Barbados Digital Nomad Visa: Welcome Stamp Requirements

Located in the Caribbean, Barbados has an ideal climate for those who enjoy spending time in the sun and want to escape cold winters, and if you're anything like me, you'll do anything to escape the cold. There’s plenty of spaces for shopping and eating, and The Gap (one of the main nightlife areas in Barbados) is located here. Now it's easier than ever to work and live in paradise! All you need is the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa. This visa is also known as the Barbados Welcome Stamp but in this post I'll refer to it as the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa.

I'll help you with everything you need to know:

• What Is A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• Who Can Apply For A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• What Are The Requirements For The Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• What Are The Required Documents For A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• What Is A Prerequisite Entry Visa For Barbados?
• How Much Does A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa Cost?
• How Can I Apply For A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• How Long Does It Take To Process A Barbados Digital Nomad Visa?
• What Is The Cost Of Living In Barbados?

The Caribbean Island nation of Barbados was quick to realize how Digital Nomads or remote workers could help its economy recover from the devastating slump in tourism that followed the Coronavirus pandemic. So on 18 July 2020, it launched its brand new Remote Work visa called the Barbados Welcome Stamp. It was the first Caribbean country to offer a Digital Nomad Visa but was quickly followed by Bermuda.

This 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp visa allows digital nomads and home working (remote work) professionals to stay and work on this beautiful island. You can work and stay in Barbados for one year with the Digital Nomad Visa, and you can renew your visa. If you're interested in moving with your family (dependents), you can apply for this visa, but you must pay a higher fee to cover the whole family. If they approve the application, your family can move to the country with you under the same conditions as your visa. Any dependent children you have will be able to attend schools while staying in the country under this visa, although some fees may be involved, depending on the school.

It doesn’t matter if you've been a digital nomad for some time, if you're a business owner looking to take a vacation while still taking care of your business, or if you're a remote worker, you can still apply for this visa.

As with every Digital Nomad Visa, you must meet specific requirements to be eligible to apply. Luckily, the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa doesn’t have many requirements.

To be eligible for the Barbados digital nomad visa, you must meet the following requirements:

• Valid Passport
• Proof Of Remote Work
• Earn Annual Income Requirements
• Health Insurance Coverage In Barbados
• Proof Of Family Status

If you meet all these requirements, you can start applying for the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa.

Valid passport

You must have a valid passport for the duration of your visa. If your passport is not valid for your stay in Barbados, you need to renew your passport.

Proof Of Remote Work

You must either work as an employee for a company outside of Barbados, be a freelancer with clients outside of Barbados, or own a business established outside Barbados (self-employed).

Earn Annual Income Requirements

You must meet the annual income requirements and earn this amount remotely. The annual income requirements are USD 50 000

Health Insurance Coverage In Barbados

You must have private medical insurance/healthcare that will cover you while you live and work in Barbados.

Proof Of Family Status

If you intend to bring your spouse or dependent children, you must prove their relationship to you (marriage certificate or birth certificate).

The documentation required is simple in most cases and consists of documents you're likely to have already. You'll need the following travel documents when applying for the 12 Month Barbados Welcome Stamp visa:

• Biodata page of your valid passport.
• A passport-sized photograph.
• Your birth certificate.
• If you have your partner or children with you, you need to provide proof of relationship or dependent children's birth certificates.
• Prerequisite entry visa if not from an exempted country.

You need to attach these documents to your online application form, so make sure these documents are in digital format.

If you're not from a visa-exempt country, you need to apply for a Prerequisite Entry Visa (entry visa). This entry visa does not allow you entry into Barbados, only the Immigration officer at your port of entry can permit you.

For more information about the requirements and the required documents, you can go to the Barbados Immigration Department website. They provide all the information you'll need. The website information will look something like this:

The only thing that could make the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa even better is if it was free to apply for, which unfortunately is not the case.

This visa has a price rarely seen with other visas:

• If you're by yourself, the visa fee is USD 2000.
• If you're applying with your family, the visa fee is USD 3000, which covers everyone’s visa.

While the price is high, the good news is that you only have to pay this fee when they approve your visa. That’s right! If they deny you, you won't have to pay a penny for the Barbados Digital Nomad Visa application process.

I know the application process for any visa can cause us to put our hands in our hair, but you can follow my step-by-step guide to apply to make this process less stressful for you.

Step1: Access the website

First, you need to access the Barbados Welcome Stamp website to apply. The application form will be the first thing you see when accessing the website. Next, click new visa or renew your visa if you already have one.

Step2: Complete the application form

Next, you need to provide all the necessary information. This information includes your name, gender, country of birth, income declaration, email address, and marital or relationship status.

Step3: Fill out the rest of the application form

Next, you need to provide more information. You need to provide information like your permanent address, telephone number, and passport number.

Step4: Dependents information

For this part, you need to provide all your dependents (partner, children, parents) information if someone is traveling with you. In addition, you need to provide information like their name, passport number, and whether or not they'll be attending school. If you have more than one person traveling with you, you can add another dependent at the bottom of the page.

Step5: Upload required documents

The last part of your visa application process is to upload all your required travel documents. You need to provide documents like a passport size photograph and biodata of your passport. If you have dependents, you also need to upload their documents. Then you can submit your application.

After submitting your application, you’ll receive an answer from the government on whether you were approved or not. They'll let you know via email. You then need to print out your visa for immigration officials at entry.

They'll process your online application within 48 hours of receiving it, and they'll confirm or deny your visa within 5 business days. After getting your long-term visa, you have 12 months to activate it upon arrival. You can stay in Barbados from the day it is activated for 12 months.

One-bedroom apartments cost USD 1000 a month and can be even cheaper if you commit to a longer 12-month term. Food is expensive and so are a lot of other goods due to high taxes on imports. One thing that is free though is the magnificent beaches.

That's all!

Now you have everything you need to work and live in Barbados. Enjoy all the local cafes and several public spaces across Bridgetown, which offer free public Wi-fi, just in case you get cooped up in your apartment.