Bermuda Economic Investment Residential Certificate in 2026

Bermuda's current investor-linked residence route is the Economic Investment Residential Certificate (EIRC). Under the revised policy effective 7 June 2024, a qualifying applicant must make an eligible Bermuda investment of at least BMD $2,500,000.

If approved, the applicant receives a Residential Certificate carrying an indefinite right to reside in Bermuda, subject to the policy's continuing conditions. This is materially different from the older 2021 structure sometimes described online. The revised policy should not be presented as requiring a new applicant to wait five years before applying for residence.

Qualifying investment

The revised policy recognizes several forms of qualifying Bermuda investment, including:

  • qualifying Bermuda real estate;
  • contributions to specified Bermuda government or public funds;
  • contributions to qualifying Bermuda charities;
  • equity investment in an existing Bermuda business, subject to the policy's exclusions and conditions;
  • development and launch of a new Bermuda-based business; and
  • another Bermuda venture accepted as beneficial to the island under the policy.

The investment must be real, documented and within a permitted category. Merely holding cash, buying any offshore security, or incorporating a nominal Bermuda company does not establish eligibility.

The BMD $2.5 million threshold

The minimum qualifying investment is BMD $2,500,000. Applicants should retain evidence showing the source, value, ownership and completion of the investment. Where real estate is involved, separate Bermuda property-ownership/licensing rules can apply to a restricted person.

The applicant must also satisfy age, character, health and immigration requirements. EIRC is discretionary; meeting a monetary threshold is not an automatic approval.

Five-year maintenance rule

For at least the first five years after the certificate is granted, the qualifying investment must remain at or above the required BMD $2.5 million level. The policy also requires the holder to reside in Bermuda for at least 90 days in each calendar year for five years.

After the fifth year, Immigration verifies compliance before the holder can rely on the Residential Certificate without the original five-year investment-maintenance condition. Failure to preserve the investment or residence conditions can jeopardize the certificate.

Work rights

EIRC is not an unrestricted work permit for any job. The revised policy provides automatic work-permit approval for a business in which the EIRC holder has made the qualifying investment. Employment outside that context must be assessed under the ordinary Bermuda Work Permit framework.

This distinction is important for an investor who later wants salaried employment with an unrelated business.

Family members

The policy can extend residence to a spouse/partner and dependent children. It also addresses dependent children in the 18–25 age range when they remain in qualifying higher education. Family members who want to work must satisfy the relevant work-permit rules rather than assuming the principal investor's employment benefit transfers automatically.

For broader partner rules, see Partner and Family Residence.

Current application fee

The June 2024 policy PDF reflects the fee in force when it was issued, but Bermuda's immigration fee schedule has since been updated. The current September 2026 fee schedule lists $2,755 for the Economic Investment / Residential Certificate application category. Use the current fee schedule at filing rather than relying on the older PDF figure.

Processing and due diligence

The current policy does not justify promising a universal fast processing time. Immigration and related agencies can need to verify the investment, source of funds, character evidence, property or corporate records and any sector approvals.

Applicants should complete investment and legal due diligence before committing funds. An investment can qualify economically yet still create separate corporate, property, regulatory, tax or licensing obligations.

Is EIRC a Bermuda golden visa?

“Bermuda golden visa” is a common search phrase, but it is not the legal name of the program. The official mechanism is the Economic Investment Residential Certificate. It provides residence, not citizenship by investment, and it carries active investment and physical-presence conditions during the first five years.

ReloTide therefore uses “golden visa” only as search intent and not as a claim that Bermuda has a passive citizenship or automatic-settlement product.

EIRC versus Permanent Resident's Certificate

EIRC should not be confused with a Permanent Resident's Certificate (PRC) for qualifying long-term residents. PRC has separate statutory eligibility, including a current 20-year ordinary-residence route. The two statuses arise from different legal bases and have different eligibility logic.

See Permanent Resident Status for the long-resident framework.

Tax and estate planning

Bermuda does not impose a conventional personal income tax, but Payroll Tax, corporate rules, property taxes/fees and home-country obligations can still matter. EIRC itself is not a tax ruling. Investors should coordinate immigration, investment, property, corporate and cross-border tax advice before restructuring assets.

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

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

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Bermuda