Occasional Business Licence

Summary

The Department of Inland Revenue says a person who wishes to conduct business in the short term must apply for an Occasional Business Licence.

The official page says:

  • the activity period must not exceed seven days
  • an occasional licence can be granted a maximum of four times per year

Examples Published By The Department

  • carrying on a sales business
  • acting as a traveling salesman as a non-resident individual
  • staging public dancing, singing, music, or other public entertainment
  • staging a trade show or expo
  • vending at regattas, farmers' markets, or national or community events

Eligibility

The official page lists the following broad eligibility groups:

  • Bahamian citizens
  • permanent residents with the right to work in The Bahamas
  • non-residents acting as traveling salesmen who hold a valid work permit

Fee Note

The visible body text on the official page does not publish a clean fee table. Confirm the current charge in the application flow or with the Department before treating the application as final.

How To Apply

  1. Start from the Occasional Business Licence page on the Department of Inland Revenue site.
  2. Follow the current business-licence application links or portal instructions published there.
  3. Make sure the event or trading period fits the seven-day limit.
  4. Submit any supporting material the Department requests for the event or business activity.

When To Escalate To A Human

  • The business activity will last more than seven days.
  • You expect to run the activity more than four times in a year.
  • You are not sure whether your event should be treated as occasional, annual, temporary, or another business-licence category.
  • You are a non-resident and do not already have the work authorization the official page requires.
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