Bermuda Permanent Resident's Certificate and Bermudian Status in 2026

Bermuda's Permanent Resident's Certificate (PRC) gives qualifying people a durable right to live and work in Bermuda. It is a statutory long-term residence status and should not be confused with the investor-linked Economic Investment Residential Certificate or with Bermudian Status.

The key 2026 long-resident route is section 31ZA of the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956.

The 20-year PRC route

Current law allows a qualifying applicant to seek a PRC after at least 20 years of ordinary residence in Bermuda, including the two years immediately before the application, subject to the statutory eligibility, good-conduct and character requirements.

“Ordinary residence” is a legal concept. It should not be assumed that every day spent in Bermuda under every immigration category counts in exactly the same way. Long-term applicants should review their full immigration history before relying on the 20-year threshold.

A PRC holder has the right to live and work in Bermuda and benefits from a more secure status than a time-limited employer-sponsored permit.

Parent of a Bermudian: 15-year route

Government guidance also describes a route for a non-Bermudian parent of a son or daughter who has Bermudian Status. The published long-resident requirement is at least 15 years of ordinary residence, including the two years immediately before application, alongside the other statutory requirements.

This is a specific family-linked PRC route. It should not be generalized to every parent of a child resident in Bermuda.

Other PRC provisions

The Act contains other PRC provisions for particular categories. Eligibility should be identified from the actual statutory section rather than assuming that the 20-year rule is the only route or that all PRC applications have the same fee and evidence.

The current September 2026 immigration fee schedule lists $10,000 for section 31ZA and section 31ZB PRC applications, while other PRC provisions can have different charges. Confirm the section and current fee before filing.

PRC is not EIRC

An EIRC applicant qualifies through a current BMD $2.5 million investment framework. A long-resident PRC applicant qualifies through statutory residence/family conditions. Both can produce strong residence rights, but they are not interchangeable and should not be collapsed into a single “permanent visa.”

Read the EIRC guide if the basis is a qualifying investment.

PRC is not Bermudian Status

Bermudian Status is a separate legal status with its own statutory qualifying paths. Long residence on work permits, annual residence permission, EIRC or even holding a PRC does not automatically convert into Bermudian Status merely because time passes.

Two important published Status routes are:

  • the qualifying Bermudian connection (QBC) route under section 19, which includes being at least 18, at least 10 continuous years of ordinary residence, the required Bermudian connection and good conduct; and
  • the spouse/widow/widower route under section 19A, which has its own marriage-duration, residence, cohabitation and character requirements. Government guidance uses 10 continuous years of marriage, at least seven years of residence after marriage, and the immediately preceding residence/cohabitation conditions specified by law.

These are not generic naturalisation promises. Applicants must fit the exact statutory category.

British nationality is another question

Bermuda's constitutional and nationality position means British Overseas Territories citizenship and Bermudian Status are related but distinct legal concepts. This guide does not treat a PRC application as an application for British nationality or citizenship.

Anyone planning a nationality strategy should identify the exact status sought and the legislation governing it rather than using “Bermuda citizenship” as shorthand for PRC.

Work and family rights

PRC holders can live and work in Bermuda. Partners can use the current Partner and Family Residence framework, but a partner's employment rights still need to be documented under the applicable rules.

A PRC holder's status can also affect property rights and labour-market priority. Those benefits should be verified against the current property and employment rules for the proposed transaction or job.

What does not create PRC automatically

The following do not, by themselves, prove PRC eligibility:

The residence history and statutory route must be analysed directly.

Documents and processing

PRC and Bermudian Status applications require substantial identity, residence-history, character and relationship evidence. Because the evidence depends on the statutory section, ReloTide does not publish a single universal checklist or processing-time promise. Use the Department of Immigration's current form and section-specific instructions.

Tax context

A durable immigration status does not itself determine all tax obligations. Bermuda has no conventional personal income tax, but Payroll Tax, property-related charges, business taxes/fees and foreign-country tax obligations can still apply.

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

Official and supporting sources

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