A Step by Step Guide to Moving to Barbados

UPDATE:

See current travel protocols here as they change every 2 weeks or so.

DO NOT use at home tests as recommended below. The Barbados government has clarified that these do not count and have partnered with this lab company for testing. Use that. Anecdotally, 50% of my group got through using at home tests. I was in the 50% that got to wait at the airport until 3am.

Everything You Need to Plan and Book Your Trip in Three Hours or Less

In early July, the Barbadian government announced the creation of a 1 year (renewable) remote work visa and set off a rush of interest in moving to the most stable and wealthy island in the Caribbean. A small group of colleagues, friends, and I decided to make the move, so I put together the step by step guide to help others avoid the pitfalls we experienced (like having to rebook our flights three times). I’ll address why we’re doing this in a separate post. This guide is targeted predominately at US individuals and folks traveling from other Covid high-risk countries (as defined by the Barbadian government). Following this plan will get you to Barbados and allow you to evaluate living there longer-term.

The main logistical hurdles we’ll be working with/around are:

  1. Limited flights from the US to Bridgetown/Grantley Adams Airport (BGI)
  2. Booking accommodations with amenities like A/C and strong WiFi that are also within walking distance of the beach
  3. Extremely tight Covid-19 travel protocols that require:
    1. PCR test results within 72 hours of landing at BGI
    2. Mandatory five to seven day quarantine at one of a few government-mandated hotels
  4. Deciding whether or not you plan to stay in Barbados and, if so, getting the Welcome Stamp Visa

If you follow the steps below, you should be able to plan your move to Barbados in less than three hours. 

Flights

Flights Before September 10th, 2020

Currently the only direct flight from the US is a Jetblue flight leaving JFK at 8am, so no matter where you try to book your flight from in the US, you’ll need to go through JFK.  If you can’t get to JFK by 8 AM eastern time, you’ll need to plan to stay overnight and fly out the following morning. To save yourself more transit headaches and Covid-19 exposure, I recommend you stay at the amazing in-airport lodging, the TWA Hotel. Right now, for some reason, when you try to book a flight directly from where you are to Barbados, the flight remains the same (a layover at JFK) but is much more expensive, so my suggestion is to book your flights as two separate legs: one flight to JFK, and another flight from JFK to Barbados.  Once you land in Barbados, you’ll need to show proof of return travel plans (such as receipts for tickets from Barbados back to the US). I suggest booking a flight back to the US that is changeable or cancellable, should you get to the island and need/want to return at a different time than planned. All US airlines follow a rule that flights cancelled within 24 hours of booking are refunded at full cost and many US airlines have expressed increased flexibility due to Covid-19.

Booking links:

Additional Flights After September 10th, 2020

After September 10th, American Airlines is adding a daily flight leaving Miami at 11 AM eastern time. If you can make it to Miami by that time, this is a great option. I don’t recommend overnighting in Miami given added risk of exposure to Covid-19, but I included a link to the in-airport hotel below for folks who may need to stay in Miami overnight. Although getting to Miami by 11 AM may be quite tricky from many major American cities, this route is affordable and does not need to be booked as two separate legs. 

Booking links:

Getting a Covid-19 Test within 72 hours of Arrival

With in-person Covid test results taking up to a week to process in many parts of the US, it’s a better idea to take an at-home test and then ship the test to a professional lab that isn’t swamped. Given the difficulty of knowing the future, it’s a good idea to order at-home Covid-19 tests (two per person, the necessity of which I will explain further) as soon as possible so you have the tests on hand when you need to use them. I’ve used these services before and gotten results within 72 hours of shipping the test back. My results were posted on the day the swab was received by the lab (three days after I shipped the test). It’s important to note that  the 72 hour window starts when you receive your results, not when you do the initial swab.
Because test processing is so unpredictable, I recommend taking two tests. Take and ship the first test seven days before landing in Barbados. Take and ship the second test about three days before landing in Barbados. Depending on the capacity of the lab, one of these two tests should deliver results within your desired 72 hour window. I recommended ordering 1 test from each of the companies below:

Pixel by LabCorp $119 Nasal swab. LabCorp is huge and processes tests seven days a week. 
Picture by Fulgent Genetics $119 Nasal swab. May provide faster turn-around on test results.

Picture provides this very helpful timing chart to help you time this correctly. 

 

Verification that Fulgent is CAP Accredited as required by the Barbadian government can be seen in their Accreditation Document. Meanwhile, Labcorp provides the CAP number of each lab individually.

That being said, if you do not have negative test results in hand on arrival, Covid tests are also performed in the Barbadian airport. You can trade all of the above hassle and expense for the hassle of waiting between two and twelve hours (reported from Twitter) in the airport while your test processes, but I would recommend playing it safe and arriving with results for a quicker and smoother transition.

Quarantine Accommodations

Following airport testing or verification of prior results, you will be transported to your choice of officially selected quarantine hotel. (The government is now approving private villas for quarantining on an individual basis, but I think that’s a bad ideas, so won’t provide instructions.) Only a specific handful of spaces are labeled as eligible quarantine hotels by the Barbadian government and all have been listed below. You will be required to stay IN YOUR ROOM for five to seven days if you then take a second test and test negative. You also have the option of being quarantined for 14 days. Given that restriction, you will want to think carefully about which accommodation you choose. Depending on your price point and tendency towards claustrophobia, I strongly recommend the Crane Resort. This is a less economical option, but offers a number of quarantine-friendly amenities such as private outdoor spaces and pools. If travelling with a larger group, the cost of splitting a suite is much more reasonable. 

The approved quarantine hotels are:

Month One Accommodations

When choosing a home, you’ll want to focus on essential features like WiFi and air conditioning to maintain comfort and productivity (should you be working remotely). After ensuring any given house meets those requirements,, it’s really up to you to decide which part of the island to live in. My recommendation is the west and southwest areas of the island, which are closer to major urban infrastructure. Below, I’ve filtered AirBnb searches to include A/C and WiFi and then sorted them by number of bedrooms and bathrooms. I’ve also specified locations close to the beachfront. Proximity to the beach will come with an extreme premium but will be worth it to some. Conservatively, you’ll want to book the Airbnb for seven days AFTER you land at BGI (since you’ll need to quarantine in a hotel for five to seven upon landing). I’m recommending that you use Airbnb for the initial month on the island while you get a lay of the land; if you’re interested in staying longer, you can use this first month to visit longer-term accommodations in person. 

Booking links:

Normal

Beachfront 

Month Two and Beyond Accommodations 

During your first month on the island, I recommend connecting with a real estate agent to find something more permanent. Most long-term rentals will want a twelve month lease, but in my experience, many will quickly negotiate down to a six month lease. You can also try your hand at finding rentals on the internet and doing the legwork yourself. If you prefer to conduct the search yourself, I’ve included the most popular local rental site below. 

Real Estate Agents

Local Rental Site

 

 

Andrew Approved Houses

house/link Bed/Bath Price A/C AND WiFi notes
Sunset Crest – Cordia 161 3/3 $2500 Yes Pool
Turtle Watch 2 4/4.5 $3500 Yes Beachfront
Lime Yard 5/4.5 $2750 Sort of. A/C in master bedroom only, probably deal breaker Modern and lots of officing space and pool, but far from beach (10 min drive)
Battaleys Mews 3/3 $2750 Yes Community pool, very close to beach
Yam house 4/3.5 $2750 Yes Pool shared by 3 villas, 10 min walk to beach

Immigration Forms

Within 72 hours of your arrival in Barbados, you must fill out these customs and immigration forms online. Each unrelated individual travelling in a group must fill out a form. Spouses and/or children under 18 may use one form. It asks all the normal questions: flight number, passport information, where you will be staying, as well as some health related questions. It is recommended that you fill it out at least 24 hours prior to your arrival. 

Visas

In the beginning months of your stay, you won’t need to worry about obtaining a visa. Your tourist visa (automatically granted to US citizens) is good for six months. If you plan to stay in Barbados beyond six months, you should apply for the newly created Barbados Welcome Stamp. This visa will allow you to work remotely in Barbados for one year (renewable indefinitely) and allow any children to attend school for a small fee. The only real requirement is that your household income is above $50,000/year. 

  • Welcome Stamp for an individual $2,000
  • Welcome Stamp for a family $3,000

Forms needed to submit the application:

  1. Passport sized photograph of thePrincipal Applicant and all other members of the Family Group over the age of 18 (if applicable)
  2. Bio data page of passport for thePrincipal Applicant and all other members the Family Group (if applicable)
  3. Birth certificate of the Principal Applicant and all other members of the Family Group (if applicable)
  4. Proof of relationship of Principal Applicant to all other members of the Family Group (Birth, adoption documents, marriage certificate and any other documents)
Office Space

If you decide that you need office space outside of your house, there is one short-term office rental space on the island. Regus rents private offices starting at $440/month. 

Conclusion

Getting to Barbados is a bit of a hassle and expense. However, the opportunity for US citizens to live and work in a Covid-19 free environment is unsurpassed. I hope that this guide helps make your journey seamless and removes many of the missteps I made from your path. Please see the contact page if you have questions, I may have the answer.

I wish you way more than luck. 

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