Bermuda Facilitates Permanent Residency for Long-Term Residents

The government of Bermuda amended the Bermuda Immigration and Protection Act 1956 (BIPA) to allow long-term residents to obtain permanent residency in Bermuda. The changes went into effect on December 1, 2021, and the Department of Immigration will begin to accept applications for Permanent Resident Certificates (PRC) as of January 1, 2022.

Eligibility for PRCs has been expanded to include:

1. persons who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 20 years or more;
2. non-Bermudian parents of a child with Bermudian status who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda for 15 years or more; and
3. children born to second-generation PRC holders who have been ordinarily resident in Bermuda.

The new fees introduced by the amendments as a result of the new provisions are as follows:

• $10,000 for a long-term resident who is ordinarily resident for 20 years or more;
• $10,000 for a long-term resident who is a parent of a child that possesses Bermudian status; and
• $3,150 for a third-generation long-term resident born to a PRC holder.