Need a VISA to go to the BAHAMAS???

[qbanrican84]

Hi all!

 

I'm planning a cruise for my brother and soon to be wife...she is a legal US resident and has her green card and ID, but her Passport is an up-to-date Colombian passport. I contacted the Colombian Embassy for her and they said that I would need to contact the Embassy of the Bahamas, so I did...

this is what they replied:

 

"Greetings,

 

As per your inquiry please be advised you will need a tourist Visa to enter the Bahamas."

 

Has anyone else needed to do this? I thought the green card and ID were sufficient from what I've heard from other people...

[mugtech]

It was sufficient in 2006

[sparks1093]

Hi all!

 

I'm planning a cruise for my brother and soon to be wife...she is a legal US resident and has her green card and ID, but her Passport is an up-to-date Colombian passport. I contacted the Colombian Embassy for her and they said that I would need to contact the Embassy of the Bahamas, so I did...

this is what they replied:

 

"Greetings,

 

As per your inquiry please be advised you will need a tourist Visa to enter the Bahamas."

 

Has anyone else needed to do this? I thought the green card and ID were sufficient from what I've heard from other people...

 

It is sufficient for re-entry into the US, but it is not necessarily sufficient to enter another country. Sounds like the Bahamas require Colombian citizens to have both a passport and a visa. If these documents cannot be presented at check-in for the cruise then it's likely they would not be allowed to board.

[garycarla]

Make sure that any questions (and answers) apply to a CRUISE passenger/visitor. Most countries have different rules for cruise passengers vs someone actually traveling to the country.

[qbanrican84]

It is sufficient for re-entry into the US, but it is not necessarily sufficient to enter another country. Sounds like the Bahamas require Colombian citizens to have both a passport and a visa. If these documents cannot be presented at check-in for the cruise then it's likely they would not be allowed to board.

 

Makes sense...

 

 

Make sure that any questions (and answers) apply to a CRUISE passenger/visitor. Most countries have different rules for cruise passengers vs someone actually traveling to the country.

 

Yea I specified in the email that I sent them, that it would be a cruise with 3 1-day stops :/

[NMLady]

It was sufficient in 2006

 

The OP is asking about a visa for someone with a Columbian passport. Is your answer for that situation?

Edited December 23, 2014 by NMLady

[garycarla]

The OP is asking about a visa for someone with a Columbian passport. Is your answer for that situation?

 

Well said. And, I would add... anything from 6 years ago would often be of marginal value anyways.

[guitarboy53]

Before my Turkish wife became a US citizen, we travelled to Canada and Mexico using her US Green Card and Turkish passport. Normally Turks need a visa to visit Mexico and Canada. They make an exception to Turks holding a Turkish passport AND a US Green Card. Maybe the Bahamas works similarly.

[mugtech]

Worked with a Filipino passport and green card.

They did not question if there was any Abu Sayaf affiliation.

[zookiebird]

OP said they contacted the Bahama embassy who said a visa was needed. They ought to know, its their Country.

[Turtles06]

Hi all!

 

I'm planning a cruise for my brother and soon to be wife...she is a legal US resident and has her green card and ID, but her Passport is an up-to-date Colombian passport. I contacted the Colombian Embassy for her and they said that I would need to contact the Embassy of the Bahamas, so I did...

this is what they replied:

 

"Greetings,

 

As per your inquiry please be advised you will need a tourist Visa to enter the Bahamas."

 

Has anyone else needed to do this? I thought the green card and ID were sufficient from what I've heard from other people...

 

This web site suggests different requirements for citizens of Latin American countries and permanent U.S. residents depending on whether the length of stay is more than 30 days. Perhaps the folks you contacted did not understand the travel arrangements.

 

http://www.bahamas.com/entry-requirements

 

At any rate, after you've clarified all the facts with the Embassy, I think they are the folks whose answer you need to go by, not what people may or may not be reporting on Cruise Critic (particularly dated experiences or those involving other countries). After all, if your soon to be SIL shows up at the dock and is denied boarding because she lacks the requisite documents, saying, "but I read it on Cruise Critic" is not going to cut it. :)

 

I hope you all have a wonderful trip.

[Turtles06]

OP said they contacted the Bahama embassy who said a visa was needed. They ought to know, its their Country.

 

Exactly.

[NH Cruisers]

If I were in this particular situation, I wouldn't dream of not getting that tourist visa.

 

Being denied boarding would kill me.

[Delawarealan]

Here is more information from further down the Bahamas.com website. It looks like the person with the green card should be OK without the visa. A few years ago I traveled with someone who had a green card and a passport from Ghana, and we were fine without any visa issues.

 

 

US Permanent Residents (Non-citizens)

 

 

 

 

 

To enter The Bahamas, US residents who are not citizens need the following documentation:

Alien Registration Card (Green Card)

For visits NOT exceeding 30 days:

An original Alien Registration Card is required, along with a national passport (passport from country of birth).

For visits exceeding 30 days:

A valid national passport and a Bahamas visa are required for US resident non-citizens wishing to stay longer than 30 days.

[rvsullivan]

Despite what anyone reads or has experienced in the past. If you contacted the Embassy and they gave you instructions, why not just do that and not deal with the stress of being denied boarding.

Usually any visa is an easy and inexpensive proposition. Why second guess the countries own info?

[Turtles06]

Here is more information from further down the Bahamas.com website. It looks like the person with the green card should be OK without the visa. A few years ago I traveled with someone who had a green card and a passport from Ghana, and we were fine without any visa issues.

 

US Permanent Residents (Non-citizens)

 

To enter The Bahamas, US residents who are not citizens need the following documentation:

Alien Registration Card (Green Card)

For visits NOT exceeding 30 days:

An original Alien Registration Card is required, along with a national passport (passport from country of birth).

For visits exceeding 30 days:

A valid national passport and a Bahamas visa are required for US resident non-citizens wishing to stay longer than 30 days.

 

That is the info at the link I posted above, and as I noted above, it seems to turn on the 30-day stay. BUT since the OP called the embassy and was told her future SIL does need a visa, she really should get back to them and go over the green card/fewer than 30-day stay stuff; perhaps they misunderstood the length of the stay (or perhaps the web site is out of date). She could read them (or email them) what it says on that site, and ask them to confirm whether or not a visa is needed here.

 

But imho what the OP should not do is rely on anything just because someone told her so on CC if it conflicts with what the embassy told her.

[CPT Trips]

Snip

 

But imho what the OP should not do is rely on anything just because someone told her so on CC if it conflicts with what the embassy told her.

 

Yes!

 

For some reason, Colombian citizens frequently face very stringent visa requirements in other countries.

[Kymnotkim]

In every Bahamas port I traveled to, all I needed was my cruise card to exit and return to the ship. The announcements on the cruise did say to bring your photo id, but no Bahamian official ever asked for or needed to view any of my documentation.

[cruisemainiac]

My father lived in Antigua for 20 years. I would receive my visa when entering the country. They would ask how long I was staying and then stamp my passport and fill in some dates. The longest non-resident visa was 6 months, so my father would just sail to some other island for a few days, come back and get a fresh 6 months.

[cssc123]

In every Bahamas port I traveled to, all I needed was my cruise card to exit and return to the ship. The announcements on the cruise did say to bring your photo id, but no Bahamian official ever asked for or needed to view any of my documentation.

 

 

Your mileage varied quite far from mine then.

 

In nassua earlier this month we had to show our cruise card AND a photo ID to get back into the port area.

 

I had handed them ONLY my cruise card and they specifically asked for an ID.

 

I second the "don't trust what you read on CC as law" comments. If you can get the visa, doesn't hurt. If you can't (not enough time) then I would make sure to talk to MULTIPLE people about it.

 

I once emailed a Canadian embassy and got one answer that was sharply contrasting what previous experiences said as well as the country's own FAQ on the subject. In the end the info in the email must have been quickly read and the situation was not as to how they were responding.

 

If I were you I would CALL an embassy and talk to them not just email.

[luvtheships]

It is sufficient for re-entry into the US, but it is not necessarily sufficient to enter another country. Sounds like the Bahamas require Colombian citizens to have both a passport and a visa. If these documents cannot be presented at check-in for the cruise then it's likely they would not be allowed to board.

 

Exactly!! If she needs a visa get it or she will be denied boarding.

 

 

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[luvtheships]

That is the info at the link I posted above, and as I noted above, it seems to turn on the 30-day stay. BUT since the OP called the embassy and was told her future SIL does need a visa, she really should get back to them and go over the green card/fewer than 30-day stay stuff; perhaps they misunderstood the length of the stay (or perhaps the web site is out of date). She could read them (or email them) what it says on that site, and ask them to confirm whether or not a visa is needed here.

 

But imho what the OP should not do is rely on anything just because someone told her so on CC if it conflicts with what the embassy told her.

 

May I add that the op should not only call the embassy with clear concise question.....at least 2 more times!! Lol

 

 

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[DevCruise]

I would make the international call to the Bahamas and ask.

[ECCruise]

I would make the international call to the Bahamas and ask.

 

Am I confused?

 

The OP said the contact WAS made and the Bahamian Embassy said she needed a visa. What would the purpose of a phone call be? Why is this so difficult for people to understand and why do they want to question what appears to be the facts with information a decade old, information from other countries, etc. etc. etc.

 

Get the visa and don't worry about it. If they don't need it, no harm. If they do, you'll be glad you did.

[Turtles06]

I would make the international call to the Bahamas and ask.

 

Hmmm... apart from the fact that the Bahamian Embassy is in the United States and no international call is required....it is typically the Consulate that handles passport and visa inquiries.

 

This web site has the contact info for the Consulate General of the Bahamas in the United States:

 

http://www.bahamasny.net/index.php