Bahamas Consulate Chicago

Before your visit

• The ministry also gives the address “USACHICAGO@BAHAMAS@GOV.BS”, which is not a valid e-mail address as written.
• Location: The honorary consulate is in the Gold Coast area of Chicago, Illinois, about 2.8 km in a straight line from the centre of Chicago; the nearest large airport is Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), about 17 km away. (distances: OpenStreetMap, airports: FAA passenger boarding data CY 2025)

About the Honorary Consulate of the Bahamas in Chicago

The honorary consul is Michael Fountain, according to the Bahamian foreign ministry. It is one of 5 honorary consulates of the Bahamas in the United States listed by the Bahamian foreign ministry. The Bahamas also has 5 career consular posts in the United States and its embassy in Washington, D.C. In the Bahamas, the United States is represented by the U.S. Embassy in Nassau (bs.usembassy.gov), according to the Congressional Directory.

What can an honorary consul do?

An honorary consul is not a career diplomat but a local resident – often a business person or lawyer – appointed by the Bahamas and approved by the host country. Depending on the powers granted, the honorary consul can help Bahamian citizens in an emergency (lost passport, accident, arrest), pass on applications and documents to the embassy, and certify signatures or life certificates. Passports and visas are not issued by an honorary consulate; they remain the responsibility of the embassy or a career consulate.

Other consulates in Chicago

57 other countries are represented in Chicago, among them: Bosnia and Herzegovina (consulate general), Brazil (consulate general), Bulgaria (consulate general), Canada (consulate general), Chile (consulate general), China (consulate general), Colombia (consulate general), Costa Rica (consulate), Costa Rica (honorary), Croatia (consulate general), Cyprus (honorary), Czech Republic (consulate general), Denmark (consulate general), Dominican Republic (consulate general), Ecuador (consulate general), Egypt (consulate general), El Salvador (consulate general), Estonia (honorary), Finland (honorary), France (consulate general). The full list of all 58 missions is on the overview page for the United States.

Closing days

Honorary consuls set their own office hours; the honorary consulate is usually closed on US federal holidays, whose dates are published by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and may also close on public holidays of the Bahamas.

Emergency assistance

In an emergency, Bahamian citizens in the consular district can call the honorary consul on +1 312-214-7677. In the United States, dial 911 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police (GOV.UK travel advice). US citizens who need consular help in the Bahamas can contact the U.S. Embassy in Nassau.

Diplomatic missions of the Bahamas in the United States

The Bahamas in the United States

Measured in a straight line from Chicago, the nearest other Bahamian office is the Honorary Consulate (Michigan) in Detroit (about 380 km). The nearest embassy or career consulate is the Consulate General (Georgia) in Atlanta (about 950 km). Distances in brackets are straight-line distances from Chicago.

• Washington, D.C. (960 km) – Embassy of the Bahamas in the United States
• Atlanta (950 km) – Consulate General (Georgia)
• Los Angeles – Consulate General (California)
• Miami (1,920 km) – Consulate General (Florida)
• New York (1,140 km) – Consulate General (New York)
• Washington (960 km) – Consulate General (District of Columbia)
• Chicago – Honorary Consulate (this page)
• Denver (1,480 km) – Honorary Consulate (Colorado)
• Detroit (380 km) – Honorary Consulate (Michigan)
• Houston (1,520 km) – Honorary Consulate (Texas)
• Minneapolis (570 km) – Honorary Consulate (Minnesota)