Yes, for almost all forms of travel in 2026, a 13-year-old must have a valid passport to enter the Bahamas. While the Bahamas makes every effort to keep immigration formalities to a minimum, a passport is the "gold standard" for international identification. If arriving by air, a passport is strictly required for both entry and return to the U.S. (per Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative rules). There is a high-value exception for U.S. citizens on a "closed-loop" cruise (one that starts and ends at the same U.S. port), where a 13-year-old may be able to travel with an original birth certificate and a parent's photo ID. However, the premier advice for 2026 is to always carry a passport; if an emergency occurs and the child needs to fly home from the islands, a birth certificate will not be accepted for air travel. Additionally, if the teen is traveling with only one parent, a notarized letter of consent from the other parent is a high-quality requirement for a frictionless entry.