Welcome Stamp visa

You do not need to apply for the Welcome Stamp visa if you are only in Barbados for a few months during the year as long as the remote work you are undertaking for your overseas employer or client is incidental to your holiday in Barbados and not the main purpose of your visit.

You can apply for the Welcome Stamp whilst you are in Barbados. This gives you the opportunity to visit the Island first to make sure it’s right for you.

Remember, having a vacation in a country is not the same as living in a country. Moving to a new country is a big decision – take your time.

Persons on the Welcome Stamp are not required to furnish a return ticket on arrival in Barbados.

No, persons on the Welcome Stamp visa programme are only permitted to work remotely in Barbados for an overseas business.

For the avoidance of doubt, if your employer is the owner of an overseas business who lawfully works remotely in Barbados under the Welcome Stamp visa programme, this is not treated as working for an employer based in Barbados.

There is a pathway to permanent residency under Section 5(2) of the Immigration Act, Cap. 190 if you have resided in Barbados as an immigrant for at least five (5) years.

When you arrive at immigration control, you need to join the visitor queue. You do not need to show your visa: it is electronically linked to your passport. If you are asked how long you intend to stay in Barbados, you just need to inform the officer that you are on the Welcome Stamp visa.

Persons on the Welcome Stamp visa may submit a request to the Barbados Revenue Authority for a local Tax Identification Number (TIN) via the TAMIS online platform.

Due to the novel nature of the visa programme, not all administrators within the Barbados Revenue Authority understand the reasons for such persons to require a local TIN, given their exemption from local income tax. You may need to explain to the administrator who reviews your application that your overseas bank requires this information for tax compliance purposes.

All persons travelling to Barbados are required to complete the online Immigration and Customs Form at travelform.gov.bb no sooner than 72 hours before their arrival.

If you are experiencing any difficulties or do not wish to use the online system, you will be directed to complete the Immigration and Customs Form at the immigration kiosks on arrival in Barbados.

No, all remaining travel protocols were discontinued on September 23rd, 2022.

People in Barbados are not as tolerant towards homosexuality, but attitudes are slowly changing. You may wish to avoid showing public displays of affection as it may trigger inappropriate remarks from others.

Barbados is heavily dependent on tourism and most same-sex couples have no issues with hotels and other businesses that primarily serve tourists. Many same-sex couples are regular visitors to Barbados.

Generally speaking, it is always a good time to visit the Island.

There are two distinct seasons in Barbados – a dry season and a wet season. You will struggle to find a day where it is not sunny, even after heavy downpours or during the odd day when it is overcast.

While it still rains during the dry season, it does not rain as much or as often as it does during the wet season. The weather is generally more predictable during the dry season.

The temperature varies only slightly throughout the year but the difference is very noticeable between the two seasons because it is less humid during the dry season.

If you are a budget-conscious traveller, you may find the best rates during the wet season – also known as the hurricane season – which runs from July to October.

You may struggle to find affordable short-term rentals between December and April, which are often the busiest months for tourism in Barbados.

Barbados often experiences tropical depressions ^[1] during the hurricane season, but is rarely impacted by a hurricane-strength tropical cyclone because the island is outside the principle hurricane belt.

The most recent tropical cyclones to impact Barbados at hurricane-strength was Hurricane Janet in 1955 and Hurricane Elsa in 2021.

^{[1] A tropical depression is a 'tropical cyclone' that has maximum sustained surface winds (one-minute average) of 38 mph or less.}

You must obtain an Import Permit from the Veterinary Services Department.

Your dog or cat must be permanently identified with a microchip, and be vaccinated against rabies after the microchip has been implanted. If your dog or cat was vaccinated before being fitted with a microchip, it must be vaccinated again. Your dog or cat must be vaccinated against rabies for at least thirty five (35) days before being eligible to enter Barbados.

Within thirty (30) days prior to travel, your dog must be tested for heartworm disease, unless your dog is less than six (6) months old.

Within seven (7) days prior to travel, your dog or cat must be treated against ticks and tapeworms, and undergo a veterinary examination and be issued with an Official Export Health Certificate endorsed and stamped by an official government veterinarian of the country of origin.

Please do not take the foregoing information as a complete description of the requirements to import dogs or cats. The Barbados government strictly enforce rules on the importation of pets; failure to comply is a serious offence.

You should read this guidance from the Barbados Government Information Service.

If you are importing a pet from the UK, please also read this guidance.

If you are importing a pet from Canada, please also read this guidance.

If you are importing a pet from the USA, please also read this guidance.

It is always warm in Barbados even during the winter months so you should bring a good variety of summer garments with you. It is common to see Barbadians wearing sandals (also known as flip-flops or thongs).

Any garment deemed acceptable in most western countries is likely to be acceptable in Barbados, but there are some exceptions. For example, it is against the law to wear camoflauge clothing (i.e. any garments bearing text, colours, patterns or designs associated with the military).

Please note a dress code usually applies when conducting official business. You should bring long pants (trousers) and sleeved tee-shirts if you think you'll need to enter a government building (e.g. Immigration Department). Some high-end restaurants and night clubs also enforce a similar dress code.

Avoid entering supermarkets or convenience stores either bare-chested (shirtless) or wearing minimal beach attire. You will be asked to leave the premises if you enter without wearing a shirt or vest.

Yes, the water supply is safe and refreshing to drink.

Barbados is a limestone island. Most of the water supply is pumped from wells within natural coral aquifers, which is then treated with chlorine to comply with World Health Organisation standards.

You should direct your question to the Immigration Department.

The visa fee is non-refundable. However, you are not required to pay the visa fee unless your application is approved.

Same-sex marriage and civil partnerships are not recognised under Barbados law, but the Minister responsible for Immigration will recognise same-sex relationships for the purposes of identifying a spouse or partner accompanying an applicant under the Welcome Stamp visa programme.

Persons on the Welcome Stamp visa must earn at least BBD $100,000 a year, in equivalent foreign currency. ^[1]

Applicants are not usually asked to provide evidence as it relates to income. However, applicants must certify on their application that they expect to earn at least USD $50,000 a year and/or have the means to support themselves and their accompanying partner and dependants during their stay in Barbados.

^{[1] Pursuant to Section 3(b)(i) of the Remote Employment Act, 2020.}

You do not need a Welcome Stamp visa to incorporate a company in Barbados. However, a foreign national cannot work for any company in Barbados, even if its their own, without a valid work permit unless that person—

• is an immigrant;
• is a permanent resident;
• has been granted a Reside and Work permit;
• is a CARICOM Skilled National under Article 46 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas; or
• is a CARICOM national having been granted a Right of Establishment under Article 32 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

If you want to work for your own Barbados-registered company, the Welcome Stamp visa is not relevant, even if your company trades with, or offers services exclusively to, persons overseas. Please contact Invest Barbados for advice.

Persons residing in Barbados on the Welcome Stamp are required to have adequate health insurance. ^[1]

If you are unable to find appropriate health insurance in your home country, you can enter Barbados on the Welcome Stamp but you will be required to aquire local health insurance as soon as possible after your arrival.

^{[1] Pursuant to Section 3(c) of the Remote Employment Act, 2020.}

Persons residing in Barbados on the Welcome Stamp visa are treated as non-resident for income tax purposes. This is intended to prevent double taxation that might otherwise occur if such income were taxed in Barbados. It is not designed to extinguish income tax obligations outside Barbados. In case of any doubt, please seek legal advice from a chartered accountant or qualified tax advisor.

Any person meeting the standard requirements can apply for the visa regardless of their nationality.