The Bahamas
Location: North America
Visas & Permits
Visas & Work Permits
Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Crews travelling on UK passports can enter visa-free for stays of up to 30 days (with an extension option for a maximum period of eight months).
Please contact a local embassy, consulate or representative for more information. Alternatively, there are specialist companies that provide visa and immigration support to the media industry who may be able to assist.
Film Location Permits
Permitting in The Bahamas is a very straightforward process, requiring usually no more than one week for permits.
Customs
For productions looking to bring in film equipment, The Bahamas is not an ATA carnet country.
Some basic grip and lighting equipment is available locally. The Bahamas also offer good underwater photography support including camera housing. All other equipment needs to be brought in from abroad, which is an easy process.
When to Film
When to Film
The Bahamas has beautiful weather all year-round. The dry season, and the best time to film, runs from December to April. The wet season, which also experiences hurricanes, runs from May to November.
The Bahamas is a predominately Christian country, so those holidays are observed.
Public Holidays
Public holidays may affect timing, availability and costs. See here for public holiday dates in The Bahamas.
Costs & VAT
Since little to no filming infrastructure exists, most key crew and equipment need to be brought in from abroad. Miami is the closest major film production centre and is only a short one hour flight away.
The standard VAT rate in The Bahamas is currently set at 10%.
Funding & Tax Incentives
Incentives
At the time of writing, this country does not have any filming incentives. However, up to date information on global filming incentives may be found on the Entertainment Partners' Production Incentives Map.
Treaty Documents