By The Hillier Team
The most common question we field from second-home buyers has nothing to do with the house. It’s how quickly they can be standing in it. Bimini sits 50 nautical miles off South Florida and Grand Bahama only 60, which puts the western edge of this country closer to the mainland than most Floridians realize. Once buyers absorb what that proximity does to a long weekend, the whole conversation changes.
Key Takeaways
- You must land at a designated Airport of Entry the first time you enter The Bahamas on any given trip.
- Lynden Pindling International in Nassau is the main private aviation gateway, served by Odyssey Aviation and Jet Nassau.
- Bahamas Customs charges a processing fee per aircraft, and every passenger aged six and older pays a $29 departure tax.
- Nassau and Freeport are the only Bahamian airports with instrument approaches, which matters for after-dark arrivals.
How Close Is The Bahamas by Private Aircraft?
The Bahamas is closer to Florida than the map suggests. From South Florida, Bimini is 50 nautical miles, and Grand Bahama is 60, distances measured in minutes rather than hours for most aircraft.
Nassau sits farther east but still well inside the range where a Friday afternoon departure means dinner at home on New Providence. That single fact does more to sell Bahamian property than any listing photograph we have ever produced.
Nassau sits farther east but still well inside the range where a Friday afternoon departure means dinner at home on New Providence. That single fact does more to sell Bahamian property than any listing photograph we have ever produced.
What the Geography Actually Changes
- Owners treat a Bahamian house as a weekend property rather than a once-a-season trip, which changes what they want from the house itself.
- Fuel is rarely a planning constraint: avgas is available at nine airports across the islands, and no point in the country is more than about twenty minutes' flying time from it.
- Miami Center hands aircraft off to Nassau Approach, so the airspace transition is routine rather than an expedition.
- Buyers who fly themselves weigh runway length and approach access as seriously as they weigh water frontage.
What Do You Need to Clear Customs Flying Privately Into The Bahamas?
Arriving crews need three copies of the C7A Inward Declaration and Cruising Permit, one Bahamas Immigration Card per person, and a passport for everyone on board. You must land at an Airport of Entry to clear, and customs hours at most fields run from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Keep one stamped copy of the C7A with you; it’s what lets you move between islands afterward without repeating the process at every stop, and officers ask for it at Family Island fields.
Keep one stamped copy of the C7A with you; it’s what lets you move between islands afterward without repeating the process at every stop, and officers ask for it at Family Island fields.
The Paperwork and Fees to Expect
- A Customs processing fee per aircraft — the schedule was amended in 2024 and now varies by seat count and whether the flight is recreational, so confirm the current figure with Bahamas Customs rather than an older guide.
- $29 per person — Government Departure Tax on the way out, applying to everyone aged six and older, pilots included.
- Landing and parking fees scaled to aircraft weight — modest for light aircraft and rising into the tens of dollars for heavier ones, with parking billed daily on its own scale.
- eAPIS manifests both directions — filed at least an hour before departure, and required again for the return leg into the United States.
Which Bahamian Airports Should Second-Home Owners Know?
Lynden Pindling International (MYNN) in Nassau is the one that matters most. It carries the bulk of private traffic into the country and is the practical answer for anyone buying on New Providence or Paradise Island.
Owners who buy beyond New Providence need a second airport in mind. The Family Island fields are smaller, and their operating realities shape how often you actually use a house out there.
Owners who buy beyond New Providence need a second airport in mind. The Family Island fields are smaller, and their operating realities shape how often you actually use a house out there.
Airports of Entry Worth Knowing
- Nassau (MYNN) — Odyssey Aviation and Jet Nassau both handle private arrivals, with customs and immigration on site.
- Exuma International (MYEF) — one of four Bahamian airports where Odyssey operates, and the gateway for Great Exuma and the cays.
- Marsh Harbour (MYAM) and North Eleuthera (MYEH) — Cherokee Aviation and White Crown Aviation respectively, covering the Abacos and the Harbour Island crowd.
- Governor's Harbour (MYEM) and Stella Maris (MYLS) — Earco Elite and Hawkline, for Eleuthera and Long Island owners.
How Does Flight Access Affect Where You Buy?
Flight access shapes the decision more than buyers expect, usually dawning on them by the second or third visit. Lynden Pindling sits on the western side of New Providence, which puts Albany, Old Fort Bay, and Lyford Cay within a short drive of the ramp.
Ocean Club Estates on Paradise Island sits at the other end of the island, across Nassau. It’s a beautiful place to own, and the drive isn’t long by any normal standard, but it’s a different arrival experience, and some owners care about that more than they expect to.
Ocean Club Estates on Paradise Island sits at the other end of the island, across Nassau. It’s a beautiful place to own, and the drive isn’t long by any normal standard, but it’s a different arrival experience, and some owners care about that more than they expect to.
What Buyers Weigh
- Drive time from the FBO to the front door, which for the western communities is measured in minutes.
- Whether the household flies commercially some of the time, since Lynden Pindling serves both.
- Hangar and parking arrangements for owners who keep an aircraft in the country rather than repositioning it.
- Onward access to a Family Island property, if the Bahamian house is the base rather than the destination.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we fly into The Bahamas at night?
Instrument-rated pilots can fly IFR into Nassau or Freeport after sunset. Those are currently the only two Bahamian airports with instrument approaches, so evening arrivals elsewhere are not an option.
Do we need to clear customs again when island-hopping?
No. Once you have cleared at an Airport of Entry and kept your stamped C7A, that copy covers you as you move between islands on the same trip.
Can we bring the dog?
Yes, with an import permit obtained in advance from the Bahamian authorities. We would sort that out well before travel rather than in the week of the trip.
Reach Out to The Hillier Team Today
Access isn’t a footnote in a Bahamian property decision. It often determines whether a house gets used twice a year or twenty times, and it’s worth thinking through before you fall for a particular view.
We know how each of these communities lives day to day, and we are happy to talk through the trade-offs before you tour anything. Reach out to The Hillier Team, and we will help you match the location to how you actually plan to travel.
We know how each of these communities lives day to day, and we are happy to talk through the trade-offs before you tour anything. Reach out to The Hillier Team, and we will help you match the location to how you actually plan to travel.
