Barbados Retirement Visa – Duration, Requirements and Application
Is it your dream to retire in the Caribbean? Have you wondered how pleasant life will be on an island full of beaches? Or are you looking for a lovely experience when you retire? Then, Barbados is the perfect island for you. You will, however, need a Barbados Retirement Visa.
Each island in the Caribbean has a unique experience for visitors. Thus, Barbados is a home away from home. There are a lot of activities to make your stay on this island memorable. Plus, you have a lot of food and drinks to enjoy in this Caribbean nation.
In this article, you will find that retiring in Barbados is the right choice. In addition, you will learn how to apply for a Barbados Retirement Visa. The eligibility and retirements, processing time and fees, and the validity period.
What is Barbados Retirement Visa
A Barbados Retirement Visa allows foreign nationals to live in Barbados after retirement. However, you must have enough money as your monthly pension to live in the country. The minimum amount for retirement in Barbados is USD 2,000. In addition, you must be ready to receive your pension money in a Barbadian bank or financial institution.
Who needs a Barbados Retirement Visa
All nationals of other countries who want to stay in Barbados must apply for a visa. However, some people can stay up to six months in Barbados without an entry permit. But then, they must have a valid passport.
Meanwhile, nationals of the following countries must obtain a Barbados visa before they visit Barbados Retirement Visa – Duration, Requirements and Application. They include:
- Afghanistan
- Democratic People’s Republic Of Korea
- Algeria
- Kuwait
- Andorra
- People’s Republic Of Laos
- Angola
- Lebanon
- Benin
- Libya
- Bhutan
- Macedonia
- Bolivia
- Madagascar
- Bosnia – Herzegovina
- Marshall Islands
- Cambodia
- Federated States Of Micronesia
- Cameroon
- Mongolia
- Cape Verde
- Montenegro
- The central African Republic
- Mozambique
- Chad
- Myanmar
- Comoros
- Namibia
- Congo
- Nauru
- Cook Islands
- Nepal
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Niger
- Djibouti
- Pakistan
- Dominican Republic
- Palau Islands
- Ecuador
- Papua New Guinea
- Egypt
- Paraguay
- Equatorial
- Guinea
- Sao Tome & Principe
- Eritrea
- Somalia
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
- Gabon
- Syria
- Guinea
- Taiwan
- Guinea-Bissau
- Togo
- Honduras
- United Arab Emirates
- Iran
- Iraq
- Yemen
Requirements for Barbados Retirement Visa
All applicants for a Barbados Retirement Visa must possess certain documents. Without these documents, they can not obtain a visa. Thus, you must have the following documents before you can get an entry permit to Barbados. They include:
#1. Application form for Barbados Retirement Visa
The number one document on your checklist is the application form for your retirement visa in Barnados. Thus, you must complete an application and submit it to a Barbadian embassy abroad. The application must contain the following information. They include:
- your name
- place of birth
- nationality
- country of residence
- the purpose of your travel
- the duration of your stay in Barbados
#2. Photo
You also need one photo. It must be a passport-size picture with more than 80% f your face visible.
#3. Copy of your passport page
Another document is a copy of your passport. All you need is a copy of the back cover and the biometric page. However, if the authorities demand the original travel document, you must provide it.
#4. Birth certificate
The Barbadian embassy processing your visa will ask for your birth certificate to provide a birth certificate if they need it for your visa application. So, you can bring it while submitting your documents to the embassy.
#5. Marriage certificate
In addition to the birth certificate, you will also need a marriage certificate if you are married.
#6. Cover letter
You also need a cover letter you will address to Chief Immigration Office. The content of the letter will include the following:
- return address
- phone number
- fax number
- email address
- the purpose of the visit,
- the proposed date of entry
- the duration of your stay.
#7. Proof of employment
You will present proof of your previous employment. You can use your employment contract, pay slip or any other official document as evidence of your job.
#8. Proof of payment for Barbados Retirement Visa
Another document you need for a Barbados Retirement visa is proof of payment. Without it, you can’t receive your entry permit to Barbados. So, you must send your receipt as a banker’s draft or money order to the Chief Immigration Officer as proof of payment for your visa through FedEx, DHL, or LIAT Quik Pak to Barbados Immigration Department, Wharf Road or Bridgetown. Don’t fail to add a prepaid flight bill for your passport return.
#9. Proof of sufficient financial means
You must provide a bank statement from the last six months as proof of financial means. You can also present your monthly pension fee as evidence of sufficient means to sustain your stay in Barbados.
#10. Proof of accommodation in Barbados
If you plan to visit Barbados for any reason, you provide proof of accommodation in the country. Therefore, you can present a hotel reservation or letter of invitation from a host in Barbados. Moreover, any other document can improvise as your evidence of accommodation in Barbados.
Steps to apply for Barbados Retirement Visa
Many applicants for a visa to Barbados find it difficult. So, they end up not obtaining an entry permit to the country. However, you are lucky because you have come to the right source for an application for a Barbados Retirement Visa.
The steps below are the simple ways you can follow to get your visa to Barbados within three weeks. They include:
#Step 1. Contact the nearest Barbados Tourism Authority
You must first contact the nearest Barbados Tourism Authority. Barbados does not have an embassy in many countries. It means that you can only obtain information about Barbados Retirement Visa from the Barbados Tourism Authority in your country of residence.
The Barbados Tourism Authority will provide the application form and requirements for your visa to Barbados.
#Step 2. Fill out an application form for Barbados Retirement Visa
After contacting the Barbados Tourism Authority, you will fill out the application form. You must provide the correct information in each space in the application form.
#Step 3. Gather your documents for Barbados Retirement Visa
It is time to gather all the documents you need for your Barbados Retirement Visa. Make sure you collect all the supporting documents you need for your visa. If you miss any file, you will not obtain a permit to enter Barbados.
#Step 4. Submit your application to a Barbados embassy
You can now submit your application to any of the Barbadian embassies in New York, Miami, Washington, Toronto, Ottawa, London, Brussels and Geneva. These are the only places where Barbados has embassies. You must also send other documents for visa application to the embassy.
#Step 5. Pay your Barbados Retirement Visa fee
You must pay your visa fee the same day you submit your application. Otherwise, the Barbadian embassy will not process your application for a Barbados Visa application.
#Step 6. Wait for processing
Generally, the processing time for a Barbados visa is three weeks. However, you must send the application earlier than this period to give the embassy enough time to process your application.
The embassy will notify you once your visa is ready. However, when you arrive at a Barbadian point of entry, the immigration officer will have the final say on your application for a Barbados Retirement Visa to Barbados.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to apply for a Barbados visa?
You can apply for a Barbados visa a month from your departure to the country. Submitting your application by its time will give the authorities enough time to verify your visa application. In addition, it will help you to avoid delays in your plan to visit Barbados.
How much is the Barbados visa application fee?
It depends on the type of visa. So, you must contact the Barbadian embassy to know the fee to pay for your entry permit to Barbados.
However, you will pay a fee of USD 107 for a single-entry visa and USD 211 for a Multiple-entry permit.
How can I pay a Barbados visa fee?
You can use a banker’s draft or money order to pay all types of Barbados visas. However, you will send the payment to The Chief Immigration Officer using the address below:
Mailing address:
The Chief Immigration Officer
“Careenage House”
Wharf Road
Bridgetown
St. Michael
BARBADOS
How long is a Barbados Retirement Visa
The validity period of a retirement visa in Barbados is one year. However, you can extend the permit once it expires. Moreover, you can apply for a permanent residence permit if you stay in the country for up to five years.
What is the processing time for a Barbados visa?
The processing time for a Barbados visa is three weeks. However, it can take a long time, depending on many factors. Hence, you should apply for an entry permit to Barbados one month before departure.
Conclusion
Finally, once you follow the guidelines in this article, it will be easy to obtain a Barbados Retirement Visa. However, you must meet the requirements for this type of visa in Barbados.
Above all, you must contact the Barbados Tourism Authority for your application form and requirements for any Barbados visa you want.
