Citizens of The Bahamas living overseas in need of an emergency identity/travel document must apply to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Overseas Missions i.e. Embassies, High Commissions or Consulates General in order to replace their lost, stolen or damaged passport.
All passports are valid for a period of 5 years [for persons under the age of 16] and 10 years [for persons 16 years and older].
Common reasons/causes that require Emergency Travel Documents [ETD] are:
Lost, Stolen or Damaged during international travels
Death of a loved one – death certificate, funeral home notice etc.
Medical Emergency – letter from doctor, hospital documents etc.
Voluntary and Involuntary Deportees – requested by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The Consulate General also advises clients that customers requiring an Emergency Travel Document [ETD] for travel, must substantiate the cause of the emergency in writing. Additionally, we also recommend that an ETD customer enroll for their new ePassport while enrolling for the ETD. As most ETD customers tend to be United States Permanent Residents, this measure of pre-enrollment by the Consulate General, allows the Consulate General and the Passport Office to facilitate the production and issuance of ePassport for the customer before their arrival into Nassau, The Bahamas.
Who is Eligible?
You can apply for a Bahamian passport if you are a citizen of the Bahamas by either:
- Birth, and you did not relinquish your citizenship prior applying for a passport
- Registration or Naturalization – through approval of Immigration Department
- Descent – you were born to a parent who was a Bahamian citizen at the time of your birth
Legal Adoption – you were adopted by a citizen of The Bahamas in The Bahamas
Process:
- Passports that have been misplaced or stolen should be reported to the nearest Police Station or Precinct. The original Police Report is required to obtain a replacement passport.
- If the passport has been damaged, the original must first be verified by the Passport Office, a copy is made, and the original is given back to the Applicant.
- The applicant must then complete all usual application requirements.
- Fill out the application form. Note: Children 10 years and older must sign the application form. All persons 14 years and older must be fingerprinted.
- Citizens may submit their applications and supporting documents in person at the Passport offices or online.
Related Fee:
The application fee is USD $35.00
