G L O B A L H I R I N G G U I D E
Bermuda
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE
Table of Contents
Basic Country Facts
Statutory Labor Requirements
Income Tax
Probation Period
Annual Leave
Public Holidays
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Sick Leave
Work Hours
Overtime
Notice Period
Severance
13th Month
Social Security
Immigration
Value Added Tax (VAT)
Termination
Statutory Benefits
Revision Date: April 2023
Full Name
Islands Of Bermuda
Capital
Hamilton
Main Languages
English
Bermudian English
Population
63,867
Monetary Unit
Bermuda Dollar
Intern et Domain
.bm
International Dialing Code
+1
Currency
Bermuda Dollar
BASIC COUNTRY FACTS
01
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
GLOBAL EMPLOYER GUIDE: FINLAND
Probation Period
A new or promoted employee may be
required to serve a probationary period of
no more than 6 months from the date of
their employment or promotion.
Annual Leave
An employee shall be entitled to a period of
two weeks’ annual vacation leave after he
has completed
Public Holidays
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
Maternity Leave
Women continuously employed one year or
longer with an organization will be entitled
to 13 weeks of paid leave, up from the
current eight weeks of paid and four weeks
of unpaid leave.
Employees who don't fulfill the minimum
service criteria can take 13 weeks of unpaid
leave, up from eight.
Paternity Leave
Fathers with at least one year's continuous
employment by their baby's expected birth
date will be entitled to five consecutive days
of paid leave.
Fathers must use the leave within 14 weeks
of the birth and can take only one paternity
leave in any 12-month period.
Sick Leave
Employees are entitled to eight days’ sick
leave with pay after the first year of
continuous employment except that the
employee will not be entitled to more than
two consecutive days unless he provides the
employer with a doctor's certificate.
STATUTORY LABOR
REQUIREMENTS
02
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
New Year's Day
Good Friday
Bermuda Day
National Heroes' Day
Emancipation Day (of Bermuda)
Somers Day
Labor Day
Armistice Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
the first year of continuous
employment; and
each subsequent year of continuous
employment
→
→
Wo r k H o ur s
Typically, employees in Bermuda work a 40-
hour week, from Monday through Friday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. including an hour's
break for lunch (i.e., 35 paid hours).
O v e r t im e
An employee who works in excess of 40
hours a week is entitled to be paid at the
overtime rate of 1.5 times his/her normal
hourly wage.
1 3 th Mo n t h
13th-month pay is not mandatory.
Notice Period
Employees are entitled to at least one week's
notice if they are paid on a weekly basis, two
weeks' notice if they are paid every two
weeks, and in other cases, one month's
notice.
If the contract stipulates a greater amount of
notice, the longer notice period will apply.
Severance
Severance Payment: Under the Act an
employer is required to make a lump sum
severance payment equal to:
two weeks’ wages, for each completed
year of continuous employment up to
the first ten years; and
three weeks’ wages for each
completed year of continuous
employment thereafter, up to a
maximum of 26 weeks’ wages (i.e. 6
months).
→
→
Under the Act an employee is entitled to a
written itemized pay statement before the
payment of any severance entitlement.
An employee’s employment contract may
provide for other payments in addition to
those provided under the Act in the event of
redundancy.
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
Income taxes are not imposed on
individuals in Bermuda
Employees over the age of 65 are exempt
from contributing their half, although the
employer must still contribute its part.
The current total contribution per employee
per week is BMD 71.84. The employer
portion is BMD 35.92 and the employee
portion is BMD 35.92.
Expatriate and other employees who pay
into the system but fail to qualify for a
pension due to insufficient contributions
may apply at age 65 for a refund of the total
value of the contributions made on their
behalf, including both employer and
employee contributions.
INCOME TAX
03
SOCIAL SECURITY
04
Bermuda’s contributory pension scheme
requires employers to make monthly
contributions to the Contributory Pensions
Fund for every employee above 17 years of
age for each week in which the employee
works more than four hours.
An employer must ensure that each
qualifying employee registers with the
department and obtains a social insurance
number.
Civil and criminal penalties may apply to
employers for failure to register or pay in for
each qualifying employee.
Employees contribute a matching sum via
weekly payroll deduction, with several
exceptions.
Full time students under age 26 who are
employed during holidays, weekends and
summer breaks, and their employers, are
entirely exempt from social insurance
contributions.
CONTRIBUTION EMPLOYER EMPLOYEE
Social
Insurance
Contribution
BMD 35.92 BMD 35.92
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
Immigration
All persons must obtain specific permission
by or on behalf of the Minister of Home
Affairs responsible for immigration if they
are to engage in gainful occupation in
Bermuda, unless they are the following:
IMMIGRATION
05
A Bermudian
A spouse of a Bermudian
A widow or widower of Bermudian
A permanent resident
→
→
→
→
Prior to making an application for a
Standard Work Permit in an open job
category, employers must demonstrate that
they have made a bona fide attempt to
recruit a suitably qualified Bermudian
If no qualified and interested Bermudians
are available, the employer may apply for a
work permit to employ a non-Bermudian
unless the position is in a closed category.
Work permit applications must be made in
writing by the employer and addressed to
the Chief Immigration Officer at the
Department of Immigration.
A Global Work Permit allows a person who is
already employed by a global company in
another jurisdiction to transfer to the
Bermuda office without the requirement to
advertise the position.
The employee must occupy a senior
position within the company.
To qualify for the Global Work Permit, the
following conditions must be satisfied:
The company must demonstrate that
the Global Work Permit holder is not
being transferred to fill a vacancy or a
pre-existing position in Bermuda.
The company must demonstrate that
the employee has been employed
within the organization for at least
one year before transferring to the
Bermuda office or provide specific
reasons for transferring an employee
with less than one year of service.
→
→
In addition, a Global Work Permit is
automatically approved for an individual
who earns at least BMD125,000 per year.
Applicants earning less than BMD125,000 a
year are considered on a case-by case basis,
and approval depends substantially on
demonstrating that the addition of the
Global Work Permit holder will add value to
Bermuda.
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
A Global Entrepreneur Work Permit is
issued for a one-year period for an individual
to work and reside in Bermuda with respect
to an exempted company or Section 114B
startups.
Work activities may include the following:
Business planning
Seeking appropriate government or
Regulatory approval(s)
Meeting compliance
Financial requirements
Raising capital
→
→
→
→
To apply for a Global Entrepreneur Work
Permit, a letter of application must be sent
to the Department of Immigration justifying
the request, together with a letter from a
Bermudian or Bermuda business services
company verifying the intent of the
applicant and a completed form.
The Minister of Home Affairs grants a permit
if the Minister is satisfied that the applicant
is a bona fide investor or business person
that is likely to domicile a company in
Bermuda.
→
→
TYPE OF VISA
DOCUMENTATION
VALIDITY
ELIGIBILITY
Standard
Work
Permit
A completed Work Permit
Application Form
Police certificate
Medical clearance
Employment and character
references
Copy of job advertisement
Passport-sized photos
Proof of citizenship (passport)
1 to 5 years
If no qualified and interested
Bermudians are available, the
employer may apply for a work
permit to employ a non-
Bermudian unless the position
is in a closed category.
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
Proof of multi-entry
Visa/Permanent Resident Card
issued by US/Canada/UK
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Birth certificate
Statement of employment
1 to 5 years
Global Work
Permit
A completed Global Work Permit
Application Form
Police certificate
Medical clearance
Employment and character
references
Copy of job advertisement
Passport-sized photos
Proof of citizenship (passport)
Proof of multi-entry
Visa/Permanent Resident Card
issued by US/Canada/UK
Marriage certificate (if applicable)
Birth certificate
Statement of employment
Resume
Payment of government taxes
and employee benefits
1 to 5 years
The company must
demonstrate that the Global
Work Permit holder is not
being transferred to fill a
vacancy or a pre-existing
position in Bermuda.
The company must
demonstrate that the
employee has been employed
within the organization for at
least one year before
transferring to the Bermuda
office or provide specific
reasons for transferring an
employee with less than one
year of service.
A Global Work Permit is
automatically approved for an
individual who earns at least
BMD125,000 per year.
Global
Entrepreneur
Work Permit
A completed application form
Passport
Passport size photos
A letter from a Bermudian or
Bermuda business services
company verifying the intent of
the applicant
1 year
A Global Entrepreneur Work
Permit is issued for an
individual to work and reside
in Bermuda with respect to an
exempted company or Section
114B startups.
Work activities may include
the following:
Business planning
Seeking appropriate
government or regulatory
approval(s)
Meeting compliance
Financial requirements
Raising capital
→
→
→
→
→
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
There is no VAT or sales tax in Bermuda.
VALUE ADDED TAX
06
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
An employee’s contract of employment
shall not be terminated by an employer
unless there is a valid reason for termination
connected with
Under the Act an employee is entitled to a
written itemized pay statement before the
payment of any severance entitlement.
An employee’s employment contract may
provide for other payments in addition to
those provided under the Act in the event
of redundancy.
the ability, performance or conduct of
the employee; or
the operational requirements of the
employer’s business
→
→
TERMINATION
07
On the termination of a contract of
employment, an employer, if so requested
by his employee, shall provide the employee
with a certificate of termination indicating
the name and address of the
employer;
the nature of the employer’s business;
the length of the employee’s period of
continuous employment;
the capacity in which the employee
was employed;
the wages and other remuneration
payable at the date of termination of
the contract;
where the employee so requests, the
reason for the termination.
→
→
→
→
→
→
Employees are entitled to at least one
week's notice if they are paid on a weekly
basis, two weeks' notice if they are paid
every two weeks, and in other cases, one
month's notice.
If the contract stipulates a greater amount
of notice, the longer notice period will apply.
two weeks’ wages, for each completed
year of continuous employment up to
the first ten years; and
three weeks’ wages for each
completed year of continuous
employment thereafter, up to a
maximum of 26 weeks’ wages (i.e. 6
months).
→
→
Severance Payment: Under the Act an
employer is required to make a lump sum
severance payment equal to:
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
These are mandatory benefits as postulated
by law
These include probationary period, annual
leave, public holidays, sick leave, maternity
leave, paternity leave, overtime pay, notice
period, and severance pay
Statutory benefits also include social
security benefits
STATUTORY BENEFITS
Probationary Period
Annual Leave
Public Holidays
Maternity Leave
Paternity Leave
Sick Leave
Overtime Pay
Notice Period
Severance Pay
Social Security Benefits
STATUTORY BENEFITS
08
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
GLOBAL HIRING GUIDE: BERMUDA
©2023 Global Expansion. All rights reserved.
