If you plan to rent a car for less than six months, we recommend Drive-a-Matic, who we have found to be consistently trustworthy and reliable. For car rentals in excess of six months, we recommend leasing a car from a company such as Inchcape Barbados, as it is usually much cheaper than renting.
Visitors may drive in Barbados on a foreign driving licence as long as it is valid for the class of vehicle being driven.
If you are familiar with Visitor Driving Permits, please note they have been abolished and are no longer required to drive in Barbados on a foreign licence.
CARICOM nationals from Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines exercising the freedom of movement are permitted to drive in Barbados using their foreign licence for up to 12 months from the date of their arrival, before they must exchange it for a local licence. [1]
You must pay a Vehicle Rental Levy to rent a vehicle in Barbados (maximum $35 per rental contract).
Fuel prices
All gas stations in Barbados charge the same rate because fuel prices are fixed by the government. See current gas prices.
Driving in Barbados
Remember to drive on the left side of the road.
Unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise, the speed limit on most roads is 60 km/h, except on the ABC Highway and Spring Garden Highway where the speed limit is 80 km/h. [2] However, the speed limit is lower in Bridgetown, at 40 km/h.
There are many roundabouts in Barbados. Unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise, the left lane is for turning left only.
Read more about what to expect driving in Barbados.
Parking your vehicle
In Barbados, it is customary to reverse into a parking space (i.e. have the vehicle facing forward), making it easier and safer to exit a parking space when you're leaving.
It is illegal to park a vehicle on a footpath (i.e. a pavement or sidewalk). [3]
[1] Section 6 of the Caribbean Community (Free Movement of Nationals) Act, 2025.
[2] Regulation 87(1), (2) and (4) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 1984 (as amended).
[1] Regulation 31(10) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 1984 (as amended).
Frequently asked questions
Visitor Driving Permits have been abolished effective October 15th, 2025 and are no longer required to drive in Barbados on a foreign licence.
CARICOM nationals from Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines exercising the freedom of movement are permitted to drive in Barbados using their foreign licence for up to 12 months from the date of their arrival, before they must exchange it for a local licence.
Renting a vehicle? Please note a Vehicle Rental Levy applies (maximum $35 per vehicle rental contract).
Fixed penalty notices need to be paid to the Clerk of the Magistrate's Court for the relevant district mentioned therein.
If the penalty notice states District A, you need to visit the Accounts Section of the Supreme Court, located at Whitepark Road in Bridgetown. When you arrive, follow signs for the Registration Offices.
If the penalty notices states District E (Holetown), the Accounts Section is located in the building next to the Holetown Police Station.
Vehicles that are 10 years of age or older must pass a roadworthy inspection to be bought, sold or insured. Inspections must be performed by an authorised garage, or the Vehicle Inspection Division of the Barbados Licensing Authority.
In addition to Value Added Tax (VAT) at 17.5%, a fuel tax is applied at a rate of $0.40 per litre for both gasoline and diesel, and an excise tax of $0.9939 per litre for gasoline, and $0.44027 per litre for diesel. The retail prices shown are inclusive of these taxes.
These taxes are applied pursuant to the Fuel Tax Act, 2018 and the Customs Tariff (Amendment) Order, 2019.
It very much depends on what you plan to do during your vacation. For the budget traveller, you may not need more than $100 per day, but many holidaymakers typically spend between $200 to $400 per day.
If you are bringing more than $10,000 in cash (or the equivalent in foreign currency), it must be declared on arrival.
Our currency is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed exchange rate, so most businesses in Barbados are usually willing to accept US dollar bills at an exchange rate of $2 = USD $1. For this reason, many holidaymakers choose to bring only US dollars. However, please note that Transport Board buses accept only Barbados Dollars.
If you are owed change after paying in US dollars, you are likely to be given back Barbados Dollars, because the US dollar is not legal tender in Barbados.
Note: There is an ATM after baggage reclaim at the airport if you would like to obtain local currency after your arrival. Most international Visa and Mastercard debit/credit cards are accepted. You may be charged a fee to withdraw money from international ATMs; check with your local bank for more information.
Persons who need to exchange Barbados Dollars for foreign currency must submit an application via FOREX Online, as the island's currency is subject to exchange controls. This also applies to visitors in Barbados that need to exchange their unused Barbadian currency into foreign currency before they return home.
On the application form, select the local bank branch from which you plan to obtain your foreign currency. Upon submission, the application will likely be sent directly to your selected commercial bank for approval, under delegated authority by the Central Bank of Barbados.
If your application is being reviewed by your commercial bank directly, you should visit your selected bank branch after you submit your application and speak to a teller to get your application approved.
The following hard currencies are typically available at local bank branches in Barbados: US dollars (USD), pound sterling (GBP), euros (EUR), and Eastern Caribbean Dollars (XCD).
Please note a statutory 2% Foreign Exchange Fee applies when exchanging Barbados Dollars for foreign currency. You may also be charged a fee by the commercial bank to complete the transaction.