Bahamas

Pilot-in-Command

The pilot in command must have a current:

• Passport
• Pilot certificate with an English-proficient endorsement
• Medical certificate. Pilots flying under BasicMed are welcome to fly in the Bahamas.
• Restricted radiotelephone operators permit. For more information on FCC requirements, click here.
• Letter of Authorization if the aircraft is not registered in the pilot's name

Passengers

• Each passenger must have a current passport
• Children traveling with only one parent must have a notarized statement of approval from the absent parent stating the dates of the trip.

Aircraft

All U.S. registered aircraft must have:

• A standard Airworthiness Certificate (The Bahamas Civil Aviation Department has a Standardized Validation of a Special Airworthiness Certificate for Experimental and Amateur-Built Aircraft.)
• A permanent registration certificate (no temporary certificates/pink slips)
• A radio station license. For more information on FCC requirements, click here.
• Operating limitations information
• Weight and Balance information
• A life vest/flotation device for each person aboard (It’s recommended you also carry a life raft.)
• An ID data plate

• 12-inch registration marks

• Altitude-reporting transponder or altitude-encoding transponder.

• Aircraft with fuel tanks installed in the baggage or passenger compartments must have Form 337 on board.

• ELT communications on the aeronautical emergency frequency 121.5 MHz and/or 406 MHz.
• Light Sport Aircraft and pilots that meet the driver’s license standard are welcome in the Bahamas. Learn more at www.bahamas.com/flying 

Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires:

• An annual user fee decal – allow a few weeks for delivery. You can buy decals online.  For decal questions, call (317)-298-1245 or send an email to [email protected]. You can download a paper application here. 
• eAPIS CBP’s Electronic Advance Passenger Information System

ICAO Flight Plan

• Use of an ICAO flight plan is currently required if the flight will enter international airspace. While an ICAO flight plan and an FAA flight plan are similar in many ways, there are some important differences. Some items are the same on both forms: aircraft ID or tail number; aircraft type, fuel endurance, and number of people on board. New items on the ICAO flight plan include a Wake Turbulence category, and Type of Flight. The biggest change, though, is found in the equipment suffixes box, box 10. The ICAO codes used to denote the type of equipment on board the aircraft are different than the codes used by the FAA. To find out more, please view this short AOPA video.

Departing the U.S.

• Pilots crossing the border must be in communication with ATC and on a discrete squawk code.
• All aircraft must be on an activated IFR or Defense VFR flight plan for flying through the ADIZ
• The first landing in the Bahamas must be at a Bahamian Customs airport of entry. Call ahead to announce your planned arrival time.

Flying in the Islands 

• For island-hopping flexibility, obtain a cruising permit at your airport of entry.
• Flight plans are recommended for island flying, though you may need to open and close them from altitude if phones are not available.
• VFR flying at night is prohibited except within the airport traffic areas of Freeport and Nassau.
• Have cash for fuel purchases; while some airports do accept credit cards, others do not.

Beyond the Bahamas 

• FAA charges any foreign- or domestic-registered aircraft (via a bill to the registered owner) overflight fees for flights in U.S.-controlled airspace that neither take off nor land in the United States. An example would be a flight that departs Freeport in the Bahamas and flies to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, while using ATC services from Miami Center. FAA does not, however, bill any owner if the fees incurred are less than $400 per calendar month. The fee per 100 nautical miles is on the FAA's Web site.
• If you fly from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands, you can fly as a domestic flight with no eAPIS, or CBP entry requirements, just fly and land. However, if you fly from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico you must clear with CBP at an international port.  
• AOPA has become aware of an issue regarding travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and points south. U.S. Customs in St. Thomas says that pilots need to file an eAPIS outbound and nothing else. U.S. Customs in St. Croix says that pilots DO NOT need to file an eAPIS but DO need to go to the CBP office. U.S. Customs headquarters is aware of this discrepancy and is working with the local offices to resolve. In the meantime, it would be wise to contact the specific U.S. Customs offices you intend to use in the area by phone prior to departure or arrival, and to confirm which procedure to use.

Returning to the U.S.

• Return your immigration tourist card and cruising permit
• Pay a $29 per person departure tax
• File and activate an IFR or Defense VFR flight plan for flying through the ADIZ. 
• Call U.S. CBP at least one hour and no more than 23 hours before your planned U.S. arrival time.  
• File an eAPIS arrival manifest (if you filed eAPIS reports for both legs of your trip before you left the U.S., you do not have to file again).
• If you are arriving in southern Florida, plan to land at one of the following eight U.S. CBP airport of entry after crossing the U.S. border. Be on time – a little late is better than early.
• • Key West International Airport, (KEYW)
  • Tamiami Airport, Miami (KTMB)
  • Miami International Airport General Aviation Center (KMIA)
  • Opa Locka Airport, Miami (KOPF)
  • Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE)
  • Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International-General Aviation Facility (KFLL)
  • Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach (KPBI)
  • Saint Lucie County Airport, Fort Pierce (KFPR)