Economy

Tourism; international company business: insurance, oil, computer software, investment holding and finance, communications, and shipping. 

Documentation

Customs requires proof of citizenship, and a passport is the preferred document for entry. However, a birth certificate with photographic identification is acceptable for now. Starting on January 1, 2007, US citizens returning to the US must have valid passports. From this date, passports will be the only recognised travel document for American travellers returning to the US.

Currency

The Bermuda Dollar (BD$). The Bermuda dollar is divided into 100 cents and is pegged, through gold, to the US dollar.  The US dollar is accepted by all merchants.  Most hotels and stores accept major credit cards.  For a glimpse of Bermuda’s past currency, such as the hog penny, visit the Bank of Bermuda where every type of British coin minted from as early as 1603 can be seen.

Mail

First class postage is $.70 for US and Canadian postcards and letters.  Bermuda’s first postmaster, W.B. Perot, began printing stamps in 1848 and only eleven stamps of his thousands are known to exist today.  One was auctioned in 1986 for $135,000.

Electricity

110 volts; 60 cycles AC.  Adapters necessary for United Kingdom and European appliances.

On-island Transportation

Motor scooters, bicycles, taxis, buses, ferries and horse-drawn carriages.  There are no rental cars in Bermuda.  Due to a strong environmental commitment, only one car is permitted per household.

Getting to Bermuda

From the air, Bermuda is served by American Airlines, Continental, Delta, United Airlines, USAirways, USA 3000, Air Canada and British Airways. Non-stop service is available from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Halifax, Toronto, London (Gatwick), UK, and Munich, Germany. Connecting service is available from all other major cities. A variety of cruise lines also serve Bermuda from April through November.

Visitors' Information Centres

For maps, brochures, weekly event updates, bus schedules and more, visit conveniently located Visitors' Service Bureaux on Front Street in the City of Hamilton, in the Royal Naval Dockyard, on King’s Square in the Town of St. George (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and in the Bermuda International Airport.