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Bermuda · Relocation guide

Moving to Bermuda: permission and practical setup

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory with its own immigration and labour controls. A visitor admission, a residence permission and permission to work answer different questions, and housing, insurance and freight need decisions before the flight.

Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Choose work or residence permission first

Most people who are not Bermudian, married to a Bermudian or a Permanent Resident Certificate holder need a work permit before working. A Standard Work Permit is employer-led and normally tests whether a suitably qualified protected worker is available; specialist permits cover narrower new-business, fintech, family-office and entrepreneur situations.

A residence permit can cover several non-employment purposes, including study or sponsored dependency, but it is not a general work right. Visa-controlled nationals must also check Bermuda entry rules and any required UK, US or Canadian multi re-entry visa.

Choose work or residence permission first
PlanCatalogue routeKey dependency
Local employmentStandard Work PermitEmployer application and job approval
Qualifying new businessGlobal Entrepreneur, New Business, Fintech and Family Office Work PermitsEmployer and permit subtype
Live without local workResidence PermitApproved residence purpose and support
Qualifying investmentEconomic Investment Certificate and Residential CertificateSeparate investment and residence decision

Build the immigration file before shipping

Keep passports, police and civil records, medical clearance, references, qualifications, employer papers and relationship evidence in hand luggage. The official residence service asks for medical clearance for first-time residents and financial-support evidence for sponsored dependants; the work-permit file belongs with the employer.

Make the planned address, family members and travel date match the application. Do not book a one-way move until the employer confirms approval and the traveller satisfies the separate entry-document rule.

Protect status after arrival

Carry the permit or residence letter at entry and retain landing evidence. Confirm the employer, occupation and permit duration before the first shift. A job change, job loss, new dependant or move from work to non-working residence can require an immigration action rather than a payroll-only update.

Keep a shared expiry calendar for passports, entry visas, work permits and dependant permissions. Ask Immigration which action is required before a change is made; permission to remain and permission to work should never be inferred from each other.

Treat housing and freight as island constraints

Start with temporary accommodation and inspect the exact unit, inventory, storm resilience, transport access, utility responsibility and lease-break terms. Verify that the landlord or agent can let the property and that the address is accepted for the family’s immigration and service records before transferring a deposit.

Bermuda’s small housing and freight market makes rejected shipments expensive. Obtain a written customs and carrier inventory decision before sending household goods; do not assume a residence permission creates a personal-import exemption.

Separate payroll, social insurance and banking

An employer or self-employed person may have Payroll Tax registration duties with the Office of the Tax Commissioner. Employees should check the first payslip against the approved employer and ask how payroll tax, social insurance and health deductions are handled. A Bermuda permit does not decide continuing tax residence elsewhere.

Banks make their own identity, address, tax-residence and source-of-funds checks. Keep an overseas payment method while onboarding and bring consistent permit, employer and address evidence. Price rent, deposits, insurance, imported goods and emergency travel rather than using a mainland cost assumption.

Activate health cover and family services

Do not arrive expecting a free universal health service. Confirm the locally compliant health plan, effective date, provider network, exclusions and who pays each family premium before work begins; keep travel or interim cover until activation is evidenced.

For children, ask the intended school what immigration, address, age, vaccination and prior-school records it needs before committing to a catchment or commute. Bring repeat prescriptions and clinical summaries because specialist or overseas care can require advance planning.

Plan driving, pets and renewals early

Confirm with the Transport Control Department how long the issuing licence is usable and whether exchange or testing applies before buying a car. Bermuda’s road and vehicle rules are local; a UK licence is not a substitute for checking them.

Dogs and cats need an import permit and original overseas veterinary documentation. The official process requires compliant microchip and health evidence and has breed-related controls. Obtain the permit before transport, then diary immigration, licence, insurance and pet-document renewals.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 13 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

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