In most of the countries you will find diplomatic missions, which usually refers to an embassy and/or a consulate. Diplomatic bodies represent other country interests in The Bahamas, with the aim of strengthening international relations between the states and providing services for their citizens in The Bahamas.

Embassies and consulates are considered legal territories of their home countries. They are not "foreign territory" but they are protected and considered the property of the country using them, meaning that The Bahamas does not have jurisdiction over the embassy or consulate of another country.

What is the difference between Embassy and Consulate

The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations international treaty defines the diplomatic mission’s purpose and framework. The various diplomatic missions offer several services and carry out different missions. For example:

• Embassy: This is the primary diplomatic representation of a country’s government and is headed by an ambassador. An embassy is the main location for a diplomatic presence of one country in another. A country has at most one embassy in another country, and is always established in the capital city of the host country. In the absence of a consulate in a country, the embassy has also a consular section to carry out all the relevant consular services (see below).
• Consulate General: This is a diplomatic mission, headed by a consul that provides a full range of services such as: issuing passports/visas, keeping birth and marriage records, assisting expats, providing legal information, translations etc. It can be located in any major city of the host country, although often in the capital city (in certain cases, in the same building as the embassy). In major countries and large territories, you often have more than one consulate.
• Honorary Consulate: It supplements the Consulate to provide a limited range of consular services and is headed by an honorary consul. They help nationals abroad. For example, in the event of a hospital stay, missing person, death, natural disaster or other emergency. They can also issue emergency travel documents and consular declarations for which the applicant is required to appear in person.

NB: You will usually apply for a visa at the Consulate of the country you want to visit. However, if there is no such representation in The Bahamas, you can apply for a visa at the embassy.

Where to find Consulates and Embassies in The Bahamas

Not all countries have an Embassy and/or a Consulate as it depends of the political situation, the relationship with the host country, the size of the country, and the number of foreign citizens living there.

In some cases, countries can share representations and you can be assisted by the services of another embassy or consular service to get the information you need.

We recommend you register/contact your country’s embassy at your destination. It is a free service provided by any diplomatic mission and it will allow them to record information about your upcoming trip abroad. It can be used to assist you in case of an emergency.

Registration will also allow you to get routine information from your nearest embassy or consulate, as citizen residing abroad.

The Bahamian capital, Nassau hosts 7 embassies.

There are also 43 consulates in The Bahamas.

All consulates and honorary consulates are located in Nassau, except for those countries who own an embassy in the capital of The Bahamas and might have another diplomatic mission outside the capital.

You will find below a list of countries that have a diplomatic mission in The Bahamas. The list includes embassies, consulates, honorary consulates and sometimes other official representations for you to be able to get information and services.

Embassies and Main Consulates in Nassau

China

Embassy of China in The Bahamas
Address: Shirley Street East, P. O. Box: SS-6389, Nassau
Tel: (+242) 393 1960
E-Mail: consulate_bhs@mfa.gov.cn
Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (Tuesday and Friday)

The consular section provides a range of consular services such as document authentication and legalization processing, as well as notary certification and marriage registration, visa affairs, and consular protection to all Chinese living abroad.

USA (United States of America)

Embassy of the United States of America in The Bahamas
Address: 42 Queen St., P.O. Box N-8197, Nassau
Tel: (+242) 322 1181
E-Mail: acsnassau@state.gov
Social Media: https://twitter.com/USEmbassyNassau and https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyNassau and https://www.instagram.com/usembassynassau/
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m and Friday 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The US representation in The Bahamas provides a range of consular services such as regular passport applications and renewals, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA), and notarial services, assistance on death of a U.S. Citizen and emergency financial assistance, etc.

Honorary Consulates in The Bahamas

Contact directly the Embassy/Consulate website for more information.

For countries with no consulates or embassies in The Bahamas, the Honorary Consulates are supervised by diplomatic representations located in other country, often Washington, D.C., in thw United States for The Bahamas.

Honorary Consulates in Nassau

• Brazil (embaixada.nassau@itamaraty.gov.br)
• Cuba (cubanembassy@bs.embacuba.cu)
• Haiti (amb.bahamas@diplomatie.ht)