Long stretch of Paradise Island, located in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo via fallbrook/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Patrick Clarke
Travel Pulse
The Bahamas began the long-awaited process of reopening to tourism again on Thursday, entering Phase 3 of the nation's Tourism Readiness & Recovery Plan.
As of October 15, beaches and major hotels are permitted to open. However, all visitors are required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test taken no more than seven days prior to arrival. Children age 10 and under are exempt from the islands' testing requirement.
After obtaining a negative COVID-19 test result, travelers are then required to apply for a Bahamas Health Travel Visa at travel.gov.bs, where they must upload the test result. Meanwhile, a rapid antigen test will be conducted upon arrival and then again four days later to ensure visitors age 11 and up remain COVID-free throughout their stay. The cost of the rapid tests is included in the cost of the visa. Read more >>