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THE HIGH COMMISSION

The High Commission represents The Bahamas in its bilateral relations with the Government of Canada, as well as its 10 provincial and territorial governments – each having different legal rules and protocols. As the only diplomatic representative in Canada, the High Commission performs both consular and diplomatic functions. In this regard, the High Commission is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Government’s policies in Canada, channeling information between both Governments, reporting on important developments in Canada, protecting the interests of its citizens in Canada, and trade and investment promotion in conjunction with the Bahamas Investment Authority and the Ministry of Financial Services.

On the consular side, the High Commission conducts cultural promotional activities, issues visas to foreign nationals and processes Bahamian passport applications, liaises with Bahamas Tourism Office on tourism promotional activities, verify National Insurance registration, verify Bahamian driving history for Canadian drivers’ license applicants, interviews for Bahamian citizenship and permanent resident applications, and legalize public documents. Additionally, the High Commission monitors the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Nine missions in Ottawa are accredited to The Bahamas, for which the High Commission is responsible for coordinating the communication and activities between capital and the other foreign mission. The nine missions are: Ireland, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Lesotho and Morocco.