July 02, 2020

New Bahamas Procedures and Protocols

Requirements before entering The Bahamas

To maintain everyone's health, The Bahamas has established certain requirements for boaters and marinas.

Effective Tuesday 7 July, all visitors must present a COVID-19 RT-PCR Negative (Swab) Test upon arrival.

The test must have been taken no later than seven (7) days from the date of travel.

Contact your health care professional to receive a COVID-19 RT -PCR test or you can also get it at selected CVS and Walgreens stores.

For more information visit your local health department.

Before any departure – Domestic and International - and for any inter-island travel within The Bahamas, all travelers must present a proof of their Electronic Health Declaration Form at travel.gov.bs

Selected individuals will be exempt from the test.

If all steps are met, no quarantine will be required upon arrival.

Failure to comply with any of the requirements will result in denied entry. 

Boaters Requirements once in The Bahamas

• Upon arrival, anyone who disembarks in a marina is subject to additional mandatory examinations by the Ministry of Health.
• Boats always required to remain 50 feet apart
• No “rafting” (tying boats together)
• No “beaching” (running boats ashore in shallow water to disembark)

Mandatory use of masks:

You could be fined $ 200, a period of one-month imprisonment or both, if you don't wear your mask.

Masks are required in all the following:

• Entry and exit of beaches
• When entering and transiting air and sea terminals
• During security and customs screenings
• At baggage claim
• When checking in and boarding aircraft, vessel, or other forms of transportation
• When traveling in a taxi
• When standing in line at attractions
• Before being seated at a restaurant
• While checking into a hotel

In addition, the Bahamas Government has imposed a mandatory daily curfew across the country between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am.

Everyone must remain in their places of residence during this time and travelers must return to their accommodation (Hotels, rentals, boats, etc.). “However, guests at hotels and marinas are free to move about the property within curfew hours and will not be confined to their rooms/boats, provided they follow individual property guidelines.”

At the moment, tourist attractions, excursions, tours, vendors, and Jet Skis are closed. However, attractions and excursions as well as some vendors will be able to reopen next Monday, July 13.

While Jet Ski operators will be able to resume their operations under Phase 4 which is scheduled to take effect on July 27.

For more information about the Bahamas procedures and protocols, please visit the Association of Bahamas Marinas.

Please remember that failure to comply with any of the established requirements may deny entry to the country.

July 02, 2020