Bahamas Travel Update For Boaters + Private and Commercial Flights [COVID-19 Protocol]

The Bahamas is slowly reopening with new entry and travel guidelines for citizens, legal residents, and visitors.

UPDATE:

As of August 30, 2020, commercial flights, private flights, and sea vessels with passengers are allowed to travel into, within, and out of The Bahamas. This announcement comes as an update to previous travel restrictions from July 22, 2020, which prohibited domestic or international flights and sea vessels with passengers to Grand Bahama.

The Bahamian government outlined new guidelines for international travelers, legal residents, and citizens to be followed before arrival:

• All travelers are required to submit an electronic health visa and complete the required fields before arrival.

• Effective September 1, 2020, all incoming visitors, as well as returning citizens and residents, must show proof of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test, taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. All test results must be uploaded when applying for a Bahamas Health Visa.

• All visitors and returning residents are required to shelter-in-place at a hotel, private club, rented accommodation, or private boat for 14 days upon arrival into The Bahamas.

• All visitors, legal residents, and citizens must agree to be monitored for purposes of contact tracing. The Bahamian government asks that all travelers install the Hubbcat App on their smartphones.

• After the 14 days, all persons intending to remain in the country will be required to complete another COVID-19 test, at their own expense, to exit shelter-in-place.

Travel is permitted between all islands of The Bahamas based on similar requirements including a negative test result within 5 days from the date of travel, mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival to an island, and an additional test at the end of a two-week quarantine.

Private charter vessels, private flight vessels, commercial flights, and pleasure craft and yachts are allowed to enter the Bahamas under these new entry and travel guidelines. If private boaters plan to travel in The Bahamas, they must present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival. The negative test result must be from a test taken no later than 5 days prior to arrival. Then you can relax with a shelter-in-place on your private boat or charter yacht for the 14-day quarantine.

Tropic Ocean Airways is an excellent option for safe and private flight experiences. Their luxury seaplanes let you land where you want — airport, sea, dock, or yacht — and create your own destination experience. Yup, if you’re sheltering in place on a yacht in The Bahamas, Tropic Ocean Airways will deliver supplies, fly-in guests, or assist with crew rotations to and from your vessel. They’ll even accommodate a private customs and immigration clearing process.

For more details on travel to The Bahamas and COVID-19 protocols, see the latest press release and stay up to date with Bahamas tourism reopening.