Bahamas Cruising Permit Fees 2026: What It Costs to Take Your Boat Across
The Bahamas added cheaper 30-day and 6-month cruising permits on April 1, 2026. Current fees by boat length, the fishing permit, anchorage fees, the FDCC, the AIS rule for boats over 50 ft, and how to clear in.
For South Florida boaters, the Bahamas is the reason to own a boat at all: Bimini is about 50 miles from Fort Lauderdale. But the cost of taking your boat across has changed twice in a year. On July 1, 2025, the Bahamas overhauled its fees for visiting pleasure boats. Then on April 1, 2026, after pushback from marinas and boaters, it added cheaper short-stay permits.
You may have read that the Bahamas "dropped" its cruising permit fees. That is only half right. The 12-month permit and the two-year Frequent Digital Cruising Card cost exactly what they did in 2025. What's new are 30-day and 6-month permits, and for a short trip they make a real difference. A 60-foot yacht that paid $1,000 for a permit last winter now pays $350 for a month.
Here is what it costs today, drawn from the Bahamas Customs Department's own August 2026 guidance.
What changed, and when
- Before July 1, 2025: permits were priced by length and length of stay, and the fishing permit was included.
- July 1, 2025: a new 12-month permit ($500, $1,000 or $3,000 by length), a separate fishing permit, anchorage fees, the two-year Frequent Digital Cruising Card, a $30 passenger tax, and a new AIS rule for boats 50 feet and over.
- April 1, 2026: new 30-day and 6-month permits, revised re-entry rules, and anchorage fees tied to the length of the permit.
Bahamas cruising permit fees in 2026
| Boat length | 30 days | 6 months | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 30 ft | $150 | $300 | $500 |
| Over 30 ft to 50 ft | $250 | $300 | $500 |
| Over 50 ft to 100 ft | $350 | $750 | $1,000 |
| Over 100 ft | $600 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Free return visits included | None | One | Two |
- The permit covers up to three people. Each additional passenger aged 6 or over who isn't a Bahamas resident pays $30.
- Tenders over 25 feet need their own permit: $500 for up to 12 months.
- Staying longer than 12 months requires a written application to renew, at the 12-month fee again.
The fishing permit is now separate
The fishing permit used to come with the cruising permit. It no longer does.
- $100 for boats up to 50 feet, $300 over 50 feet, and it is valid for 30 days only, even if your cruising permit runs for a year.
- It is issued when you clear in, and can be printed from your Click2Clear submission once it is approved.
- Per-boat limits include 18 pelagic fish (any mix of dolphin, wahoo, kingfish and tuna), 10 lobster in season, 6 conch, and 20 demersal fish such as snapper and grouper, or 60 lb, whichever is less.
- No more than six rods in use at once. Billfish must be released unless you are fishing an approved tournament. Spearfishing is by hand or pole spear only, no spearguns, and visitors may not sell their catch.
Anchorage fees
If you anchor out rather than staying in a marina, there is now an anchorage fee, paid once for the life of your permit.
| Boat length | 30 days | 6 months | 12 months | FDCC (2 years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50 ft | $50 | $150 | $200 | $200 |
| Over 50 ft to 100 ft | $100 | $350 | $350 | $350 |
| Over 100 ft | $200 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
The Frequent Digital Cruising Card (FDCC)
If you cross often, the FDCC is a two-year permit with unlimited entries and exits.
- $1,500 for boats up to 50 feet, $2,500 for 50 to 100 feet, $8,000 over 100 feet.
- It is tied to your boat's registration, and your Pleasure Craft Request number is reused for every trip.
- It removes the standard per-entry boarding fees, but not processing fees, passenger taxes, tourism levies or anchorage fees.
- You still file a Click2Clear declaration and report to Customs in person on every arrival. The FDCC is the one permit that requires a Click2Clear account.
As a rule of thumb, it starts to make sense if you would otherwise buy more than one 12-month permit, or several short ones, over two years.
New rule for boats 50 feet and over: AIS
Since July 1, 2025, every foreign vessel of 50 feet or more in Bahamian waters must carry an AIS transponder, keep it working, and keep it switched on at all times. Docked, at anchor, underway or just passing through. The owner or captain faces a $1,000 fine if it isn't. If your boat is over 50 feet and doesn't have AIS, fit it before you go.
What a trip actually costs
A few worked examples, using the current permit, passenger, fishing and anchorage fees. Marina charges, fuel and any other taxes or levies are extra.
- A 38-foot center console, a long weekend in Bimini, four aboard, fishing, staying in a marina: 30-day permit $250, one extra passenger $30, fishing permit $100, $380.
- A 60-foot motor yacht, two weeks in the Exumas, six aboard, anchoring out, no fishing: 30-day permit $350, three extra passengers $90, anchorage $100, $540.
- The same 60-footer, crossing several times over a season: 12-month permit $1,000 with two free return visits, plus $350 anchorage if you anchor out, and the FDCC at $2,500 is worth pricing against it if you'll be back the following year.
How to clear in
- File on Click2Clear before you leave. For permits of 12 months or less, you don't need an account. Use the "Request Cruising Permit" option in Click2Clear, which you'll find through the Bahamas Customs cruising permit page. You will still check in in person.
- Go straight to a port of entry. Stopping or docking anywhere else before clearing in risks fines and even forfeiture of the boat.
- Have your documents ready: passports for everyone aboard, the vessel's registration or documentation, your clearance paperwork and an immigration card for each person.
- Pets need a Bahamas import permit, must be at least six months old, and need a current veterinary health certificate with up-to-date vaccinations.
- Firearms must be declared on arrival.
The ports of entry most South Florida boaters use are Bimini, West End and Freeport on Grand Bahama, Great Harbour Cay and Chub Cay in the Berry Islands, the Abacos and Nassau. Customs' published list of ports is several years old, so confirm your port is staffed before you set off.
Coming home
When you return to the United States, you must report your arrival straight away. Most pleasure boaters do it through U.S. Customs and Border Protection's free CBP ROAM app. It can't be used by anyone who needs an I-94 or owes duty.
Chartering in the Bahamas
Charter yachts are treated differently: a charter needs a Bahamas charter licence, pays a 4% charter fee on arrival plus report fees, and charters have carried 10% VAT since 2022. If you're thinking of chartering your yacht there, get advice before you commit.
Buying a boat for the Bahamas
Range, fuel capacity, draft and how a boat handles the Gulf Stream all matter far more for Bahamas cruising than for day trips along the coast. Aspire has a broker in the Bahamas as well as our Fort Lauderdale office, and we help owners on both sides of the Gulf Stream. See yacht sales in the Bahamas and our Bahamas cruising itineraries, or talk to us on (954) 560-2811.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a Bahamas cruising permit in 2026?
It depends on the length of the boat and how long you stay. A 30-day permit is $150 up to 30 feet, $250 up to 50 feet, $350 up to 100 feet and $600 over 100 feet. A 12-month permit is $500 up to 50 feet, $1,000 up to 100 feet and $3,000 over 100 feet. The permit covers three people; each additional non-resident passenger aged 6 or over pays $30.
Did the Bahamas lower cruising permit fees in 2026?
Partly. On April 1, 2026, the Bahamas added cheaper 30-day and 6-month permits. The 12-month permit and the Frequent Digital Cruising Card kept the prices set in July 2025.
Is a fishing permit included with the Bahamas cruising permit?
No, not since July 2025. The fishing permit costs $100 for boats up to 50 feet and $300 over 50 feet, and is valid for 30 days.
What is the Frequent Digital Cruising Card?
A two-year Bahamas permit with unlimited entries and exits, costing $1,500, $2,500 or $8,000 depending on the boat's length. You still file on Click2Clear and report to Customs on every arrival.
Do I need AIS to cruise the Bahamas?
If your boat is foreign-owned and 50 feet or longer, yes. It must carry AIS and keep it switched on at all times while in Bahamian waters, or the owner or captain faces a $1,000 fine.
Sources: Bahamas Customs Department, "Pleasure Vessel Clearance: Recent Updates" (August 2026) and its cruising permit pages; Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation statement on cruising permits and anchorage fees (April 6, 2026); Customs Management (Amendment) Regulations 2025; Port Authorities (Amendment) Act 2025 (AIS); bahamas.com fishing regulations; U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP ROAM). Fees and rules change, so confirm with Bahamas Customs before you travel. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.