandatory 14-DAY QUARANTINE (until 31st Oct 2020) at their own expense in their Hotel or government facility and must take a Covid-19 PCR test at the end of the 14 days, also at their expense.
• For international travel entry into the Bahamas after 1st November 2020:
  1. All Travellers must have received a Bahamas Electronic Health Visa at travel.gov.bs [Requires 72 hours processing]
  2. COVID-19 PCR Swab Test with a Negative Result, must be presented upon arrival, no older than SEVEN (7) days old: Day 1 being the day you took the test, therefore the test expires on the 7th Day.
  3. Rapid Antigen test conducted upon arrival into Bahamas.
  4. A second Rapid Antigen test conducted on Day Five (96 hours after arrival).
• All Customers must wear a face mask on the flights and when social distancing not possible.
• Appropriate Social Distancing in public places.
• Customers will need the following documentation on day of travel:
  • Miami to Bahamas Day Trip: copies of your COVID-19 test, Bahamas Electronic Health Visa, and Passport.
  • Nassau to Exuma Day Trip: Bahamas Domestic Travel Health Visa at travel.gov.bs

Bookings & Reservation Information

All tours, bookings and reservations remain subject to our Booking Terms and Conditions. See sections 3 (Cancellations), 6 (Force Majeure) and 10 (Fitness to Travel).
We encourage all customers to have Travel Insurance to cover irrecoverable cancellation costs.
Each Customer and Passenger will have a Waiver to sign, this includes notice that Bahamas Air Tours or any of our Partners cannot be held responsible or liable for catching Coronavirus/COVID-19 on any of our Tours or Services. Customers accept there is a high risk of catching the virus despite all mitigating procedures that we put in place such as increased cleaning.

Fitness to Travel on our Tours

Any Customer with symptoms of COVID-19, or has been requested by authorities to self-isolate due to exposure with an infected person, must not travel on our tours.
There are Temperature checks for Customers. Should you have a high temperature you maybe denied boarding.

Health & Safety on our Tours

All tourism entities within the Bahamas must have in place Government approved health and safety guidelines to receive Clean & Pristine certification.

Please ensure everyone in your group brings their face mask or face covering for the day trip. These must be worn when social distancing is not possible.

Our partners and operators have in place the following protocols and guidelines:

• • Temperature checks for Customers and Staff.
  • Face masks are required to be worn when social distancing is not possible (i.e. on the aircraft and indoors).
  • Aircraft and boats to be sanitised daily.
  • Hand sanitiser provided onboard boat tours.
  • Snorkel gear and other communal use equipment are soaked, sanitized and disinfected after each use.

Official Bahamas Government Travel Information (updated 02 October)

For all official government information please visit:  Bahamas Government information page and for all FAQ’s about reopening. Below is a short synopsis:

Re-Opening of Borders & Recommencement of Tours:

While 15th October is still set for the reopening of the tourism sector, until 31th October all incoming visitors must “Vacation in Place” for 14 days or the duration of stay, whichever is shorter, which means limiting the vacation experience to the grounds and amenities of a traveler’s hotel or accommodations. Beginning 1st November, The Bahamas will remove the mandatory “Vacation in Place” requirement for all visitors, returning citizens and residents thereby, enabling everyone to move about and explore the destination beyond the confines of their hotel or other accommodations.

New Protocols Effective 1st November 2020:

The new protocols will require visitors, and returning citizens and residents to obtain a RT-PCR (swab) test no more than seven (7) days prior to their travel to The Bahamas.  In addition, and to ensure that travelers remain COVID free, a rapid antigen test will be conducted upon arrival, and then again four days (96 hours) after arrival in The Bahamas.

Specifics are as follows:

Prior to Travel:

• • COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: All persons traveling to The Bahamas must obtain a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (swab) test taken no more than seven (7) days prior to the date of arrival.  The name and address of the lab, where the test was performed, must be clearly displayed on the test result.
  • Children under the age of ten (10) and pilots and crew of commercial airlines, who remain overnight in The Bahamas, are exempt from obtaining the RT-PCR test.
  • Bahamas Health Travel Visa:  Once in possession of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test, all travelers will then be required to apply for a Bahamas Health Travel Visa at travel.gov.bs (click on the International Tab) where the required test must be uploaded.
    The cost of the visa will depend on the length of stay.

Upon Arrival 

• • Day of Arrival: Rapid Test – All persons entering The Bahamas, at an approved Port of Entry, will receive a Rapid COVID-19 antigen test.
    • If arriving by air, an approved Port of Entry will be: Nassau, Freeport, Marsh Harbour, North Eleuthera, Georgetown (Exuma), Bimini (and Cat Cay) and San Andros (Andros).
    • If arriving by sea, an approved Port of Entry will be: Nassau (Atlantis, Bay Street Marina, Lyford Cay, and Albany); Grand Bahama (West End – Old Bahama Bay and Freeport – Lucaya); Abaco (Marsh Harbour Government Dock); Eleuthera (Spanish Wells Marina); Berry Islands (Chubb Cay Club); Bimini (Big Game Club and Cat Cay Club); Exuma (Georgetown Government Dock).
    • American Airlines has indicated that, beginning in late October, they wish to provide each passenger traveling to The Bahamas from Miami with a Rapid COVID-19 antigen test before boarding the plane.  These passengers, along with the passengers of any other airlines wishing to provide a similar service, will not be required to complete the Rapid Test upon arrival in The Bahamas.

After Arrival

• • Day Five (96 hours after arrival): Rapid Test – All persons who entered The Bahamas, and who are  staying longer than four nights and five days, will be required to take a second Rapid COVID-19 antigen test.  To be clear, all visitors departing on Day Five will not be required to obtain this test.

The cost of the rapid tests on and after arrival will be included in the cost of the visa.

The rapid tests are easy, quick and will yield results in 20 minutes or less with results being provided electronically.

Many hotel properties will provide relevant information on testing arrangements, while others will facilitate the required rapid test for their guests.  

All persons on yachts and other pleasure craft will be able to make arrangements for their required rapid tests at the port of entry or via the relevant website.

All other visitors, returning residents and citizens will be able to make arrangements for their required rapid tests at the port of entry or via the relevant website.

COVID Swab Test Requirements & Validity (until 31st October 2020):

• Due to the recent increase of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and in an abundance of caution for the health and safety of both travellers and residents, all incoming visitors must present a COVID-19 RT-PCR Negative (Swab) Test upon arrival.
  • Results must be no more than five (5) days old . The test needs to be taken within 5 days of your departure date (day 1 being the day you took the test).
  • Swab Tests can take 24 hours to receive results from in Florida.
  • Upon arrival, any person presenting a test older than FIVE (5) days will not be allowed entry into The Bahamas.
    • On 27th August Bahamas Government decreased COVID Swab Test validity requirement from 10 Days to 5 Days effective from 1st September 2020. 27th august Press Release here.
    • On 8th July Bahamas Government relaxed COVID Swab Test validity requirement from 7 Days to 10 Days. 8th July Press Release here.
• Select individuals will be exempt from testing, which includes children under the age of two, private pilots who do not deplane, and Bahamian citizens, residents and homeowners returning from English speaking CARICOM countries.
• The Bahamas currently DOES NOT accept Rapid Antigen or Antibody (IgG/IgM).

Electronic Health Visa Applications & Requirements:

• All travellers will be required to complete an electronic Health Visa at travel.gov.bs
• It may take upto 72 hours to be processed.
• No quarantine will be required upon arrival, however, travellers who show symptoms of COVID-19 may be transferred to an area away from other passengers for further testing and evaluation.
• All inter-island travellers must complete an electronic Domestic Travel Card at travel.gov.bs prior to departure and for any inter-island travel within The Bahamas. An automated response will be provided upon completion. All travellers must have their confirmation on hand upon arrival to their destination. This is a crucial step for contact tracing purposes.

14 Day Quarantine Guidance (only until 31st October 2020): Read more here.

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 (a) or (b) or (c) above, they will be directed into a Government Mandated Quarantine Facility (Poinciania Inn on Bernard Road) 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 Ministry of Health officials approve/verify 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. Exemptions to this requirement can be granted by the Chief Medical Officer or her designate.

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

Temperature Screening & Face Mask Requirements:

• At airports and seaports, healthcare personnel will conduct temperature screenings for all incoming visitors. Travellers will be required to wear a face mask in any situation where it is necessary to enforce physical distancing guidelines, such as when entering and transiting air and sea terminals, while navigating security and customs screenings, and at baggage claim.
• New fines for all persons, including Bahamians, residents and visitors, not wearing face mask of $200 or a period of one month imprisonment or both.
• Face Masks required on entry and exit of beaches, for all Bahamians, residents and visitors