Government Notice: Please be advised that the Department of Immigration is currently undertaking a project to improve our processes and services to the public. Some of the benefits that this project will deliver includes faster application turnaround time along with an improve customer communication channel. With this in mind, we crave your understanding and patience as we work to provide you with first-class immigration services.

Apply for Bermudian Status

You can apply for Bermudian status if:

• You possess a Qualifying Bermudian Connection (QBC) (Section 19);  

• You are a spouse, widow or widower of a Bermudian (Section 19A);

• You have the right to Bermudian status in certain other cases (see below).

Requirements

APPLYING UNDER SECTION 19:

Person possessing a Qualifying Bermudian Connection (QBC) You must fulfil all the requirements below in order to apply under this section:

a) Be 18 years of age or older.

b) Have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 10 continuous years immediately preceding the date of the application.

 c) Have a qualifying Bermudian connection. d) Be of good conduct and character.

Note: The first schedule A shall have effect for the purpose of determining whether a person has a QBC.

If you are a spouse, widow, or widower of a Bermudian, in order to apply you must:

• Be married to or be the widow or widower of a Bermudian for 10 continuous years from the date of marriage;
• Have resided in Bermuda for seven years after the date of the marriage, the last two years must be continuous to the date of application. In calculating the remaining five years, you must do so in continuous periods of 12 months or more;
• Be living together as husband and wife continuously for the last two years with the Bermudian spouse to the date of application or for the last six months prior to the death of the Bermudian spouse;
• Be of good conduct and character.

APPLYING UNDER SECTION 19A:

A Spouse, Widow or Widower of a Bermudian You must fulfil all the requirements below in order to apply under this section:

a) Be married to or be the widow or widower of a Bermudian for 10 continuous years from the date of marriage.

b) Have resided in Bermuda for seven years after the date of the marriage, the last two years must be continuous to the date of application. In calculating the remaining five years you must do so in continuous periods of 12 months or more.

 c) Be living together as husband and wife continuously for the last two years with the Bermudian spouse to the date of application or for the last six months prior to the death of the Bermudian spouse.

d) Be of good conduct and character

APPLYING UNDER SECTION 20:

Right of persons within Section 16(2) to Bermudian status You must fulfil all the requirements below in order to apply under this section:

a) Have reached the age of eighteen years but be under the age of twenty two years.

b) Have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for the period of five years immediately preceding the application.

 c) Have for the five years immediately preceding the application been deemed to possess and enjoy Bermudian status by virtue of section 16(2).

APPLYING UNDER SECTION 20B:

 Certain Other Cases You must fulfil all the requirements below in order to apply under this section:

 a) Have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda on 31 July 1989.

b) Have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for the period of 10 years immediately preceding the application.

 c) Be a British Dependent Territories citizen by virtue of the grant to him by the Governor of a certificate of naturalisation under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914 (U.K.) or the British Nationality Act 1948 (U.K.) or the British Nationality Act 1981 (U.K.) having been approved for the grant of Bermudian status.

Naturalisation

Any person who is not a Commonwealth citizen must be naturalised as a British Overseas Territories Citizen in order to acquire Bermudian status. Those persons who are Commonwealth citizens applying for Bermudian status ONLY, should note that the acquisition of Bermudian status in itself does not confer British nationality.

What is naturalisation?

Any person who is not a Commonwealth citizen must be naturalised as a British Overseas Territories Citizen in order to acquire Bermudian status.

Those persons who are Commonwealth citizens applying for Bermudian status ONLY, should note that the acquisition of Bermudian status does not mean British nationality.

If you want to know whether you have, or may be entitled to, Bermudian status, you should complete this form in order to provide as much information as possible to the Department of Immigration. This will enable the Department to make a recommendation as to your best course of action.

Application for Bermudian Status Form-5(2)

General Enquiry

People enquiring whether they have, or may be entitled to, Bermudian status should complete this form in order to provide as much information as possible to the Department of Immigration. This will enable the Department to make a recommendation as to your best course of action.

Application Checklist Page 11 of BS04 form

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The Department of immigration will only accept payment via bank transfers or online payments. Refer to the guidance below for all payments.

Online Payments Guidance

1. The client will complete the application(s)
2. Deposit or transfer fees into Immigrations HSBC bank account
3. Include confirmation of transfer, receipt or screen shot on mobile phone that payment has been processed.
4. Applications should be placed in the Immigration drop box on the First Floor of the government Administration Building.

Bank account details:

HSBC
BMD - 010125243001
USD - 010125243501

Online Reference Description: Required for all transactions

Single applications
Company Name, applicant Name, application type
ABC Ltd - J. Doe - passport
Individual payments
Name DOB application type
Joe Doe, 01/12/65, passport
Joe Doe, 01/12/65, status

Fees

How to apply

In order to make application for Bermudian Status the following steps must be taken:

1. Visit the department of immigration website: https://www.gov.bm/department/immigration

2. Identify the  application of interest  then select from list of processes

3. Download the Application Form

4. Print the application form and complete the application form with black (for passport applications single sided paper nad black ink only) or blue ink. Obtain all required documents based on notes checklist.

5. Make online payment to the HSBC bank Account to include description

   • eg FULL NAME DOB Type of Application i.e. JOHN MOE 27 MAY 1978 Passport  (View all Immigration Fees and online payment guidance)

   • Make a copy of the online payment receipt and include with your application submission

6. Submit the application and all required documents in the Immigration Drop Box on the First Floor of the Government Administration Building with copy of online payment Confirmation.

7. A member of the ImmigrationTeam will contact each applicant to advise if items are missing by email, once all items are submitted and the Application is deemed complete the applicant will be duly advised along with the expected timelines.

After review of the appropriate section please direct all queries to: immigrationqueries@gov.bm