Bermuda Annual Residence Permission in 2026

Permission to Reside on an Annual Basis is Bermuda's current non-employment residence route for an adult who can support themselves without taking local employment. It is particularly relevant to financially independent people, retirees and people whose income comes from a foreign employer, pension, investments or other overseas sources.

It is not a work permit and it is not a replacement “digital nomad visa” in name. The current framework became especially important after Bermuda stopped accepting new Work From Bermuda applications on 28 February 2025.

Core eligibility

The September 2025 policy uses a published baseline of at least $75,000 in annual income. The applicant must also show that they can maintain themselves in Bermuda, hold private health insurance, satisfy identity and character requirements and comply with entry-document rules.

The current policy requires the holder to spend at least 90 days in Bermuda during each calendar year. This is an important difference from a casual long-stay visitor arrangement: the permission carries an affirmative residence expectation.

The applicant must be at least 18 years old. Immigration retains discretion to assess whether the financial and personal evidence is sufficient for the proposed household.

Dependants and financial thresholds

The Government's current policy increases the expected household income as dependants are added. Published baselines include:

applicant or household with one dependant: $75,000;
two dependants: $100,000;
three dependants: $125,000; and
four or more dependants: $150,000 or more.

These figures should be treated as minimum policy benchmarks rather than a guarantee. Immigration can assess the real cost of supporting the household.

Eligible dependants can include a partner and children under 18, subject to evidence and the current policy.

Validity and fees

The Government announced that residence permission can be granted for up to five years. The current immigration fee schedule lists:

up to one year: $275; and
up to five years: $1,215.

Because fees can change through the annual fee schedule, confirm the amount shown by Immigration when filing.

No local employment

The central restriction is clear: this permission is for residence without local employment. It should not be used as a substitute for an employer-sponsored Bermuda Work Permit.

If circumstances change and the holder wants a Bermuda job, the immigration and work-permit position must be addressed before employment begins. Government guidance also makes clear that “Permission to Reside and Seek Employment” is not a generic open job-seeker visa; it operates only in specific continuity and eligibility contexts.

Typical evidence

Current policy material calls for evidence such as:

valid passport and any required multi re-entry visa;
private health insurance;
medical evidence;
police certificate and character references;
passport photographs;
bank reference and recent banking records;
evidence of the foreign employment, pension, investment income or assets relied on;
dependant relationship documents where applicable; and
the filing fee.

Documents issued abroad can require original, certified or otherwise acceptable evidence. Applicants should follow the Department of Immigration's current checklist rather than relying on an old Work From Bermuda checklist.

Remote workers and retirees

A foreign-employed remote worker can potentially fit this residence category if the financial and no-local-employment conditions are met. The immigration permission does not itself answer whether services performed while physically in Bermuda create payroll-tax, business-registration or other obligations.

A retiree can also fit if the required income/asset support and other criteria are met. Bermuda does not need a separately branded “retirement visa” for this search intent; the annual residence permission is the relevant current framework.

Tax and compliance

Bermuda does not impose a conventional personal income tax, but Payroll Tax can apply to employment, self-employment or services in Bermuda. Residence permission is not a tax ruling.

Holders also need to preserve the conditions on which residence was granted. A material change in household, income, work activity or immigration circumstances should be checked with Immigration before assuming the existing permission remains sufficient.

Alternatives

If your plan is local employment, see the Work Permit guide. If you are establishing a Bermuda company, see Entrepreneur and Business Permits. If you are making a qualifying investment of at least BMD $2.5 million, assess the EIRC.

Remote workers should also read why the former Work From Bermuda program is closed.

Return to the Bermuda immigration hub, compare North America destinations, or browse the visa-type directory.

Last verified: 17 September 2026. This page is informational and has not been reviewed by a Bermuda immigration lawyer or tax adviser.