The Bahamas Updated Their Visitor Guidelines a Day Before Opening to Travelers — What to Know

Visitors staying for longer than 5 days will undergo rapid testing while on their trip.

Editor’s note: Those who choose to travel are strongly encouraged to check local government restrictions, rules, and safety measures related to COVID-19 and take personal comfort levels and health conditions into consideration before departure.

Ahead of welcoming back visitors on Nov. 1, The Bahamas updated their testing guidelines for travelers.

Initially, The Bahamas required that all travelers would be able to skip the island’s mandatory quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 7 days before arrival. However, that protocol will only be in place until Nov. 6.

Now, those looking to head to Bahamian paradise will have to test negative for COVID-19 5 days of departure, along with applying for a Bahamas Health Travel Visa after their test.

Travelers who stay for 5 days and 4 nights will be required to undergo a rapid test, which yield results within 60 minutes.

Children 10 years old and younger along with airline crews and pilots who are staying overnight will not need to get tested.

“We are making changes to our travel and testing protocols in order to give our visitors a better and more seamless vacation experience,” Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar told T+L earlier this month. “We want everyone to enjoy The Bahamas thoroughly and with peace of mind. These new steps will allow us to closely monitor and respond to any potential spread of the virus, while our visitors can continue to have the authentic Bahamian experience they know and love. With 16 islands to choose from, many that offer natural seclusion, we have something for everyone and look forward to welcoming travelers back to our shores.”

Before Nov.  1, visitors were allowed to “Vacation in Place” for 14 days (or less if their trip is shorter), taking advantage of the Bahamas’ pristine beaches and gorgeous surroundings from its over-the-top resort buyouts to sweet boutique hotels (and even the concept of an ultra-luxurious private island retreat). In that case, travelers will have to get a PCR test prior to arrival and remain in their hotels, but can use all the amenities and resort facilities.

In an effort to make traveling to the Caribbean islands easier, American Airlines said it would look to start a pre-flight testing program for travel to the Bahamas. That is in addition to its plans to test passengers on flights to Jamaica and Hawaii.

The Bahamas, which requires everyone to wear masks in public places, first opened its borders to private planes and yachts on June 15 followed by commercial airlines on July 1. But the islands quickly saw a spike in COVID-19 cases, causing the country’s prime minister to temporarily ban visitors from the U.S. Days later, Americans were once again allowed to enter the country, but all visitors were required to quarantine for two weeks at their own expense. (https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/bahamas-allowing-visitors-vacation-in-place-coronavirus)