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 City Description |
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Bermuda is a small, sub-tropical island in the middle of the Atlantic. Winters are mild, and summers are very hot and humid! The scenery is stunning - white beaches and turquoise oceans, plenty of parks filled with luscious flowers, and many historical buildings to explore. |
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| Pros and Cons |
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Locals generally are welcoming to foreigners. Bermuda has a large expat population so it's easy to meet other people in the same position.
Bermudians are a very conservative, Christian community, although there are a few places of worhip for people of other faiths. You are expected to say Good Morning/Afternoon to people you meet whilst walking along, and to people that serve you.
Generally there are no real security concerns, but people do need to be streetwise (e.g. not leaving valuables visible in cars/scooters, not walking on your own as a lone female in backroads late at night etc.) Bermuda has some issues with gang violence, although this seems to be inter-gang related only. Certainly as a petite female I always feel safe living in Bermuda.
The biggest pro of living in Bermuda has to be the beautiful beaches - in the summer, you feel as if you are on holiday every weekend! The biggest con is the lack of choice - from shops to restaurants to things to do in the winter - the island sometimes feels a bit too small. But, this is easily cured by a cheap flight over to the States!
It's very expensive to live here so my best advice would be to visit before you move, check out accommodation and rent prices, and pop into a supermarket and really research your living costs to make sure it's truly affordable.
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| Immigration / Visas / Work Permits |
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If your spouse has a work permit, their employer should also apply for you to have a permit to reside. If you are not married to your working partner, then you will only be allowed to enter Bermuda as a visitor, staying for no more than 21 days.
If you wish to work, you will need your own work permit.
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| Accomodation |
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Expats generally rent due to buying restrictions, and tend to find property either through emoo.com or through a real estate agency. A typical monthly rent for a 2 bedroom property is around $3,000 - $4,000 - more for an ocean view or on-site facilities such as a pool. Expats generally live in Hamilton or in the surrounding parishes. |
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| Household Help |
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Communication |
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Internet services are much more expensive than what we were used to in the UK (we pay just under $300 per month for broadband and cable TV) but the service is generally good. There are some places in Hamilton which offer free wifi, including the Library.
TV channels are beamed in from the USA.
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| Local Language |
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The local language is English. |
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| Utilities for the Home |
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Electricity costs around $200 - $300 per month for a two bedroom apartment, and is generally reliable, although we had many power cuts during the winter when there were many storms! Generally power is reconnected within a few hours.
The island is susceptible to hurricanes, which can obviously affect services for a longer period.
Water for most properties comes from rainwater collected and stored in underground tanks. In the summer it is not unusual to have to order extra water due to a lack of rainfall - generally this is delivered within 24 hours. The water is safe to drink.
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| Local Employment |
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Recently (2011) it has become more difficult for expats to find work on the island, largely due to the recession. Spouses of working expats can reside on the island, but they must have their own work permit to secure employment - applied for by their prospective employer, or by an employment agency. Bermudian candidates take priority over foreign workers, so the jobs filled by expats tend to be mid - senior professional roles in the private sector such as accounting, insurance, IT or in public sector roles such as teaching or medical care. The Royal Gazette is the main source of job adverts: http://www.royalgazette.com/section/jobs |
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| Money and Banks |
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The local currency is Bermudian Dollars, although US Dollars are accepted almost everywhere. Bank accounts are easy to set up, providing you have a work permit/permit to reside as a spouse. HSBC and local bank, Butterfield, are the main banks on the island.
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 Healthcare |
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Medical care is private, and many employers subsidise the cost of health insurance for their employees, and sometimes employees' spouse/children too. There are plenty of pharmacies on the island and no unusual health concerns for people to be aware of. |
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| Education |
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There are public and private (fee-paying) schools on the island which provide a mixture of US and UK Curricula. Children usually travel to school by bus or private transport. As there are few pavements/sidewalks in Bermuda, children generally do not walk to school.
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| Transportation |
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Expats can own a car, providing their accommodation has an Assessment Number. There is a strict rule of one car per household on the island. New cars are very costly, but there are many second hand options available on emoo.com. Most expats tend to travel around by scooter as these are cheaper and smaller to squeeze around traffic jams in rush hours! The speed limit across the island is 35 km/h.
Buses are frequent and cheap although they cease to operate frequently in the evenings. Taxis are easily available and not too expensive.
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| Shopping & Beauty Care |
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Being a small island, where almost everything is imported, there is less choice for products in general than I have been used to in the UK. Basic products are reasonably easy to find, although I have struggled to find waxing strips! Specialist products such as Dermalogica, Paul Mitchell etc. are usually available in salons. With the USA just 2 hours away by plane, many people stock up on anything they cannot get in Bermuda, although you are subject to import tax for anything you bring to the island from a trip away. |
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| Sports and Entertainment |
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There are many sports team to join, and in the summer many more teams play games on the beach - e.g. beach volleyball, touch rugby, beach football etc. There are other outdoor options such as walking clubs, a climbing wall, and rowing and kayaking clubs as well as several gyms offering dance and aerobic classes and ten pin bowling in Warwick.
Theatre productions tend to be either visiting companies, or amatuer dramatics societies. There are 4 cinemas on the island and each year an International Film Festival is hosted at the Hamilton based cinemas.
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| Pets |
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| Useful Resources |
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| Others |
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