# Bahamas Citizenship Requirements Ordinary naturalisation in The Bahamas requires a substantial residence or government-service history, English and civic knowledge, character and future-home conditions, and normally renunciation. Commonwealth registration and constitutional citizenship routes must be assessed separately. Scope: Adult alien naturalisation under section 9 and the Second Schedule of the Bahamas Nationality Act, checked alongside the July 2026 amendment. This is not the constitutional, marriage, minor-child or Commonwealth registration route. Jurisdiction: The Bahamas: citizenship. Sources reviewed 2026-09-22; review due 2026-12-21. General information, not legal advice or a finding of eligibility. Requirements depend on the route, applicant and filing date. Verify the official instructions before applying. ## Discretionary adult naturalisation Section 9 permits the Minister to naturalise a qualifying alien of at least 18 with legal capacity. Commonwealth citizens and British protected persons are instead addressed by registration provisions. Approval and the required oath, not residence alone, confer citizenship under this route. Evidence: conditional. [Government of The Bahamas / Laws of The Bahamas: Bahamas Nationality Act, Ch. 190: published principal Act](https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0018/1973-0018.pdf). Source location: Sections 2, 3, 5 and 9. ## Final twelve months plus six of the preceding nine years The Schedule requires residence, government service or their combination throughout the final twelve months, plus six aggregate years during the preceding nine. In special circumstances the Minister may accept a final twelve-month period ending up to six months earlier. This is not a rule requiring ten full years of residence. Evidence: conditional. [Government of The Bahamas / Laws of The Bahamas: Bahamas Nationality Act, Ch. 190: published principal Act](https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0018/1973-0018.pdf). Source location: Second Schedule paragraphs (a)-(b) and concluding ministerial discretion. ## English, civic responsibilities, character and future home The applicant needs good character, sufficient English and knowledge of a citizen's responsibilities. The Schedule also requires an intention to continue residence or government service and make The Bahamas the permanent home. It does not specify a CEFR level for the English requirement. Evidence: conditional. [Government of The Bahamas / Laws of The Bahamas: Bahamas Nationality Act, Ch. 190: published principal Act](https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0018/1973-0018.pdf). Source location: Second Schedule paragraphs (c)-(e). ## Prior citizenship normally must be renounced Before naturalisation, section 9 requires renunciation of any other citizenship; where that country's law prevents renunciation, it instead requires the prescribed declaration concerning that citizenship. This ordinary route should not be advertised as unrestricted dual citizenship. Evidence: conditional. [Government of The Bahamas / Laws of The Bahamas: Bahamas Nationality Act, Ch. 190: published principal Act](https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/PRINCIPAL/1973/1973-0018/1973-0018.pdf). Source location: Section 9 and its proviso concerning a foreign-law impediment. ## Form 6 and immigration-status evidence The Immigration Department's checklist calls for the application in duplicate, identity and family documents, immigration-status evidence, a recent police certificate, photos and notarisation. It also calls for advertisements in both named newspapers. Confirm the current checklist, translations and charges; a residence permit is not itself citizenship approval. Evidence: conditional. [Department of Immigration of The Bahamas: Form 6: certificate of naturalization application and supporting documents](https://www.immigration.gov.bs/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/CITIZENSHIP-FORM-VI-CERTIFICATE-OF-NATURALIZATION.pdf). Source location: PDF page 1: documents required for Form 6, including permits, certification and newspaper notices. ## The 2026 amendment is a different, limited provision From 1 July 2026, new section 7A allows discretionary permanent residence on stated terms after refusal of a section 7 application and payment of the prescribed sum. It does not amend section 9's ordinary naturalisation requirements or automatically convert a refusal into citizenship. Evidence: conditional. [Government of The Bahamas / Official Gazette: Bahamas Nationality (Amendment) Act, No. 32 of 2026](https://laws.bahamas.gov.bs/cms/images/LEGISLATION/AMENDING/2026/2026-0032A/2026-0032A.pdf). Source location: Amending Act sections 1-2, inserting section 7A only. Effective from 2026-07-01. ## Scope and limitations - The principal Act is a separately published revised-law text; the 2026 amendment has been read separately. Constitutional registration, family and minor-child routes have different conditions and are not reduced to this naturalisation baseline. - Government service can count where the Schedule says so. No purchase-of-property entitlement, processing-time guarantee or general dual-nationality permission is inferred. - The application PDF has a 2019 upload path. Its supporting-document checklist is used, but printed fees and legacy oath wording are not asserted as current. ## Explore this passport - [Passport rank and travel access](https://multipassrank.com/passport/the-bahamas) - [Tax residence & income](https://multipassrank.com/passport/the-bahamas/taxes) - [Country-profile JSON, including sources and scoped requirements](https://multipassrank.com/api/v1/country-profiles/BS) - [Multiple-citizenship policy guide](https://multipassrank.com/dual-citizenship-countries) [Canonical page](https://multipassrank.com/passport/the-bahamas/citizenship)