Living in Bermuda

Living in Bermuda

Getting There

The three most common ways to arrive in Bermuda are by plane, cruise line, or private vessel.

There are daily nonstop flights to Bermuda from the USA, Canada, and the UK which arrive at Bermuda’s only airport L.F.Wade International Airport, located at the east end of the island in St. George’s Parish.

Rental cars are not permitted in Bermuda, but there are many on-island taxis available to move around the island.

Many visitors arrive on all-inclusive cruises to the island which include transportation, meals, and lodging. The ships arrive at one of Bermuda’s three ports: King’s Wharf and Heritage Wharf, both located at the western tip of the island or Hamilton Harbour located in the capital City of Hamilton.

Or you can arrive on your private yacht arriving at the port of St. George’s where they have to obtain Immigration, Customs, and Health Clearance. Every person onboard needs a valid, machine-readable passport.

Becoming a citizen of Bermuda

It is not possible for foreigners to obtain citizenship in Bermuda, they can only move there to work for a specific period of time with a work permit issued by an employer located in Bermuda. These work permits are usually issued for a maximum of 6 years and are rarely extended beyond that time-frame. These work permits are not giving the holder permanent residency, voting rights or citizenship. Only if one gets married to a Bermudian and live together in Bermuda for at least 10 years, one can apply for citizenship.

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Working in Bermuda

You can live in Bermuda for as long as your work permit is valid, usually from 1 to 3 years. The employer can apply for renewal but only if the job can’t be done by a Bermudian. An employee can bring his or her spouse and children, but the spouse won’t be able to work in Bermuda unless he or she gets a work permit at their home country.

If the person coming to work in Bermuda has a partner to whom he/she is not married, the partner is only allowed to stay as a tourist according to the regulations of the tourist visa.

Health Care

Health care in Bermuda is not cheap, prices are more or less like in the USA. If you need prescription medicine, you should bring as much as you need for your stay, as although medical facilities are very good, they don’t have the supplies for serious conditions. There are no reciprocal healthcare arrangements between Bermuda and other countries, so if any medical attention is needed while in Bermuda, you will have to pay for it in cash or by credit card.

Real Estate

Foreigners are allowed to buy one property on the island, but they need lots of cash to do so, as only the most expensive properties on the island are made available for foreigners, as Bermudians can’t afford to buy them. Before buying the property any foreigner needs to pay a license fee which is a percentage of the purchase fee of a house or an apartment.

Usually, foreigners can only buy from foreigners,  the only exception being tourist accommodations like timeshare properties or hotel residences.

The purchase of a property in Bermuda won’t make the buyer eligible for citizenship, so apart from certain special cases, even permanent homeowners have to leave the island regularly and come back as a visitor.

I hope you enjoyed reading: Living in Bermuda. If you have any questions, please contact our office HERE.

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