Your first 90 days in Barbados: the arrival checklist
The visa got you in — this is what turns you into a functioning resident: the registration clock, the ID number everything else depends on, and the money, healthcare, and license steps in the order they actually unlock. Each step links the official source so you can verify the current rule.
Checked against official sources · September 2026 · how we verify
The catch that burns new arrivals
The Welcome Stamp does not create residence — it is a 12-month visa with no path attached, and time on it does not count toward immigrant status. People plan around it as though it were a first step toward staying; it is not, and the conversation to have before renewing is what the actual long-term route would be.
The checklist, in the order it unlocks
Activate the Welcome Stamp (12-month remote-work visa) or lodge an immigrant status / special entry permit file with the Immigration Department
The Welcome Stamp is granted before arrival and runs 12 months; other permits must be applied for before your entry stamp expires
The Welcome Stamp is the cleanest route Barbados offers: applied for online, decided in days rather than months, and explicitly exempting the holder from Barbados income tax on foreign earnings. It does not lead to permanent residence, which is a separate and much slower track.
Get your TIN (taxpayer identification number) from the Barbados Revenue Authority
Required for local employment, property transactions, and any Barbados-source income; Welcome Stamp holders earning only foreign income are outside the income-tax net.
Registered with the Barbados Revenue Authority; National Insurance registration through the NIS is separate and applies to locally employed people.
Open a bank account
Republic Bank, CIBC Caribbean and Scotiabank open accounts on the permit, references and proof of address. Welcome Stamp holders frequently skip local banking entirely and run on foreign accounts, which is legal and often simpler — Barbados has exchange-control rules that make a local account less useful than it looks for cross-border money.
Enrol in healthcare
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the polyclinic network provide public care, free at the point of use for residents; Welcome Stamp holders are required to hold their own health insurance and are not in the public entitlement. Sandy Crest and the private clinics handle most expatriate routine care.
Sort your driver's license
Visitors and short-term residents buy a visitor's driving permit on presentation of a valid foreign licence. Longer-term residents convert to a Barbadian licence through the Barbados Licensing Authority. Driving is on the left.
Deadlines and requirements vary by nationality, visa type, and region, and they change — this is information current as of 2026, not legal or immigration advice. Verify each step with the official source before you rely on it.
Moving to Barbados?
Add your email for new Barbados guides and a heads-up when the arrival rules or figures change. We never file anything ourselves.
Information only, not legal advice — we never file anything with any government. Requirements change; verify with the official source or a licensed immigration advisor before you apply.
First 90 days in Barbados: FAQ
What do I have to do first after arriving in Barbados?
Activate the Welcome Stamp (12-month remote-work visa) or lodge an immigrant status / special entry permit file with the Immigration Department — The Welcome Stamp is granted before arrival and runs 12 months; other permits must be applied for before your entry stamp expires. The Welcome Stamp is the cleanest route Barbados offers: applied for online, decided in days rather than months, and explicitly exempting the holder from Barbados income tax on foreign earnings. It does not lead to permanent residence, which is a separate and much slower track. Verify the current rule with the official source before you rely on it.
What is the TIN and do I need one?
TIN (taxpayer identification number) from the Barbados Revenue Authority is Barbados's personal tax/ID number. Required for local employment, property transactions, and any Barbados-source income; Welcome Stamp holders earning only foreign income are outside the income-tax net. Registered with the Barbados Revenue Authority; National Insurance registration through the NIS is separate and applies to locally employed people.
Can I drive in Barbados on a US license?
Visitors and short-term residents buy a visitor's driving permit on presentation of a valid foreign licence. Longer-term residents convert to a Barbadian licence through the Barbados Licensing Authority. Driving is on the left. Rules differ by nationality and change — check the official source before the window closes.
How do I get healthcare after moving to Barbados?
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the polyclinic network provide public care, free at the point of use for residents; Welcome Stamp holders are required to hold their own health insurance and are not in the public entitlement. Sandy Crest and the private clinics handle most expatriate routine care. See our healthcare-systems guide for how Barbados's system treats foreign residents.