The Bahamas is one of the cheapest permits I've come across and one of the better-documented ones — the government publishes the fee with the VAT broken out, which almost nobody does. Nala has opinions about layovers; she has none about eleven dollars. Two things to get right here: the permit, and getting the health certificate properly endorsed rather than merely signed.

Pet import to Bahamas is overseen by Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA). Confirmed against an official source so far: a rabies vaccination, a health certificate and an import permit. Anything else — commonly a microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate — is not yet confirmed for Bahamas against an official source, so it's flagged in the table below rather than assumed.

How Bahamas handles your pet

Downloadable forms

Each fact comes straight from the operator’s published policy. Tap the to read the exact wording; the opens the source page.

Health & documents

Import permit · Cost$11.20verified 2026-10-18
Import permit · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Import permit · Lead time28 daysverified 2026-10-18
Import permit · Issuing authorityBahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority (BAHFSA)verified 2026-10-18
Flea treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Tick treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Health certificate · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Health certificate · Validity days10 daysverified 2026-10-18
Other vaccinations · Distemper Yesverified 2026-10-18
Other vaccinations · Adenovirus Yesverified 2026-10-18
Other vaccinations · Parvovirus Yesverified 2026-10-18
Other vaccinations · Leptospirosis Yesverified 2026-10-18
Rabies vaccination · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18
Rabies vaccination · Waiting period after vaccination30 daysverified 2026-10-18
Internal parasite treatment · Required Yesverified 2026-10-18

Other rules

Pets accepted Acceptedverified 2026-10-18
Minimum age24 weeksverified 2026-10-18

Timing chain

Day -30 rabies vaccine deadline · Day -10 health certificate issued · Day 0 arrive at customs

Accredited veterinarians can issue health certificates electronically and submit them for digital endorsement, and the endorsed certificate can be printed directly rather than mailed back. The printed, endorsed certificate must accompany the animal during travel. Confirm the vet uses the electronic system, because a paper certificate still has to travel for endorsement and return.
The application processing fee for a dog or cat is USD 10.00 plus 12% VAT, bringing the total to USD 11.20. That is the whole permit cost, published with the tax shown separately. Apply and pay before departure; the permit is a condition of entry rather than something arranged on arrival in Nassau.
So the Bahamas: an import permit at USD 11.20 all in, and a health certificate that has to be endorsed, not just signed by your vet. Get the endorsement route settled first — electronic endorsement turns a week of posting into an afternoon, and that is the only part of this file with real lead time. Build a personalized plan with your dates and we'll sequence the permit against the certificate.
Get YOUR personalized plan for Bahamas →

Glossary

ISO chip
ISO 11784/11785 — the universal microchip standard.
FAVN
Fluorescent Antibody Virus Neutralization — a rabies serology test required by rabies-free destinations.
Brachycephalic
Snub-nosed breeds (French Bulldogs, Pugs, Persians, Himalayans) with restricted airline acceptance due to heat-stress risk.
AVIH
Animal Vehicle In Hold — IATA's term for cargo pet shipment, with fees that vary by carrier and route.