The Ministry of Health and Wellness has announced that effective August 20, 2022, unvaccinated travellers will no longer be subject to a rapid antigen test at the airport on arrival in Barbados.

However, unvaccinated travellers are still required to take a COVID-19 test prior to arrival, which must be a rapid antigen or PCR test taken within three (3) days prior to arrival. The test result must be negative.

Persons who are fully vaccinated are not required to take a pre-arrival COVID-19 test.

For more information, please read the Barbados Travel Protocols.

The Minister responsible for Energy and Business, under the powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Miscellaneous Controls Act, Cap. 329, has reduced the retail price of gasoline (petrol) to BDS $4.39 per litre, and the retail price of diesel to BDS $3.85 per litre.

These price adjustments are effective from Friday, August 19th, 2022.

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 73.

The Minister responsible for Energy and Business, under the powers conferred on him by Section 3 of the Miscellaneous Controls Act, Cap. 329, has increased the retail price of gasoline (petrol) to BDS $4.83 per litre, and the retail price of diesel to BDS $4.28 per litre.

These price adjustments are effective from Monday, August 8th, 2022.

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 69.

Please be advised there are two upcoming bank holidays, during which many businesses will be closed:

Kadooment Day on the 1st August, 2022.

Emancipation Day on the 2nd August, 2022.

You may have heard about the Pandemic Contribution Levy that applies to persons earning BDS $6,250 or more per month. The levy, at a rate of 1%, is imposed from April 1st, 2022 until March 31st, 2023.

However, persons on the Welcome Stamp are exempt from the levy as per Policy Note 002/2022 and the upcoming Pandemic Contribution Levy Act, if passed, will put this exemption on a statutory footing.

Furthermore, the upcoming Act also proposes to exempt a qualified person who has been granted a foreign currency permit under the Foreign Currency Permits Act, 2018.

We would like to remind visitors and residents that hurricane season officially starts today, June 1st, and runs through to November 30th. While the likelihood of a hurricane directly impacting Barbados is low, it always remains a possibility each year.

Last year, Barbados was directly hit by a category 1 tropical cyclone, known as Hurricane Elsa. A few weeks before, a sudden 'freak storm' caused damage to dozens of homes across Barbados.

Please make sure you are prepared for the hurricane season. Familiarise yourself with the Emergency Shelters List for 2022, published by the Department of Emergency Management.

Make sure you have adequate supplies, including non-perishable foodstuffs and potable water that will last you and your family for a minimum of two (2) weeks. See page 26 of the shelters list for a detailed list of supplies you should have as part of your Disaster Emergency Kit.

In addition to hurricane preparedness, you should also be mindful that Barbados lies within an area of relatively high earthquake activity and therefore can be impacted by tsunamis at any time during the year. Always obey the 'natural signs', that is to say:

The Government of Barbados has announced that effective Wednesday, 25th May 2022, wearing a face mask outdoors will no longer be compulsory. Going forward, wearing a face mask will only be required in public buildings (e.g. supermarkets, offices and other business locations) and on public transport.

Attorney General, Dale Marshall, explains that "public buildings" also includes structures such as tents which are "substantially enclosed".

For more information, please read S.I. 2022 No. 43.

Update: From December 22nd, 2022, wearing a face mask is no longer required as a matter of law. For more information, please read our blog post.

Effective Wednesday, June 1st, 2022, persons who are not vaccinated will no longer be required to quarantine on arrival in Barbados. Furthermore, the allowed timeframe for a pre-departure rapid PCR or rapid antigen test for unvaccinated travellers will be increased to three (3) days.

This means if an unvaccinated person arrives in Barbados on Friday, they may have their pre-arrival rapid antigen test on Tuesday of that week. However, all unvaccinated travellers will be required upon arrival to take a rapid antigen test at the airport.

For more information, please read the Barbados Travel Protocols.

Effective Wednesday, May 25th, 2022, persons who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to furnish proof of a pre-arrival COVID-19 test. However, unvaccinated travellers will still be required to have a COVID-19 test prior to their arrival in Barbados.

Who is deemed fully vaccinated?‍

This refers to persons who have completed a full regimen of vaccines for any of the Ministry of Health and Wellness approved COVID-19 vaccines, for 14 days or more, prior to arrival in Barbados.

For more information, please read the Barbados Travel Protocols.