Barbados

                                                                                                                            Page Updated  20  January 2026

Location and Origin of the Name

Barbados is a small  island country located in the Caribbean.  Its latitude and longitude  co-ordinates are 13.19 degrees north,  59.54 degrees west.  Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean islands.  Travelling southwest from the UK mainland towards the Caribbean,  Barbados would be the first island you'll come accross.  Barbados is 4hrs behind the UK.  The flight time between London and Bridgetown is roughly 8hrs 30mins  - LGW to BGI.  However, some flights between  LHR and BGI take  around 45mins longer.  

The original name was "Los Barbados",  meaning "The Bearded One",   given by the Portuguese because of the bearded fig trees on the island.  However, the "Los" was subsequently dropped and the island became known as "Barbados".

British Connection

Barbados  was a British colony until independence on 30 November 1966.  Barbados has a  parliamentary democracy as in the UK and it has enjoyed stability since independence - a rare achievement amongst the countries colonised by the British. 

Barbados has eleven "Parishes" which are local areas  similar to "Counties" or Boroughs" in England.  Barbados has no "city".   Barbados has  four towns - Bridgetown which is the capital, Oistins, Holetown and Speightown - and villages.  

Barbados is a developed country.  It has good infrastructure - road,  communication,  power and water supplies.  In addition, the education sytem and the health service  are  comparable to the UK - my opinion!  I think the Bajan government deserves an award for the way they managed the covid pandemic and for the innovative "welcome stamp". 

Republic of Barbados

Although Barbados became a "Republic"  on 30 November 2021,  there has been very little noticeable change  in the way the country is governed.  By the way,  our  late Queen  did not actually  rule Barbados,  she  was  Head of State, (figure head).   

The inaugural President of Barbados was  Dame Sandra Mason who was the Governor General. Her term ended in 2025. The current President is Lt Col Jeffery Davidson Bosic. Barbados remains a member of the Commonwealth.

The People

The nationals of Barbados are called "Barbadians" or "Bajans".  The majority of the population are black - descendants of black African slaves.  In addition,  Barbados has a sizeable number of white,  some asian and mixed race population.  Majority of Bajans are Christians.  English is the official language in Barbados.  The local currency is Barbadian Dollar (BBD or BB$).  Vehicles drive on the left as in the UK. 

Public  Transport

Buses only in Barbados .  Barbados has no railway or underground transport system.  There are three kinds of buses.  (1)  Government operated "Blue" buses,  and (2)   "Yellow" buses which are owned by private operators and (3)  "White" mini buses, aka "ZRs" which are also owned by private operators.  

Which ever bus you use,   the fare is the same. It is currently fixed at BBD3.50 per passenger, per journey.  Destinations are displayed and you can ask before boarding.  

There are no night buses.  Buses stop running  from about 10pm  depending on the route.  Always check with the bus operators regarding last journeys. 

If you are staying out late and you need a ride home,   it might be a good idea to pre-book a taxi and agree the fare.  You can obtain details of licensed taxis  from your hotel or from bars and restaurants.

Living in Barbados

Barbados is a great place to study, work, raise a family and to retire. It’s also a great place for vacation. The literacy and numeracy levels are quite high. Bajan people are not aggressive, they are considerate, friendly and peace loving - everyone seems happy with their lot. I find Bajan people pleasant, approachable, polite and respectful - my kind of people.  I dare say the mosquitoes are friendly too, they don’t bother me.  

If you’re visiting for the first time, it must be for a minimum of two weeks. I would wager that you will be back and you may want to stay. Before covid, I reviewed some hotels, restaurants and bars. However, since covid, a number of businesses have changed management, changed ownership or no longer exist. Good news, notwithstanding the unusual timing of Hurricane Beryl in 2024, things are picking up. Bajan people are resilient. I hope to publish a guide later in the year.

The Welcome Stamp

The Barbados Government announced the introduction of Welcome Stamp at the end of June 2020, it is ongoing.  

It is a visa to allow people to work remotely in Barbados for a maximum of 12 months at a time - you can reapply for further 12 months.

Welcome Stamp is available to anyone  who meets all visa and entry requirements for Barbados and whose work is location independent. 

You must make a minimum income of US$50k over the 12 month period you intend to have the Welcome Stamp.  You will not be liable to pay Barbados income tax, so you won't be subject to double taxation. However, like all visitors, you will have to pay VAT on goods and services.

Welcome Stamp is also available to Family Groups. 

The fee for an individual is US$2k and the fee for a Family Bundle is US$3k.

Free Movement of CARICOM Nationals

On 30 September 2025, the Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley announced the Enhanced Cooperation in Free Movement of Nationals of Four CARICOM Countries - Barbados, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize - from 1 October 2025.

• Free Movement with Right to live, i.e. indefinite stay in each others' Countries.

• Right to work without work permit in each others' Countries.

• Right to study on an indefinite basis in each others' Countries.

I consider the annoucement a significant development. Barbados is once again leading the way. I have no doubt more Countries will join. 

If you wish to live in Barbados, I would suggest that you contact the Barbados High Commission or Embassy in your home country to get an idea of what you need to do and the process to follow. 

The Beaches

The beaches are hard to beat. There are no private beaches in Barbados. All beaches are public and everyone has equal access and entitlement to enjoy. In Barbados, you don’t have vendors harassing you on the beaches. If you wish to buy anything, there are places on the beaches or near by where you can get them. Note that women are not allowed to go topless and there is no nudity. The beaches have places where people can shower, and separate Male and Female toilets. 

Entertainment

Almost every bar, restaurant and hotel has something going on in the evenings. Karaoke is still big in Barbados - I wish I could sing!  Also there are clubs where you can dance the night away till the wee hours of the morning. 

The main entertainment area is St Lawrence Gap,  from where most of the hotels are within walking distance. Barbados is not a sex resort. If you’re thinking of coming just for a massage, I’ll tell you now, there’ll be no happy ending. 

Oistins is where the action is on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s carnival without the processions. The whole family can attend and  join in the fun. You’ll meet people - locals and tourists,  and you get the chance to eat  different food. On stage you have a DJ, and/or a Singer, and/or a Live Band. It kicks off at about 7pm and finishes by 10:30pm. I will suggest that you start making your way home at around 10pm and if you don’t have far to go, you may get home quicker on foot as it’s always a roadblock.

Cost of Living

Barbados is not cheap. Tourism is the goose laying the golden egg. Just as in other countries, the government needs to collect taxes to pay for services it provides its people. Taxes are levied on goods and services,  and to keep out the riff-raffs, hence the high cost of living. 

How much living in Barbados costs depends on the kind of lifestyle you wish to live. The biggest cost would be for the roof over your head and the associated taxes and bills. You should have some ideas of the “numbers” during the initial stages of considering the type of accommodation you need and the level of comfort you want.

When it comes to grocery and everyday household items, the markets may offer cheaper options compared to the supermarkets. You will find buying in quantities better deal and cooking at home cheaper than eating out. Note that anything imported tends to cost more because of the taxes. 

Buses are the only mode of public transport. However, you can have your own vehicle or hire one. 

Barbados has a good health care service - non citizens have to pay. If you are not a citizen,  you should consider having a good health insurance to cover any health care costs should the need arises.