International moving companies: Everything you need to know
If you have used our moving overseas checklist, you know there are numerous tasks to deal with when planning your move. And, one of the key tasks on t
Barbados citizenship, passport, residency, and visas.
Barbados citizenship and residency gives you access to a dreamed of tropical island life. We explore what makes a move to Barbados an appealing home abroad. We’ll look at Barbados visas, residence permits, work permits, and residency by investment programs. There is a range of options that will allow you to live and work in this island paradise. Finally, we’ll have a look at pathways to Barbados nationality and passport.
Life in Barbados
Barbados is a small island that has worked its way up from a low-income country to a middle-income economy. The country has one of the highest per capita incomes in the Caribbean.
Barbados cost of living has remained cheaper than similar Caribbean nations. This island is not only for the rich. Barbados is the third most developed country in its region, and the literacy rate is the third highest in the world. The island’s economy is mainly built on tourism and offshore banking, creating plenty of exciting career opportunities in those fields.
Access to employment has made Barbados citizenship and Barbados residency more attractive. However, although migration is slowly increasing, immigrants to Barbados still only make up a small minority of the population.
Visiting festivals and markets are always popular activities. Barbados locals and visitors alike love getting outdoors and enjoying fishing, surfing, diving and lying on the beach. Barbados is great for golf too. There are several world-class golf courses on the island from which to choose. And, tasting fantastic street food and rum is also a perfect way to discover and experience what it is like to live in Barbados. But there are also plenty of fine dining options and spas to relax in to return to a papered life whenever you want. Moving to Barbados doesn’t mean you have to miss out on anything. And, it does add a hefty dose of sunshine to your daily life.
Barbados visas, residency permits and work permits
A Barbados tourist visa is issued for either 3 or 6 months. You may need to apply for the visa before travelling to Barbados. To see if you need a Barbados tourist visa, please use the Visa HQ tool to the right. You’ll need a passport that is valid for the duration of your trip and a return ticket home.
Barbados Student Visa
You can get a student visa to cover the duration of any approved study course. You’ll need a letter from the school and to show you have enough money to cover your living expenses. There are restrictions on any paid work.
Barbados Residency through your Family
If your spouse is a citizen or permanent resident of Barbados, you are eligible for residency. If your spouse is a citizen, you can apply for citizenship after being resident in Barbados for seven years. Please note that Barbados must legally recognise your spouse.
If your child is a citizen or permanent resident of Barbados, you may apply for a parent residency visa.
Barbados Person of Independent Means Residency Visa
You can apply for Barbados residency if you can prove that you will not be a burden to the country. The Barbados immigration department does not publish an exact figure for precisely what this entails. Using a qualified and trusted local immigration lawyer would make this application much more straightforward. There are two options. You can prove that you have income from sources outside Barbados (this is a de facto Retirement Visa). Alternatively, you can show that you will invest a significant amount into the Barbados economy by starting a business.
For other Passive Income visa programs around the world, see our article here.
To find out if Retiring Abroad is for you, please see our article here.
Barbados Work Permit
All immigrants who want to work in Barbados need to register with the immigration department before they start working. There is a short-term work permit that is valid for up to eleven months. For a more extended stay on the island, you require a long-term work permit which is valid for a maximum period of three years.
You’ll need to pay an application fee of $150 and to submit several documents with the application.
A medical check is required, a police certificate of character, and proof of any qualifications. Finally, you need a detailed cover letter explaining the nature of the employment or business and the duration of the work.
The application for the work permit must be made by the local Barbados employer, not by you. An exception is if you own the company. In this case, you can apply for your work permit.
Keep up to date with Barbados immigration law
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The advantages of Barbados citizenship and passport
Barbados Citizenship has many benefits, not least a Barbados passport. The passport was ranked 24th most powerful in the world, with visa-free access to 160 countries globally.
What makes a powerful passport? See our article here for all the things you should consider.
Barbados nationality law allows you to have dual citizenships. This law means you can take on Barbados nationality without giving up your old citizenships. You will need to ensure that your old nationalities allow dual and multiple citizenships.
If you are a Barbados national and you return to Barbados after living abroad, there are tax and duty benefits. The government grants these concessions on things like motor vehicles and personal household effects. Think of it as a welcome home from the government!
Citizenship through your family ancestry
If you were born in Barbados, you are most likely a citizen of Barbados.
The is a different requirement for those born after when you were born after 29th November 1966 when Barbados became independent. For those born after this date the following rules apply. If your mother was born in Barbados and was a citizen of Barbados, you are probably also a citizen of Barbados. If your father was a citizen of Barbados, you are probably also a citizen of Barbados.
Citizenship through marriage
If your spouse is a citizen or permanent resident of Barbados, you are eligible for residency. If your spouse is a citizen, you can apply for citizenship after being resident in Barbados for seven years. Please note that Barbados must legally recognise your spouse and marriage.
Citizenship through residency and naturalisation
After seven years of legally living in Barbados, you can apply for Barbados citizenship through naturalisation.
Barbados Residency by investment
The Barbados residency by investment program is known as the Special Entry and Residency Permit (SERP). The SERP is aimed at high net-worth individuals (HNWI).
If you are a person of independent means and you are investing in a business in Barbados, you can apply for Barbados residency.
The minimum investment needs to be USD2,000,000 from funds outside of Barbados. There is a range of acceptable investment classes. These include real estate, tourism infrastructure, Barbados registered businesses and financial instruments.
You need to show that the business will benefit the local economy and will employ Barbados nationals.
There are two categories for the duration of the visa.
The first if for individuals with a net worth of more than USD5,000,000 globally. If you’re under 60, you get a visa until 60 which is then renewable indefinitely. If you are over 60, you get permanent residency.
The second category is a five-year renewable visa.
The SERP is not a work permit, which you must apply for separately. In practice, a work permit will be easy to obtain for anyone in the SERP program.
After seven years of residency, you can apply for Barbados citizenship and a Barbados passport.
To explore Residency by Investment and Citizenship by Investment opportunities around the world see our article here.
Do you have experience moving to Barbados? We’d love to hear from you about why you chose to move to Barbados and the pros and cons of living and working in Barbados. We’d be very interested in your experience with Barbados visas and residency permits, Barbados citizenship, Barbados nationality, and Barbados passports. Please contact us to share your Expat story here.
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