|
Relocation Guide: Pack Your Bags and Head to Paradise
 If picking up and leaving the hustle and bustle of the big city seems like a dream, think again. Pink beaches, warm sunlight and clear blue skies await you in Bermuda. A favourite of many a Hollywood celebrity, this island nation offers an idyllic lifestyle in a tropical paradise. Don’t misjudge — Bermuda also has every modern comfort of a city, just with a backdrop that features bright buildings, beautiful scenery and beaming, happy people. More than 9,000 expatriate workers and retirees have started anew and chosen to live with Bermudians. Think about it: Have you ever wanted to spend your days lying on a sun-soaked beach? Or to perfect your skills at watersports? Here you can do both. As a brand-new Bermudian, you’ll soon see: Life is all about letting loose and relaxing.
Moving Forward
So where does one sign up for a new start in Bermuda? Well, first you have to get there. Though it was once just a remote Atlantic outpost, these days Bermuda is accessible readily to the modern traveller. Providers offering daily service to the island include Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and USA 3000.
Work It
If working here is a concern, you may find your worries fading away like the sunset if you do things right. If you are a partner in a business or are employed by one of the many international companies with offices in Bermuda, life will be a breeze. Otherwise, it may be more challenging but not impossible. However, there are things to consider.
 In order to work in Bermuda, you must secure a work permit if you’re not a citizen. All permits are specific to the tenure of the position, and you’ll be requiring a new one if you decide to leave your job for a new one — which is not recommended and allowed only once. If you do stay with one company, work permits usually expire after six years, with no automatic renewals; a new application must be processed. Seasonal or part-time work is unlikely, as jobs of that sort probably will not warrant a work permit.
You may find that doing business here is a much smoother affair. Since Bermuda charges no taxes on worldwide business activities, many companies incorporate in Bermuda.
Setting up a business is possible only if you have a local partner who will own 60 percent of it. You’ll find many such partnerships in restaurants, retailers and other small businesses.
One of the more blatant differences between Bermuda and so many other countries, including the U.S., is that for the most part no income, capital gains or corporate taxes are charged to citizens or companies, with the exception of a 16 percent payroll tax. For more information about working in Bermuda, visit www.immigration.gov.bm.
Home Sweet Home
 If you fancy yourself a top-notch investigator and do your research, living well in Bermuda will be as easy as 1-2-3. Keep in mind that to purchase a house on the island you will need to be either a citizen of Bermuda or very wealthy.
Out-of-towners may purchase property only in limited and expensive ranges, and they must buy from other foreigners. The average home price on these islands is above $1 million. You will also need a Licence to Acquire Property, which costs 22 percent of the purchase price (15 percent for a condominium). Add stamp duty to that total.
Buying a house in Bermuda will not guarantee permanent residence. If you’re planning on house hunting, do yourself a favour and hire a good real estate agent who can provide you with the most up-to-date listings and information on rules and regulations. For more information on the cost of living in Bermuda, please visit www.e-moo.com.
Va-Va-Vroom
On an island where the residents don’t live life in the fast lane, you may want to skip a car. You may have a car, of course, but it won’t be the most efficient or most fun way to get around, and the import duties that will have to be paid are high. Plus the government prohibits more than one car per household.
 Do as the natives do and hop on a world-class bus. They’re always on time and run as frequently as every 15 minutes. With cooling air conditioning, Bermuda’s buses offer a clean and safe option for getting around. Some routes don’t operate on Sundays or holidays, so check the schedules.
For those who intend to travel by bus on a daily basis, it may be a good idea to purchase a booklet of 15 tickets for $7.50. Or you can buy passes that allow travel in all 14 of Bermuda’s zones. An unlimited one-day pass is just $12; two-day, $20; three-day, $28; four-day, $35; one-week, $45; and monthly, $55.
Cash fares are $3 up to three zones, $4.50 up to 14 zones, and get cheaper by using tokens or tickets. To pay cash you must have exact change, as drivers do not make change or accept bills. Buy tokens at branch post offices or the Central Bus Terminal on Washington Street in Hamilton. All routes, except the 6, begin and end there.
To check schedules or make any other inquiries about buses in Bermuda, please call 292-3851 or visit www.gov.bm.
Ferries also make for a fun ride and they get you quickly from either end of the island to Hamilton, where the ferry terminal can be found at Front Street, between Queen Street and Par-la-Vie Road. Fares, tokens, tickets and passes are the same rates as for buses. If you get an unlimited pass, it can be used on buses or ferries. (295-6575; www.seaexpress.bm)
Becoming Bermudian
So how does one actually become a Bermudian? Well, it’s a highly coveted status that doesn’t come easily. Many foreign locals have lived here for many years as residents and without the benefits citizens enjoy, like the right to vote.
 Obviously, the easiest way to become a Bermudian is to be so lucky as to be born on the islands of Bermudian parents. If either Mum or Dad were born Bermudians, then you too could be eligible for citizenship.
Foreigners married to islanders must have been married to the same Bermudian for at least 10 continuous years, and during that marriage they must have resided in Bermuda for at least seven years. Married couples also would have to have been living with their Bermudian spouse for the two years immediately before the application for citizenship and be someone of good character and conduct.
Try and be kind to everyone you meet in Bermuda, as your application for citizenship will be public knowledge. So public, in fact, that news of your desire to be a “true” Bermudian will be printed and published in a local newspaper, and your neighbours and peers will be invited to share their opinions by written statement to the Department of Immigration if they feel you do not deserve the honour of becoming a citizen.
Make your Bermuda trip even more memorable with dolphins! Dolphin Quest offers fun, interactive dolphin encounter programs for all. Book your adventure today!
|
|
|
|
 |
Have a fun-filled vacation with a cycle from Oleander. If you can ride a bicycle, you can easily ride an Oleander scooter. See all of Bermuda...reserve one today!
|
|
|
|
|
Relax, enjoy, save and see Bermuda by bus. A blue or pink pole indicates bus stops. If the pole is topped with blue, the bus travels from Hamilton; if the pole is topped pink, the route is toward Hamilton.
|
|
|
|
|
