• Pluses! From the feedback I'm gettting from people who are thinking about moving here, they said my site generally gave them the impression that it might not be worthwhile to move to Bermuda. I thought I might point out the pluses first. To start, the island is beautiful with comfortable weather and beautiful sceneries. It's like living in a clean, safe, small town surrounded by the beach and ocean. If you are given the chance to move here, I would say TAKE IT! My philosophy is that we only live once (at least I think we do) and experiences like this will only enrich your life experience.

  People generally move here because of the environment, and also the "tax-free" status of the island. It's not really tax-free... about 9% of my income goes to the social security fund and health insurance and such, but 9% is tiny compared to the 30+% people pay in other countries. The 9% is even lower if you can find the exempt companies who will likely pay for most of the taxes and medical benefits.

• How do I get a job there? It's actually a bit difficult to do that. You will need a sponsor (a company who will hire you) before you can come here to work. The sponsor will have to prove to the immigration government that local talents are not available for the position (that includes mandatory advertising in the paper) before they can seek out candidates from overseas. There are also a certain list of jobs/professions that are not open to non-Bermudians. The best way is to search the Internet's job sites for ads, or contact companies on the island. After getting a job offer, expect to fill out a work permit application, which will take 3-4 weeks (technical jobs) or 6+ weeks (non-technical jobs) for the government's immigration department to approve. With the recent change of a new government that is very pro-Bermudian, I don't know if new/renewing work permits will be harder to come by.

• What's the weather/water like in (insert month here)? There's not really a rainy season here. Bermuda's climate is sub-tropical (frost free). Temperature rarely dips below 58 in the winter and above 90 in the summer. For the most current weather, go to Bermuda's weather service at http://www.weather.bm. For the monthly ave. temp/water highs/lows and rain, go to http://www.bermuda-online.org/climateweather.htm. For 1998, highest temp (90.1F) was achieved on Sep-1 and lowest temp (56F) on March 16th.

• Cost of Housing? Expect prices to be on par with NYC and Silicon Valley. A one bedroom studio, usually are only available for a week or so before they are snatched up, usually rent between $800-$1600, furnished and unfurnished. Add about $1000-$1200 per additional bedroom.

• Cost of Living? Very few places come with utilities, so expect to pay $100+ for a unheated/non-air conditioned place. Expect Bermuda Telephone Company to take 2 months to flip a switch so you have a phone line. (more info below)

• Cost of Food? Expect to double or triple your U.S. grocery bill. Here's a list of general items/prices:

  Milk, 1/2 Gallon   $3.75 Bread, Sliced   $2-$3 Eggs, 1 Doz   $3 O.J. - Trop Premium 64oz   $4 Oreo Cookies, 1lb bag   $4 KFC "value meal"s   $7-$8.50

  
  
  Here's some additional info from my friend Donna:
  

  Gas (for scooter): $25-35
  Gov't Pension: $100-125
  Electricity: $100 (in cool months) - $150 (summer)
  Cable TV: $50
  Movie tickets are $7 each.
  Electricity deposit: $150
  Bike tune-up: $150-250
  Scooter: new: minimum $3000; used, start at $1500
  License (scooter): $120 (good for 10 years)
  

  Phone bill: $150-250 (my first month it was $400!!!!!; I personally average $100/month, but I think it's cheaper to call the States than it is to call Canada).

  Medical Insurance: $60-75 (for a single person with no dependents) depending on the Insurance company your employer uses.

  Restaurants are NOT cheap. Just to get a simple sandwich, chips, and a soda for lunch will cost $7-8. Lunch in a restaurant won't be less than $15-20. Dinners in restaurants start around $25/person.

  Gym memberships: $50-100 month (closer to the $100 range)
  

  Bank fees: $10-20 month, depending on how many drafts/withdrawals you make

  Flat tires: $70 a pop (unless the tire itself needs to be replaced, then it's a lot more)

  How much socializing are you planning on doing? Typically, when I go out with a few people, we take turns buying rounds. So, one round might cost $20-30.

  There are community courses offered throughout the year (i.e., like cooking classes, language classes, dance classes, tennis & golf lessons, etc.) that are typically $60 for 10-week lessons. There are 3 sessions a year Though there's no income tax, there IS a payroll tax of 4.5% of your gross salary.

  A few times a year there are "seat sales" in which the airlines will post great deals on flights to the States. LOTS of people take advantage of this for a quick weekend trip; these seat sales usually range from $200-400, plus whatever your hotel/pocket money costs are.

  Most landlords will request at least half-month's rent as deposit, though I know of several friends who have paid a full month's rent deposit.

  Most employers pay for the new hires to stay at a guesthouse near town while they're getting settled and looking for an apartment. Hopefully your employer will do the same. "Furnished" apartment USUALLY means the bare necessities: bed, dresser, sofa, table/chairs (thus you'll still need kitchenware). If you get an unfurnished place, you shouldn't have any problems furnishing it as there are several "leaving the island" sales every week. Everything in my apartment is used. My place was unfurnished (OK, it did have a fridge and microwave), so I spent about $2,000 at various house/apt. sales to furnish it. I do have a studio, so I didn't need as much as most people who might get a 1- or 2-bedroom place.

  So, add on your existing bills (i.e., student loans, credit cards, etc.), and that should give you a good idea of what you need to "break even."

• Banking You should get a reference letter from your bank in your home country before you open an account here. They require one in addition to a work permit letter before you can open an account.

• Transportation? Only 1 car per household is allowed. A moped or scooter is the preferred method of transportation because the convienence and easy free parking. The roads in Bermuda are really narrow, with the speed limit at 35km/h (about 22mph) but most people drive at about 50-60km/h.

  The bus system is really good and on-time (or early), with 30 min - 1 hour intervals during the weekday and 1 hour intervals on weekends. Services stop at about 6PM or 7PM for most routes but routes to St. George and Dockyard last until about 11:00PM.

  The ferry system used to be really good, with the Warwick route running until 11PM Mon-Sat, every 45 minutes, but they cut the evening service to just 2 trips at 7:30PM and 9:30PM AND RAISED the prices by 50% so they can get more money and buy high speed ferries to Somerset and save 10 minutes off the Somerset route. Needless to say, I moved off the 26 acre Hinson's Island and am now living on the "main land". Get the bus/ferry schedule at the bus terminal. (Multiply the following prices by 50%) A bag-o-ferry tokens are $15/15, which saves you a whole bunch since they are normally at least $2.50. A even better bargain is to get a monthly unlimited ferry/bus pass for $35-$45.

• Customs and what to pack? Before you decide on what to pack, remember this: Electronics are taxed at 33% estimated price, and everything else at $22.25%. Personal clothing (used) and books are tax free. Be very nice to the customs official. They will open your boxes and such to look at the items, but if you have a list of items and estimated value ready, they will probably take your word for it. Here are some of the items I listed: CD's - $2 each, Iron - $5, Fish Tank - $25, Clock Radio - $15. Toiletries are expensive here - $8 for shampoo so pack some to save a bit of money, and also medicine if you take any. There's a large market for used furniture here since there's usually 2 or 3 "leaving the island" sale every week. Unless you're rich and don't mind paying shipping your stuff over here and back, I'd suggest buying the furniture here.

• Moped/Scooter & Accessories I thought I could get by by just riding the bus and riding a bicycle (referred to as push bikes here), but after only a week on a moped, I'm hooked. I know a co-worker who gets by with a bike, but that's a rare feat, especially with Bermuda's hilly terrain and humid summer weather. Make sure you buy some waterproof (make sure the label says waterproof) jackets and pants, and also covering for your shoes and hands, and riding goggles for your eyes. It's required by the law to wear a helmet while riding.

• Nude beaches in Bermuda? There are no nude beaches in Bermuda, but as somebody mentioned before, there are plenty of little coves that you might try at your own risk. I don't know what the penalty is for public nudity.

• Bermuda On-Line is a really good web site for relocation information too. For detailed information on cable, phone, electricity, gas, school system, etc., check out their site at http://www.bermuda-online.org.

  Various topics about living here can be located on their web site at http://www.bermuda-online.org/bolecon.htm. (Scroll down til you see this blinking red text: Bermuda Employment for non-Bermudians)

• Ask your employer to send you a copy of "Bermuda New Residents Guide" published annually by Bermuda Magazine. It has a lot of good information in it about moving to Bermuda. (PO Box HM 2032, Hamilton HM HX. icoles@ibl.bm)

• If you're taking the bus, it should be fairly on time during weekdays. Due to less traffic and less people taking the buses during off-peak hours on weekdays and weekends, buses might run 10-20 minutes EARLY.

• Watch out for items on "sale" in any supermarket. Make sure you watch the cashier and make sure s/he punches in the right price. So far, I have experienced a 100% error rate (6 out of 6) while shopping at different locations. This included stores with electronic scanners.

  Since almost everything is shipped to Bermuda, be careful of expiration dates on items. The stores will leave items on the shelves even if it expired 2 weeks ago.

• The TCD is the place where you take your written/riding test for your moped/car and pay for your license/renewal/etc.

  The TCD reminds me of encountering Homer's (Simpson) sister-in-laws at the DMV. Go first thing in the morning and take the written test (at the Info counter) - get a study booklet from the cashier ($2.50) or from a friend. Be VERY nice to everyone there. There's only a short wait for the written test and it's any time. The questions are easier than the sample in the booklet - remember the definitions.

  After the written test, bring your paperwork to the public phone between there and the driving exam place next door and look up your address in the small stack of books and write down the reference number (?) in your paper (ask the lady at the Info desk if you're not sure). Bring your paperwork to the next room and give it to the person behind the counter. A guy should come out and call you within an hour. Bring a book to read. Practice with a bike because you can NOT put your foot down during the test (except to stop and turn around for the next maneuver). Practice the obstacle course (going in a S shape around cones).

  After the test - TAKE A NUMBER - it will save you probably 30 minutes of waiting around if there's a line in the first room (where the Info desk is). What happens next is you wait like 30 minutes for the exam person to give your paperwork back to you. You then wait for your number to be called (another 30+ minutes) so somebody can stamp your paper and enter that number in the computer. You then go to the Cashier and wait some more and pay them for your license. The total ordeal was about 3.5 hours for me, but my friend Donna was stuck there for more than 6 hours.

Other moving to Bermuda Info

• Bermuda On-Line (up and running again - changed domain name.)

Newspaper

• Royal Gazette Weekly - note that not all the articles and advertisements appear on the web version.
• Bermuda Sun Wednesdays & Fridays, check out the Sun Shopper link on Friday editions for a complete classified section.

Guides

• AboutBermuda.com is really intended for employers to give their employees information about moving to Bermuda. I designed and programmed most of the site and there's a small free section of info for non-registered users. It's weird that I ended up creating a commercial site after creating PlanetNeptune.
• Insiders' Guide to Bermuda - Really good info on Bermuda here - you can also get the paper version at most book stores, but you can save a few trees by downloading the site and read it offline.
• Bermuda.Com - Guide to Bermuda Travel, Accomodations, Business and Tourist Related Information.
• Always Dreaming of Bermuda - Judy's nice Bermuda photo site.
• Bermuda Shorts Web Server

Companies

• Bermuda Sun Bermuda Sun has a links section with links to companies and other Bermuda related sites. Click on the LINKS section to the left.