TRAVEL TIPS
Just a few bits of information to help you plan and put your mind at ease.And if we don't answer all your questions here, don't worry. You’ll be meeting lots of friendly people ready to help along the way.
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Communications
Both vacationers and business travelers will find that telecommunication services on The Islands Of The Bahamas are comparable with the service found in most developed nations. Paradise Island features direct-dial telephone service worldwide, and satellite television capabilities provide most hotel guests with their favorite shows, sporting events and movie channels. Many properties also have hi-speed Internet access. The Bahamas Telephone Company (BTC) provides a variety of services beyond telephones. Also provided are fax, telex, Internet, cellular, private line service, satellite and radio leasing and an improved VHF-FM radio telephone service that allows you to contact ships at sea. For cell phone use, BTC has roaming agreements with 128 companies worldwide. Roaming rates for the United States and Canada are $2.24 per minute and charges are billed through your home service provider. To access BTCʼs GSM roaming system simply turn on your phone and wait while it connects to the network. You can save money on long-distance calls by purchasing phone cards. These have great rates to the U.S. and Canada and can be found at any BTC location.
Currency / Banking
Our currency here on the islands of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar, equivalent in value to the U.S. dollar. Nassau and Paradise Island accept U.S. currency, and most major credit cards and traveler's checks are accepted as well. ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are located at the Paradise Island and Cable Beach casinos, as well as Rawson Square, all major banks and most of the major Out Islands. Most systems are Cirrus or +PLUS. Banking hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -
- Customs & Immigration
Arriving: Upon arriving in The Islands Of The Bahamas, everyone must fill out and sign an immigration form, keeping a portion of the card in hand until departing. An oral baggage declaration is required. Each adult visitor is allowed to bring 50 cigars, 200 cigarettes or one pound of tobacco, one quart of spirits and a variety of personal effects (personal radio headsets, bicycle, two still cameras, etc.). All beer imported into the country is dutiable at a rate of $10 per imperial gallon or $18 per case. Purchases up to a value of $100 are permitted by all arriving passengers.
Departing: Departures to the U.S. must go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance. U.S. citizens out of the country for more than 48 hours can return home with $800 worth of duty-free merchandise. The next $1,000 is taxed at 10%. Gifts valued up to $50 may be mailed home duty-free. One liter of wine, liqueur or liquor and five cartons of cigarettes may be taken duty-free. Those over the age of 21 are limited, however, to 32 ounces of tobacco and no more than two liters of alcohol. Canadian citizens away for seven days or more are entitled to $300 worth of duty-free merchandise, but are limited to two pounds of manufactured tobacco and no more than 40 oz. of liquor or wine. Residents of the UK can take home duty-free merchandise totaling up to £136. Limitations include two fluid ounces of perfume, a half-pound of tobacco and two baggage. - If you are arriving from anywhere other than a U.S. insular possession (U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or Guam) you may bring back $800 worth of items duty free, as long as you bring them with you. This is called accompanied baggage. For Caribbean Basin or Andean countries, your exemption is also $800. These countries include:
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
British Virgin Islands
Colombia
Costa Rica
Dominica Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Montserrat Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
You may include two liters of alcoholic beverages with this $800 exemption, as long as one of the liters was produced in one of the countries listed above. - Depending on what items you're bringing back from your trip, you could come home with more than $800 worth of gifts or purchases and still not be charged duty. For instance, say you received a $700 bracelet as a gift, and you bought a $40 hat and a $60 color print. Because these items total $800, you would not be charged duty, since you have not exceeded your duty-free exemption. If you had also bought a $500 painting on that trip, you could bring all $1300 worth of merchandise home without having to pay duty, because fine art is duty-free.
BackMore - Customs & Immigration
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Driving Laws
Visitors may use their home licenses for up to three months and may also apply for an international driver's license. British rules apply, so please drive on the left and be extra careful on roundabouts. Pedestrians should remember to look right before crossing streets. It is the law that all drivers and their passengers wear seat belts while riding in vehicle in The Bahamas. A child weighing less than twenty pounds shall face the rear of the vehicle secured in an infant seat fitted to the rear seat. A child more than twenty pounds and less than forty pounds – must be protected with a convertible car seat fitted to the rear seat. A child over forty pounds or up to 4 ft. 9 in. tall must be secured in a booster car seat fitted in the rear seat. A child taller than 4 ft. 9 in. and between 8 and 12 years old is required to use a seat belt.
Duty-Free Shopping
Paradise Island has duty-free shopping on cameras, binoculars and telescopes, china and crystal, watches and clocks, jewelry, perfumes, fine linens and tablecloths, liquor and leather goods. Savings on these items are between 25% - 50% below U.S. prices. You can find local arts and crafts in straw markets and specialty shops, or in Nassauʼs Festival Place, Paradise Islandʼs Bahama Craft Center and Grand Bahama Island's Port Lucaya Marketplace. -
Electricity
Don't worry - you'll be able to operate American or Canadian hairdryers, shavers and other small electrical appliances without any extra adapters. Paradise Island is equipped with standard North American 120-volt/60-cycle AC electrical current. British and European appliances require a flat two-pin adaptor and 220-volt converter.
Holidays
On Paradise Island, it's typical for stores and offices to be closed on the following public government holidays:
- Whit Monday (seven weeks after Easter)
- Independence Day (July 10)
- Emancipation Day (first Monday in August)
- Discovery Day (October 12)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- Boxing Day (December 26)
Hotel Check-in/Check-out
Standard hotel check-in is 3:00 pm and check-out is 11:00 am. If you have an earlier arrival or later departure, generally the hotels will store your luggage. This will allow you more time for the beach or pool – but remember to keep that extra change of clothes in a separate bag. -
Language
The official language of The Bahamas is English, more British than American. You'll also hear traces of Bahamian and African dialect. Some Indian words like cassava and guava have been retained in the language.
On-Island Transportation
Taxis are located outside the hotels and charge by fixed rates by zones, with an option of hiring them hourly for touring the island. For those that wish to sightsee or visit downtown Nassau, water taxis and buses depart regularly from Paradise Island to Nassau.
Passport Information
On January 23, 2007, the US government implemented a new travel regulation requiring all international air travelers (adults and children, including newborns) to present a valid passport in order to be admitted back into the United States. For more information on this new travel regulation, please visit our Passport Information page. -
Time Zone
Paradise Island is on the EST timezone.
Tipping
It is customary for restaurants and hotels to automatically add 15% to all food and beverage checks (for exceptional service you may wish to add an additional tip). Bellmen and porters typically receive a tip of $1 per bag, and taxi drivers receive approximately 15% of the total fare.
Traveling with Children
If you are traveling with children, some hotels on Paradise Island offer children's programs and scheduled activities to keep your kids entertained during your stay. For your convenience, bonded babysitting services are available. Also, you'll be happy to know that children under 12 typically stay free of charge. -
Traveling with Pets
If you don't want to leave your pet behind when you travel to Paradise Island, you'll need a valid import permit prior to your arrival ($10.00 per pet). To import any domestic animal into the Bahamas, they must be at least 6 months or older and have a valid certificate of required vaccinations. Anyone wishing to apply for an import permit can call in their request to 242-325-7502 or write to:
Director of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture, Trade & Industry
Box 3704
Nassau, Bahamas
For more information on the import requirements of the Bahamas, you may download the information sheet and application form. -
Weddings
In order to be wed on the Islands of the Bahamas, couples must be here for 24 hours before applying for a marriage license. You'll be required to show your birth certificates and a notarized affidavit. Also, if appropriate, you'll need divorce papers, death certificate of a former spouse, and parental consent if under the age of 18. Most hotels are equipped to assist guests with marriage arrangements. Other organizations that you will find helpful are:
The Registrar General Office
Box N-532
Nassau Bahamas
242-322-3316
The Weddings and Honeymoon Unit of the Ministry of Tourism
1-888-NUPTIAL (687-8425)
242-354-0435
Fax: 242-302-2009
Email: romance@bahamas.com
Office hours are 9 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday.