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Fly The Bahamas

What you’ll need to know as a first-timer to the out islands

Know Before You Go…The Basics
Once you choose your destination (in this case, Eleuthera), you can determine your departure point. Your first point of landing in the Bahamas must be at an airport of entry (AOE) with Customs and Immigration. Governor’s Harbour on Eleuthera is one of the more than 20 island airports classified as an AOE.

Obvious choices for departing for the Bahamas are St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR) in Fort Pierce, Fla., and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE). FBOs at both airports have the required forms for entry into and departure from the Bahamas, but your best bet is to use one of the links provided in the “Resources” sidebar to preprint the forms and fill them out in advance. Place everything in a folder, which travels with you, and have a passport for each passenger and crewmember, and you’ll be set.

Be aware that the United States is instituting new border-crossing and arrival-notice requirements for private aircraft crew and passengers as of May 19, 2009. Under the new Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS), you’re required to notify Customs and Border Protection (CBP) no less than 60 minutes prior to crossing the border as you leave and return, and you’ll be required to supply information on your passengers to verify that no one is on the “No Fly List.” You can comply via telephone or the CBP website, and you can file the information for both departure and return at the same time. A handy tutorial on how to do this is available at the CBP website (see “Resources”)

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