Private Jet to the Bahamas and Caribbean: Customs, Islands and Arrival

A private jet to the Bahamas is one of the quickest international flights you can book. Bimini sits about 53 nautical miles from Fort Lauderdale, Nassau is roughly 160 nm from the South Florida business airports, and even Great Exuma is under 300 nm away. Wheels-up to wheels-down is often shorter than the drive from Palm Beach to Miami.

That short distance hides a fair amount of process. A charter flight leaves the United States, enters Bahamian customs at a designated airport of entry, sometimes hops on to an Out Island strip, and then repeats the border routine in reverse on the way home. Get the sequence right and the trip feels effortless. Get it wrong and a family waits on a hot apron for an officer while the villa's welcome drinks go warm.

How far is the Bahamas by private jet?

The distances below are great-circle figures from the most common departure airports. Real routings add a little.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism's private aviation guide gives a similar picture, describing Bimini as 50 nm from Palm Beach, Miami or Fort Lauderdale and Grand Bahama as 60 nm.

From New York, the calculation changes. Teterboro to Nassau is close to 1,000 nm, which is comfortable nonstop range for a midsize jet but a long day in a light one. Many Northeast clients fly nonstop to Nassau, clear customs there, and continue to an Out Island on a smaller aircraft or the same jet if the runway allows.

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Choosing an island airport

Island airstrips vary far more than mainland business airports. Runway length, surface, lighting, fuel availability and customs hours all decide which aircraft can go where, and they are the operator's call under its operational control. A few patterns help with planning:

• Nassau (MYNN) on New Providence is the main international gateway, with full-service FBOs. It is the default first stop for larger jets.
• Freeport (MYGF) on Grand Bahama is the other large airport and the closest major field to Palm Beach.
• Marsh Harbour (MYAM) serves the Abacos, popular with sailing and second-home owners.
• North Eleuthera (MYEH) is the usual gateway for Harbour Island, which is reached by a short water-taxi crossing rather than by car.
• Great Exuma (MYEF) at George Town is the main gateway for the Exumas chain.

The Bahamas tourism guide notes that customs hours are generally 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily but tells pilots to check with each airport. Arriving after hours at a small island can mean overtime fees, a long wait, or a refusal, so the operator plans the arrival window around the customs desk at the first airport of entry.

Bahamas customs: how charter flights clear

The Bahamian rules separate private pleasure flying from everything else, and charter clients fall in the second group.

According to The Bahamas Customs Department, the simplified "pleasure aircraft" declaration applies only to private aircraft not carrying cargo and flown for pleasure and recreation by a pilot who is not flying for reward, remuneration or business. Other aircraft report on the General Declaration, Form C7. A Part 135 charter is flown by a paid crew for a fee, so the operator handles it on the commercial side of the system, typically through its handling agent or FBO in Nassau or Freeport.

A few rules apply no matter who is flying:

• First landing at an airport of entry. The tourism guide states that aircraft must land at an airport of entry on first arrival in The Bahamas. Customs and immigration happen there, even if the final destination is a private island strip.
• Stay aboard until cleared. Bahamas Customs says passengers and crew may not disembark until the declaration process is completed.
• Departure tax. Both the customs department and the tourism guide list a $29 departure tax per person. Your operator will confirm whether it is included in the charter price or billed through the FBO.
• Immigration cards. Each traveler completes one, and passports must be valid for the trip.

Coming home: the US return

The return leg is where most delays happen, because US Customs and Border Protection treats the arrival more strictly than the departure.

CBP's general aviation FAQs are clear that an operator carrying passengers for payment is a commercial operator regardless of the FAA rule part it flies under. Commercial arrivals file a General Declaration (CBP Form 7507), pay commercial user fees rather than buying a private aircraft decal, and generally need an international carrier bond. The same FAQs note that certain private and unscheduled charter aircraft arriving from areas south of the United States must land at designated airports unless they hold a border overflight exemption.

Three practical consequences for passengers:

1. Manifests close early. CBP's general aviation processing page says APIS manifest data is required of all general aviation operators, and that any change to a submitted manifest requires an updated transmission and reconfirmed permission to land. Adding a friend at the last minute in Nassau can push the departure.
2. The first US landing is usually a customs airport. The tourism guide tells pilots to depart from a Bahamian airport of entry and land at an East Coast airport of entry. For most charters that means a South Florida field with CBP service, such as Fort Lauderdale Executive, Opa-locka, Palm Beach or Miami.
3. Flight profile rules apply from the south. CBP's general aviation preclearance guide, citing 19 CFR 122.23, says aircraft arriving from the south must use an altitude-reporting transponder, fly under instrument flight rules and stay above 12,500 feet unless controllers say otherwise. That is the operator's job, but it explains why routings are not always the most direct line.

On cost, the IRS lists a 2026 international air facilities tax of $23.40 per person for flights that begin or end in the United States in Publication 510. It appears on the charter invoice alongside the operator's fees.

For a fuller treatment of eAPIS, ports of entry and arrival rules, see our sibling guide to private jet customs and immigration.

Need the Florida car for this trip? Price it here; the fare is confirmed before you pay.

Caribbean private jet trips beyond the Bahamas

A Caribbean private jet itinerary works on the same principles, with longer legs and more varied airports. Teterboro to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is about 1,427 nm, and Teterboro to Barbados about 1,830 nm, so midsize and larger aircraft dominate nonstop trips from the Northeast. Nassau to Aruba is roughly 861 nm, a useful figure for island-hopping itineraries.

Three things change once you leave the Bahamas:

• Short runways become a real constraint. Some island runways are too short for most jets, which means connecting to a smaller aircraft on a neighboring island. Our sibling guide on how to fly private to St Barts explains how that connection works on the best-known example.
• Every island has its own customs regime. Forms, fees and hours vary by country, and some airports have limited evening service. The operator and its handler at each stop file the paperwork.
• Preclearance can shorten the return. CBP's preclearance guide notes that general aviation preclearance has been offered in Aruba for private and unscheduled charter flights, with flights cleared point to point to a designated US airport.

For yacht-based trips, where the jet meets a boat rather than a hotel, give the desk the marina name and the tender plan so the car, the luggage and the crew meet at the right dock.

Ground transport at both ends

The flight is short, so the ground legs are a large share of the door-to-door time. Plan them with the same care.

In South Florida. Most Bahamas charters leave from Fort Lauderdale Executive, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Opa-locka, Palm Beach or Miami. Typical drives:

• Fort Lauderdale Executive to Brickell, Miami: about 54 km (33 miles), 45 to 75 minutes depending on I-95 traffic.
• Opa-locka to Miami Beach: about 27 km (17 miles), 30 to 50 minutes.
• Palm Beach International to Worth Avenue: about 9 km (6 miles), 15 to 25 minutes.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International to Las Olas Boulevard: about 10 km (6 miles), 15 to 25 minutes.

Our Miami limo service and Fort Lauderdale limo service pages cover city-side options, and the Palm Beach FBO page explains private terminal arrivals there. For airline connections, see Fort Lauderdale airport transfers and Miami International transfers.

From the Northeast. If the trip starts in New York, the car runs to Teterboro, about 20 km (12 miles) from Midtown and 30 to 60 minutes in traffic. Our Teterboro FBO guide explains the terminals.

In the islands. On New Providence, the drive from the international airport to Paradise Island is about 20 km (13 miles), typically 25 to 45 minutes. On smaller islands the ground leg may be a resort vehicle, a short drive or a boat. Tell the desk where you are staying and we will confirm what is available through licensed local operators in our Latin America and Caribbean directory, or coordinate with your villa or resort.

What we usually arrange for a family or group trip:

• A private jet car service pickup timed to the operator's live arrival, with the driver waiting at the FBO.
• A Sprinter van with driver when beach gear, dive bags and strollers outgrow a sedan.
• Discreet handling for principals through our family office chauffeur service, including drivers briefed on household staff and children.

When a private jet to the Bahamas is worth it

For a couple heading to a Nassau resort, scheduled airline service from South Florida is frequent and the private premium is hard to justify. The math tilts toward charter when the group fills the cabin, when the destination is an Out Island with sparse airline service, when the trip starts in the Northeast and would otherwise mean a connection, or when privacy and schedule control matter. The same logic applies to any private jet Caribbean itinerary. Weekend round trips with a few days on the ground often price better than two one-ways, because the operator does not have to reposition an empty aircraft twice.

Readers comparing Florida departure airports may also find our sibling guide to Miami private jet charter useful.

How booking works

LimousineWorldwideDirectory.com acts as your booking agent for charter flights. Every flight is operated by a licensed air carrier, such as an FAA Part 135 operator, that holds operational control. We do not own or operate aircraft.

Send your dates, island, passenger count and luggage through the private jet charter request form or call (877) 860-3388. Once the flight is confirmed, we book the cars on the Florida or New York side through vetted, licensed and commercially insured operators, and the online booker shows the exact ground fare before you confirm.

Sources

• The Islands of The Bahamas: Private aviation regulations and FAQ
• The Bahamas Customs Department: Private aircraft declarations
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: General Aviation Processing FAQs
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: General Aviation Processing
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Preclearance of General Aviation Summary Guide
• Internal Revenue Service: Publication 510, Excise Taxes

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