To live and work in Bermuda as a non-Bermudian, you need an employer-sponsored work permit issued by the Department of Immigration under the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956.1Bermuda Laws Online. Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 Bermuda work permit requirements sit on a simple premise: the job goes to a Bermudian if one is available, and only when the employer can show otherwise may a foreign worker fill the role. The rules are strict, the paperwork is specific, and the timing of each step matters.
When You Do and Don’t Need a Permit
Visitors from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and most Western countries can enter Bermuda for tourism or short business meetings without a visa. U.S. citizens must carry a valid passport with at least one blank page for the entry stamp.2U.S. Department of State. Bermuda International Travel Information Travelers from countries on Bermuda’s visa order must present a valid multi-reentry visa for the UK, US, or Canada. Since November 2022, arriving visitors complete a free digital Bermuda Arrival Card online in place of the older pre-arrival authorization.3Government of Bermuda. Visitors
Visitor status does not permit work of any kind. Even unpaid consulting or freelance work for a client outside Bermuda requires a permit. The “Work from Bermuda” digital nomad certificate that once allowed remote workers to stay for up to a year was discontinued in February 2025, so remote work from the island is no longer a legal shortcut.
The Four Work Permit Categories
An employer, not the employee, applies for the permit. Which category fits depends on the role, the employer’s presence in Bermuda, and how long the worker is needed.
Standard Work Permit
This is the default category. Before applying, the employer must show that no qualified Bermudian, spouse of a Bermudian, or Permanent Resident’s Certificate holder was available for the role.4Government of Bermuda. Standard Work Permit Application Standard permits are issued for one to five years. A global company moving an existing employee to its Bermuda office can use the Intra-Company Transfer route, which sits within the standard framework but waives the local advertising step because the worker already belongs to the organization.5Government of Bermuda. Types of Work Permits
Short-Term Work Permit
Short-term permits cover assignments of up to six months.6Government of Bermuda. Short Term Work Permit Application They are limited to specific situations: a consultant in a specialized field, an employee transferred from an overseas affiliate for a defined project, a technician for equipment maintenance, or emergency cover for a vacancy created by something like a cybersecurity incident or mass staff departure. Short-term permits cannot be used to sidestep the standard process for an ongoing role.
New Business Work Permit
When an exempted company sets up in Bermuda for the first time, it can bring in staff under a New Business Work Permit with automatic approval during the first nine months after its first permit is issued, with no local advertising required.7Government of Bermuda. Get a New Business Work Permit Once that window closes, the company must follow the standard advertising process. Permits themselves run for one to five years.8Government of Bermuda. New Business Work Permit Application
Global Entrepreneur Work Permit
This narrower category is for business service companies working with global investors who plan to establish a company in Bermuda. The government fee schedule groups it alongside new business permits.9Government of Bermuda. All Immigration Fees
Local Advertising the Employer Must Run
Before filing a standard or short-term permit application, the employer must advertise the position in a local newspaper at least three times over an eight-day span and on the government’s Job Board (bermudajobboard.bm) for eight consecutive days. The two sets of ads must start within two weeks of each other; if they don’t, both are invalid and must be rerun.10Department of Immigration. Work Permit Policy 2025
Each ad must state the job title, employer contact information, minimum qualifications, a brief description of duties, and an application deadline giving candidates at least five working days after the last ad runs. The permit application must then be submitted within three months of the last advertisement date. If hiring takes longer, an Advertisement Extension Fee stretches that window to six months.10Department of Immigration. Work Permit Policy 2025 Missing the sequence or the submission window means starting over.
Documents You’ll Need to Provide
First-time residents must submit an original police certificate from their last place of residence, sometimes called a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction or Police Clearance depending on the issuing country. It must carry the issuing authority’s seal or stamp and is valid for six months from the date of issue.11Government of Bermuda. Standard Work Permit Application Form
An original general certificate of good health is also required for first-time residents. A chest X-ray is only required for applicants who come from, or have lived for three months or more in, a jurisdiction flagged as high-risk for tuberculosis by the World Health Organization. When it applies, the X-ray must show the applicant’s name, date of birth, and date of issue, and it is valid for six months.11Government of Bermuda. Standard Work Permit Application Form
Any document not in English needs a certified translation. Application forms are available through the Department of Immigration’s website.12Government of Bermuda. Immigration
Government Fees
Every application must be filed with the required fee. Applications submitted without payment are not processed.
- Standard work permits: $1,015 for one year, up to $6,510 for five years.
- Global or new business work permits: $1,955 for one year, up to $7,460 for five years.
- Economic Investment Certificate: $2,755 per applicant.
- Residential Certificate: $2,755 per applicant.9Government of Bermuda. All Immigration Fees
Short-term permit fees are lower and scale with the shorter duration. The full fee schedule is published online and updated periodically.
Bringing a Spouse and Children
A work permit doesn’t automatically extend work rights to family members. A spouse or unmarried partner can apply for permission to reside and seek employment, but the permit holder must meet a minimum base salary keyed to family size: $60,000 per year for one dependent, $100,000 for two, $125,000 for three, and $150,000 for four or more. Base salary excludes housing allowances, bonuses, and school fees.13Bermuda Parliament. Work Permit Policy
Even with permission to seek employment, a spouse still needs an employer willing to obtain a work permit through the normal process. Dependent children may reside but cannot work. When a child turns 18 and is not enrolled in college, they need their own permission to remain. If the primary permit holder leaves Bermuda permanently, dependents must leave too unless they hold independent permission to reside.14Government of Bermuda. How to Get a Work Permit
Pathways to Longer-Term Residency
Two routes lead beyond employer-tied permits: investment and long residence.
Economic Investment Residential Certificate
The current EIRC policy, in effect since June 2024, grants a Residential Certificate directly to applicants who invest at least $2.5 million (Bermuda dollars) in the local economy.15Government of Bermuda. The Economic Investment and Residential Certificate Policy Revision The earlier five-year interim step was removed.16Government of Bermuda. Economic Investment Residential Certificate Policy Qualifying investments include buying residential or commercial real estate, investing in a new or existing Bermuda-based business, buying Bermuda Government bonds, contributing to the Bermuda Sinking Fund or Trust Fund, or donating to a registered Bermuda charity. The Minister responsible for immigration can also approve other ventures that benefit Bermuda.
The Residential Certificate lets the holder, spouse, and dependents live in Bermuda indefinitely. Under the current policy it also grants the right to seek employment and provides automatic work permit approval for any business in which the holder has invested.16Government of Bermuda. Economic Investment Residential Certificate Policy Holders must maintain the $2.5 million investment for at least five years and reside in Bermuda at least 90 days each calendar year during that period. Both conditions are verified at the end of the fifth year. If you plan to satisfy the threshold by purchasing real estate, note that non-Bermondians face separate property restrictions, including a Ministerial license fee of 8% of the purchase price for houses and 6% for condominiums, a two-property cap, and Annual Rental Value thresholds that keep lower-priced homes off-limits.
Permanent Resident’s Certificate
The PRC requires no investment but demands years of residence. General eligibility is 20 years of ordinary residence in Bermuda, including the two years immediately before applying.17Government of Bermuda. Permanent Residents Certificate Application Two shorter timelines exist:
- 15 years for a non-Bermudian parent whose son or daughter holds Bermudian status, with the applicant ordinarily resident for at least 15 years including the two most recent.
- 10 years for individuals exempted from Part V of the Immigration Act under the Economic Development Act 1968 for at least 10 years, and ordinarily resident for at least 10 years including the two most recent.17Government of Bermuda. Permanent Residents Certificate Application
PRC holders can live and work in Bermuda without a work permit and are treated similarly to Bermudians in the job market. For most people arriving on a work permit, the PRC is a distant option.
Renewals, Changing Employers, and Compliance
A work permit is tied to a specific employer. Changing jobs does not transfer the permit; the new employer must apply for a fresh one and, where required, run the advertising process again. Residents must notify the Department of Immigration of changes in address or marital status.1Bermuda Laws Online. Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956
Both the employer and the individual are responsible for tracking expiration dates and filing renewals in advance. Letting a permit expire creates a gap in legal status that can jeopardize future applications. The Chief Immigration Officer can impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 on employers who violate immigration policy.18Government of Bermuda. Work Permit Policy Working without authorization or overstaying a permit can result in deportation.