E-PASSPORT

Passport enrollments are administered by APPOINTMENT ONLY during regular office hours, Monday through Friday. Please contact the Bahamas High Commission to schedule an appointment. Please note that all applicants must be present at time of enrolment.

NOTICE

Hand written passport booklets were rendered invalid on January 1st, 2015. All Bahamian Nationals in possession of hand-written passport booklets are required to schedule an appointment at the High Commission to apply for a Biometric Passport.

General Notice
Who Can Apply
First-Time Passport - General Requirements
E-Passport Renewal - General Requirements
Fees
Application Form

Passport enrollments are administered by appointment only during regular office hours, Monday through Friday. Please contact the Bahamas High Commission to schedule an appointment.

While the High Commission administers the passport enrollment process in Ottawa, upon completion all applications are forwarded to The Bahamas Passport Office for production. Therefore, all required documents should be submitted at the time of enrollment to avoid any delays in the processing time.

Application Form must be completed in BLOCK LETTERS (e.g. DOE, JOHN) in blue or black ink only, and submitted with all relevant supplementary documentation at the time of application.

Processing Time

Item:	Standard Time
Children (under 15 ½):	7 – 10 Business Days
Adult Passport:	7 – 10 Business Days
Lost, Stolen, Damage, Deed Poll, DNA, First time 18 & older & Naturalized:	14 – 20 Business Days

The passport department offers an expedited In this process, applications are prioritized over all previously submitted applications. The time frame for the expedited service begins when payment (for the service) and all required documents have been submitted.
Applicants exempt from the expedited fees are those who have medical A letter from a licensed medical doctor stating the applicant requires urgent travel for a medical procedure. Planned appointments are not accepted. All other exemptions require approval from the CPO.

Once the enrollment process is complete, the processing time is usually 2-4 weeks. This does not include the courier delivery time. Ensure application is submitted with sufficient processing time and return delivery time.

Applications submitted with less than requested processing time may be accepted; however, application may be processed after applicant’s travel date.

You can apply for a Bahamian passport if you are a citizen of The Bahamas by either:

Birth, and you did not relinquish your citizenship prior to applying for a passport
Registration or naturalization (through approval of the Immigration Department)
Descent (you were born to a parent who was a Bahamian citizen at the time of your birth)
Legal Adoption (you were adopted by a citizen of The Bahamas in The Bahamas)

FIRST TIME PASSPORT

Lawful parent/Legal guardian must be present with the applicant for interview

1 completed application form
3 recent colour photographs – U.S. visa size (One of the photographs, along with the relevant field on the application form, must be countersigned)
Child’s Birth Certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information)
National Insurance Card (if available)
Mother / Father passport
Mother/ Father birth certificate

Note that all birth certificates issued by Canadian authorities should indicate the full names of the parents. In Ontario, the required birth certificate is the statement of live birth (long form). Birth Certificates must be authenticated by The Province where the applicant was born and then further authenticated by The Bahamas High Commission.

When using mother’s documents:

If the mother is born after 10th July, 1973, then the Applicant will also require:

Maternal grandmother’s birth certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information); OR
Maternal grandfather’s birth certificate and grandparents registered marriage certificate.

When using father’s documents:

If the father is born after 10th July, 1973, then the Applicant will also require:

Parents registered marriage certificate;
Paternal grandmother’s birth certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information); OR
Paternal grandfather’s birth certificate and grandparents registered marriage certificate.

Supplementary documentation

Applicants under the age of 18 are required to submit the following:

Immunization card
School letter/records, if applicable

For applicants over the age of 18, the following may be required for verification purposes:

School letter, Baptismal certificate, Hospital Record letter, Voter’s Registration card and Immunization card

FIRST TIME PASSPORT – BORN BEFORE 10TH JULY, 1973

1 completed application form
3 recent colour photographs – U.S. visa size (One of the photographs, along with the relevant field on the application form, must be countersigned)
Applicant’s Birth Certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information)
National Insurance card
Deed Poll, if applicable

Additionally, for verification purposes, the Applicant may be asked to bring in: Primary school letter, Baptismal certificate, Hospital Record letter, Voter’s Registration card, Immunization card

Countersignature of Application

A countersignature must be provided in the following instances:

Lost/Stolen Passport
First Time Passport Application
Name change due to marriage and by deed poll

Relevant authorities authorized to countersign applications include:

Marriage Officer
Medical Practitioner
Legal Counsel or Attorney of the Supreme Court
Officer of or above the rank of Assistant Head of a Government Department
Bank Manager
Magistrate
Justice of the Peace

All authorized persons must be personally acquainted with the applicant for at least two years

NOTE: A member of the applicant’s immediate family is not authorized to authenticate/countersign the application.

RENEWAL OF E-PASSPORT

As of December 9^th 2019, holders of Adult E-Passports will be able to renew their passports online here.

As of 1^st November, 2024, all overseas passport applicants (online and in-person) collecting their passport outside of The Bahamas are required to pay a shipping fee of US$35.00

All Applicants applying for a Bahamian passport are required to pay the shipping fee of USD $35.00

Applicants applying in person are required to pay the courier fee upon submitting their applications, while applicants applying online are required to pay at the time of collection.

Applicants who wish to use Online Services for E-Passport renewals must meet the following criteria:

The applicant must be a Bahamian citizen who is 18 years or older, and must have an E-Passport.
Please note that this portal is for online renewal of E-Passports only. All applicants with lost, stolen and damaged passports, and persons requesting a name change, must apply in person at one of our Passport Offices or Overseas Missions.
Phase Two for the renewal of E-Passports on behalf of minors is not yet available, but will be introduced in the near future.

Any inquiries regarding Online Applications can be directed to the Help Desk at 1-242-397-2388 during the hours of 9AM to 5PM Eastern Time. Any inquiries or concerns can also be submitted to the Help Desk Email at [email protected]

COLLECTION:

Applicants must collect their passports at the selected Passport Office location or Overseas Missions.

All persons collecting passports must present the applicant’s most recent passport and the electronic receipt of payment.

All applicants applying for services and documents through one of The Bahamas Missions that require courier services will be charged a USD $35 fee per service/application.

Also:

Applicants who are now 18 years and in possession of a child’s E-Passport, are able to renew their E-Passports because they have attained adult status.

RENEWAL OF MANUAL PASSPORT (NOT E-PASSPORT)

1 completed application form
Expired manual passport
3 recent colour photographs – U.S. visa size (applicants should write name on back of passport photo)
Copy of Applicant’s Birth Certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information)
National Insurance Card (if available)
Copy of Mother / Father passport
Copy of Mother/ Father birth certificate

Note that all birth certificates issued by Canadian authorities should indicate the full names of the parents. In Ontario, the required birth certificate is the statement of live birth (long form).

Applicants requiring name change may require application form to be countersigned.

When using mother’s documents:

If the mother is born after 10th July, 1973, then the Applicant will also require copies of :

Maternal grandmother’s birth certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information); OR
Maternal grandfather’s birth certificate and grandparents registered marriage certificate

When using father’s documents:

If the father is born after 10th July, 1973, then the Applicant will also require copies of :

Parents registered marriage certificate
Paternal grandmother’s birth certificate/ Affidavit of birth (Affidavits must be registered with the Registrar General’s office in The Bahamas. Contact the mission for more information), OR
Paternal grandfather’s birth certificate and grandparents registered marriage certificate

Additionally, for verification purposes, the Applicant may be asked to bring in: school letter, Baptismal certificate, Hospital Record letter, Voter’s Registration card, Immunization card

Prior to application, please contact Consular Officer to verify documents on file

Passport Fees as at 1st November 2024

Item:	Regular:
Children Passport:	$25.00
Adult Passport:	$50.00
Emergency Travel Document: Shipping & Handling Fee	$50.00 $35.00
Replacement fee for two (2) or more passports $100 (in addition to the cost of the passport)

Expedited Fees:

Item:	Same day (within 4 business hours)	Within 48 business hours:	Ten business days
Regular (adult or child)	$350	$300	————-
Lost Stolen Damage, Deed Poll, DNA, First Time 18 & older & Naturalised:	$350 (Two Business Days)	$300 (three Business days)	$75

All fees must be submitted in the EXACT amount and only in U.S dollars in the form of a bank draft, a bank money order, made payable to The Bahamas High Commission. The Bahamas High Commission will NOT accept Canadian currency, cash, personal or business cheques or credit cards- doing so will result in your application not being processed and/or returned.

E-Passport Application Form