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Bermuda grants five-year renewable residency to non-Bermudians who invest and maintain BM$2.5m (US$2.5m) for five years across real estate, business, government funds or charity, with a 90-day-per-year presence requirement. No income or capital-gains tax. This is residency only, not Bermudian status or citizenship.
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Bermuda grants five-year renewable residency to non-Bermudians who invest and maintain BM$2.5m (US$2.5m) for five years across real estate, business, government funds or charity, with a 90-day-per-year presence requirement. No income or capital-gains tax. This is residency only, not Bermudian status or citizenship.
Overview
Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate is a government-authorised residency by investment programme that grants residence permit in exchange for a qualifying investment in the country. It is regulated by the government's investment authority and administered through licensed advisers such as Mirabello Consultancy. Minimum investment starts from $2,500,000.
Bermuda grants five-year renewable residency to non-Bermudians who invest and maintain BM$2.5m (US$2.5m) for five years across real estate, business, government funds or charity, with a 90-day-per-year presence requirement. No income or capital-gains tax. This is residency only, not Bermudian status or citizenship.
Bermuda's Economic Investment Residential Certificate (EIRC) gives a non-Bermudian the right to live on the island in return for a qualifying investment of at least BM$2,500,000 in the Bermuda economy, maintained for at least five years. The Bermuda dollar is pegged one to one to the US dollar, so the threshold is equivalent to US$2.5 million. The programme is run by the Government of Bermuda through the Department of Immigration, with the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) acting as the first point of contact for applicants.
The most important thing to understand is what the certificate is not. The EIRC is a residence right, not citizenship. It does not confer Bermudian status, it does not lead to a Bermudian or British passport through the programme, and it does not change how you travel: you continue to use the passport you already hold. For families who want a secure, low-tax island home with an English common-law legal system, that is exactly the point. For anyone who wants a second passport, it is the wrong instrument.
The Bermuda Economic Investment Residential Certificate is an investor residence programme that took effect on 1 March 2021 as the Economic Investment Certificate. Under the original 2021 policy, an investor held that certificate for five years before applying for a separate Residential Certificate. A revision effective 31 March 2023 allowed the Minister to grant the Residential Certificate without that five-year wait, which is why the programme is now known as the Economic Investment Residential Certificate. The policy was revised again in June 2024.
The programme has a public track record. In December 2025 the Government of Bermuda reported that associated investment had passed BM$600 million, with real estate and new businesses accounting for the largest shares.
The investment can be placed in one qualifying category or spread across several, provided the total reaches BM$2,500,000 and is kept in place. The categories confirmed across the government's announcements and the BDA's current guidance are:
The original policy also listed government bonds, contributions to the Sinking Fund (Bermuda's public debt reduction fund) and contributions to the Bermuda Trust Fund. The BDA's current summary no longer lists these public-fund options, so their availability under the June 2024 policy should be confirmed before you plan around them.
One threshold covers the family. The BM$2.5 million does not increase with the number of dependants.
The Department of Immigration's fee schedule, updated on 3 September 2026, lists BM$2,755 for an economic investment certificate, and the same amount for other eligible persons and their spouses. You may still see an older figure of BM$2,625 quoted; that was the fee announced in 2021 and has been superseded by the current schedule. The schedule does not show a separate line for children, so whether dependent children attract their own fee is being confirmed.
Several costs sit outside the government fee and should be budgeted separately:
Our cost calculator on this page sets out the government fee alongside the investment so you can see the full figure for your family.
The headline number is simple. The conditions around it are where planning matters.
The investor receives automatic approval to work in connection with the qualifying investment, which is a meaningful advantage for anyone building or acquiring a business on the island. The same right does not extend to the family: a spouse or dependant who wishes to work must apply under Bermuda's standard work permit policy.
The Government of Bermuda does not publish a processing time, and applications are handled confidentially. The practical sequence is an expression of interest through the BDA, preparation of the investment and supporting documents, submission to the Department of Immigration and, on approval, issue of the certificate in a wallet-size format to make re-entry to Bermuda straightforward. Timing depends largely on how quickly the investment itself is completed, particularly on the property route.
The Government of Bermuda states plainly that individuals in Bermuda do not pay personal income tax, and there is no capital gains tax. That makes Bermuda attractive for preserving wealth, but it is not a tax-free jurisdiction in every sense. Government revenue comes from payroll tax (levied on employers, with a portion withheld from employees), land tax payable twice a year by homeowners and long-term tenants, customs duty on imported goods, and stamp duty. Your home country may also continue to tax you depending on your citizenship and where you are treated as resident. Take qualified advice in both jurisdictions before relying on any tax outcome.
The Residential Certificate gives the holder, spouse and dependants the right to reside in Bermuda, and the Government describes that right as indefinite, conditional on the investment being maintained for the required period. What it does not do is lead to Bermudian status or citizenship. Bermudian status is tightly protected and is not acquired through this programme.
The EIRC suits a family with substantial liquid wealth that genuinely wants to spend meaningful time in Bermuda: an entrepreneur ready to establish or buy a local business, a buyer who intends to own a premium island home, or a philanthropist who wants a lasting connection with the community. For these clients, the combination of no personal income tax, a stable British Overseas Territory and an English common-law system is compelling.
It suits less well anyone whose priority is visa-free travel or a second passport, anyone who cannot commit to around three months a year on the island, or anyone who needs the capital to be liquid within five years. If a passport is the goal, our citizenship by investment overview is the better starting point. If you are weighing Bermuda against other residence options, our golden visa and residency comparison sets the alternatives side by side, including the UAE Golden Visa and New Zealand's Active Investor Plus visa.
Mirabello Consultancy helps families structure the qualifying investment, check property eligibility and prepare a clean, well-documented application. To discuss whether the Bermuda certificate fits your plans, book a free, confidential consultation.
Investment routes
The Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate programme offers 7 approved investment routes, each independently verified by the Mirabello data team against official government sources. Minimum required investment starts from $2,500,000. A Mirabello specialist will confirm which route best matches your nationality, family composition, budget and preferred timeline.
| Route | From | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Real Estate (Residential or Commercial) | €2,500,000 | real estate |
| Contribution to the Bermuda Sinking Fund | €2,500,000 | government fund |
| Contribution to the Bermuda Trust Fund | €2,500,000 | government fund |
| Donation to a Bermuda-Registered Charity | €2,500,000 | charity donation |
| Equity Investment in an Existing Bermuda-Based Business | €2,500,000 | business |
| Launch a New Bermuda-Based Business | €2,500,000 | business |
| Other Social or Useful Venture Benefiting Bermuda | €2,500,000 | approved venture |
Cost calculator
Most advisers quote the headline figure only. Choose your route and family, and see the complete government-side cost, the investment plus every mandatory official fee, itemised line by line, so the number you budget is the number you pay.
Last updated 2026-09-22
On the Economic investment route. Every figure below is an official government-side cost, computed by the same engine that powers the calculator and the Mirabello data API.
| Line item | Amount (BMD) |
|---|---|
| Economic investment, minimum investment | BMD 2,500,000 |
| Registration certificate (per application) | BMD 2,755 |
| Estimated government-side total | BMD 2,502,755 |
Plus 2 official fee(s) we hold as being re-verified against the source and therefore exclude from the total above: Registration certificate, Spouse; Registration certificate, Child (age 10). A specialist confirms these for your family.
MCPTracked but provisional pending verified data; excluded from the headline ranking.
Our read: Bermuda grants five-year renewable residency to non-Bermudians who invest and maintain BM$2.5m (US$2.5m) for five years across real estate, business, government funds or charity, with a 90-day-per-year presence requirement. No income or capital-gains tax. This is residency only, not Bermudian status or citizenship. Regulatory status: not listed on FATF, EU tax, US OFAC, or OECD CRS-risk lists. Strategic perspective, advisory only; figures provenance-tracked, unconfirmed items flagged for verification.
A four-question indicative check to see whether this programme fits your profile. A Mirabello specialist then reviews your nationality, family structure, budget and timeline in full confidence, confirming your detailed eligibility and which investment route best suits you, at no cost and with no obligation.
Based on your answers, Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate looks worth a closer look. A Mirabello specialist will map the precise route to your nationality, family and tax position.
Book a free consultationHow it compares
The table below compares Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate against its closest alternatives, scored on the Mirabello Investment Migration Index across cost, visa-free mobility, processing speed, regulatory stability and path to citizenship. All investment figures and processing times are sourced from official government data and independently verified by the Mirabello data team.
Sourced live from the MirabelloMCP · | Programme | From | Timeline | Min. stay | Mobility | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇲 Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate | $2,500,000 | Not publicly published; process described as 'confidential'. typical duration with BDA / Department of Immigration. | 90 days | Bermuda residence only | Residence permit |
| 🇬🇷 Greece Golden Visa | €250,000 | 90 days statutory maximum | None | Schengen Area | Residence permit |
| 🇺🇸 USA EB-5 Investor Visa | $800,000 | rural tea reserved: 6-12 months | None | United States residence only | Residence permit |
| 🇲🇹 Malta Permanent Residence (MPRP) | €99,000 | 6-12 months | None | Visa-free travel within Schengen Area | Residence permit |
Questions
Figures verified against official sources, provenance-tracked, information, not advice · Last updated 2026-06-04
The Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate programme starts from $2,500,000 via Economic investment (BM$2.5m) → 5-yr residential certificate.
Indicative processing time is Not publicly published; process described as 'confidential'. typical duration with BDA / Department of Immigration..
Must reside in Bermuda for a minimum of 90 days in each calendar year for the first five years after issuance.
No. The EIRC grants Bermuda residency only, NOT Bermudian status and not a direct path to British citizenship through this programme. any long-term naturalisation/British Overseas Territories status routes that exist independently of this certificate.
The Bermuda Economic Investment Residential Certificate requires a qualifying investment of at least <strong>BM$2,500,000</strong>, equivalent to US$2.5 million because the Bermuda dollar is pegged one to one to the US dollar. The investment can go into real estate, a new or existing Bermuda business, a registered charity or another venture approved by the Minister, alone or in combination. It must be maintained for at least five years. One investment covers the whole family; the threshold does not rise with the number of dependants.
No. The Economic Investment Residential Certificate grants <strong>the right to reside in Bermuda, not citizenship</strong>. It does not confer Bermudian status and does not lead to a Bermudian or British passport through the programme. Holders continue to travel on their existing passport, and the certificate does not change their visa-free access. Families whose priority is a second passport should consider a citizenship by investment programme instead.
The Department of Immigration's fee schedule, updated on 3 September 2026, lists <strong>BM$2,755</strong> for an economic investment certificate, with the same amount listed for other eligible persons and their spouses. An older figure of BM$2,625, announced in 2021, has been superseded. Whether dependent children attract a separate fee is not shown on the schedule and should be confirmed. Property transaction costs and professional fees are additional.
The Bermuda Business Development Agency states a minimum residence requirement of <strong>90 days per year</strong> for certificate holders. This is a genuine obligation, so it should fit around your business and family commitments before you apply. Anyone who cannot realistically spend around three months a year on the island should consider a residence programme with a lighter presence requirement.
The qualifying investment must be maintained for <strong>at least five years</strong>. Selling the property or exiting the business early, without replacing it with another qualifying investment of equal value, puts the certificate at risk. Capital that may be needed within five years should not be committed to this programme, and the chosen investment should be one you are comfortable holding for the full period.
Yes. The holder's spouse and dependants may be included under a single <strong>BM$2,500,000</strong> investment. The Bermuda Business Development Agency defines dependants as children under 18, or up to 25 if in full-time education. Family members receive the right to reside, but not an automatic right to work: a spouse or dependant who wants to work must apply under Bermuda's standard work permit policy.
Yes. Residential or commercial real estate is a qualifying category, and together with any other qualifying investments it must reach <strong>BM$2,500,000</strong>. Bermuda restricts which properties non-Bermudians may buy and requires a licence for the purchase, so not every property on the market is eligible. Stamp duty and licence costs are payable on top of the purchase price and are separate from the government certificate fee.
The Government of Bermuda states that <strong>individuals in Bermuda do not pay personal income tax</strong>, and there is no capital gains tax. Bermuda is not tax-free in every sense, however: it levies payroll tax on employers (with a portion withheld from employees), land tax on homeowners and long-term tenants, customs duty on imports and stamp duty. Your home country may still tax you, so take advice in both jurisdictions.
The Government of Bermuda does not publish a processing time, and applications are handled confidentially. <strong>No official timeline is published</strong>, and in practice the pace depends largely on how quickly the qualifying investment is completed, particularly a property purchase. Applicants start with an expression of interest through the Bermuda Business Development Agency, then submit to the Department of Immigration. Approved holders receive a wallet-size certificate for re-entry.
Start with a free, confidential consultation with Mirabello Consultancy at <a href="/contact-us-for-your-free-consultation">/contact-us-for-your-free-consultation</a>. We review your goals, your family's needs and your source of funds, confirm whether the <strong>BM$2,500,000</strong> Bermuda certificate is the right fit or whether another residence or citizenship programme serves you better, and then help structure the investment and prepare a complete, well-documented application.
A Bermuda nationality can, in defined circumstances, be elected to govern your estate under EU Regulation 650/2012 Article 22, in place of the law of where you habitually live. It is not automatic, it changes no tax position, and it generally exchanges a fixed reserved share for a discretionary family-provision claim rather than removing family claims.
See the Bermuda position in our 57-jurisdiction matrix, or read which law governs your estate. General information, not legal advice.
The primary official sources the Bermuda Economic Investment Certificate figures on this page are verified against. Where a mandatory fee is not in a published schedule, it is marked as disclosed by Mirabello from case experience.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a Mirabello investment migration specialist, in your own language. We will confirm which programme fits your profile, your budget and your timeline, and outline the precise path to your second citizenship or residence permit, at no cost and with no commitment.
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