Visitor visa

Yes, you may be denied entry if you do not furnish a valid return ticket on arrival.

Please note this does not apply to persons on the Welcome Stamp visa.

It is usually three months, but if you are not sure, please contact the Immigration Department after you arrive.

Please call the Barbados Light & Power Company at +1 (246) 626-9000.

If you are staying in a hotel or Airbnb, reach out to your reception team or host for general assistance.

In the event a power outage has created or is about to create a life threatening emergency, call the emergency services.

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.

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.

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.