COVID-19 Precautionary Measures in Barbados (20 July Update)

Can a resident enter the country?

• Yes

• Residents and citizens are allowed to enter Barbados.

Can a foreigner enter the country?

• Yes

• Foreigners are allowed to enter Barbados.

• Travellers seeking to enter Barbados with passports from India, Brazil, and South Africa are required to apply for entry visas prior to arrival at immigration.gov.bb

Is transit allowed through the country?

• Yes

• All transiting passengers must have proof of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 3 days prior to arrival in Barbados and will be required to take a rapid antigen test prior to their departure. Additionally, all persons must undergo a health assessment which may include a temperature check and a brief interview by Port Health officials.

• Those without evidence of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test may be denied entry into Barbados.

Is a test required on arrival?

• Yes with exceptions

• All passengers (both vaccinated and unvaccinated) who have travelled through or from Argentina, Angola, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Eswatini, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Republic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Suriname, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe in the 21 days before travel to Barbados are required to undertake a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival at the airport and another test on day 8 of quarantine.

• Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Barbados from Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Anguilla, Montserrat, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Sint Maarten, Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands, and Bermuda are exempt from the requirement to test on arrival provided that they present a valid negative COVID-19 pre-departure test certificate. Fully vaccinated travellers arriving from other countries are required to undertake a rapid PCR test on arrival.

• Travellers may be required to reconfirm their first negative COVID-19 PCR test with a rapid (COVID-19 antigen) test. Test results will be provided before exiting the airport.

• Unvaccinated travellers are required to undertake a COVID-19 test five (5) days after arrival. Travellers who refuse to have a second test may be denied entry or required to enter quarantine for 14 days.

Is a test certificate allowed?

• Yes

• A COVID-19 PCR certificate issued in another country is accepted. The test must be a valid Nasopharyngeal or Oropharyngeal COVID-PCR Test. LAMP tests, rapid tests and tests using saliva samples will not be accepted.

Test certificate required?

• Yes

• All travellers (both vaccinated and unvaccinated) aged five and above, are required to present proof of a valid negative COVID-19 PCR test taken at an accredited or recognized laboratory within 72 hours prior to arrival. The date of the test and not the date of the result is the date that will be assessed against the 3-day time frame.

• Test results must be submitted electronically at travelform.gov.bb and travellers are required to present a copy of test results (in English) bearing their name, at check-in at the airport as well as on arrival in Barbados. Travellers under 5 years of age will not be required to have a COVID-19 PCR test unless they are symptomatic or any member of the travel party has a positive test result. Unaccompanied minors will be required to have a valid negative COVID-19 test result to enter Barbados.

• Travellers who haven’t submitted proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result may be denied entry to the country.

Is quarantine required on arrival?

• Yes with exceptions

• All passengers (both vaccinated and unvaccinated) who have travelled through or from Argentina, Angola, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Eswatini, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Republic of Congo, Singapore, South Africa, Suriname, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe in the 21 days prior arrival in Barbados are required to enter a seven-day quarantine on arrival. Travellers will be allowed to exit quarantine subject to receiving a negative result on a COVID-19 PCR test performed on day eight (8).

• Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in Barbados from Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Anguilla, Montserrat, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba, Sint Maarten, Turks & Caicos, Cayman Islands, and Bermuda are exempt from quarantine on arrival provided that they present a valid pre-departure negative COVID-19 test result. Fully vaccinated travellers arriving from other countries may exit quarantine within 1-2 days subject to receiving a negative result on the COVID-19 test-on-arrival.

• Unvaccinated travellers are required to enter quarantine for seven to eight days and will be released from quarantine subject to receiving a negative test result on a COVID-19 PCR test performed five days after arrival. Travellers who refuse to have a second test five (5) days after arrival may be denied entry or required to enter quarantine for 14 days.

• Travellers with a positive test result on the COVID-19 PCR test will be transferred to an isolation facility for assessment.

• Arriving travellers will be required to quarantine at a designated government hotel or approved villa at their own expense, or free of charge at a government facility. Due to limited capacity, the government quarantine facilities will only be available for Barbadians and permanent residents arriving in Barbados. A list of approved accommodations may be found here.

• All persons in quarantine will be required to wear an electronic tracking bracelet. Tampering with the electronic monitoring bracelet will send an alarm to Barbados authorities.

• Based on the above restrictions currently in force, arriving travellers must be prepared to enter quarantine for a maximum of 14 days, based on their vaccination status and travel history.

Entry form required?

• Yes

• All travellers are required to submit an online Immigration and Customs form 24 hours prior to their arrival in Barbados. The form is available here.

Vaccination required?

• No

• A vaccination for COVID-19 is not mandatory for entry into the country.

• Fully vaccinated travellers will be granted exemption from quarantine subject to meeting all the entry requirements.

• To be considered “fully vaccinated”, the traveller must have received the complete course of an approved vaccine (AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac, Sputnik V) at least two weeks prior to travel to Barbados. Travellers who have received the complete course of vaccine less than two weeks prior to entering Barbados will be considered “unvaccinated”.

• Travellers who have mixed vaccine regimens of Ministry of Health and Wellness approved vaccines will be considered fully vaccinated, for example: 1st dose of one brand followed by 2nd dose of another which is not a one-dose regimen.

Insurance required?

• No

• Proof of insurance coverage for COVID-19 expenses is not required to enter the country.

Tracing App requirement?

• Yes

• Travellers are required to download the 'BIMSAFE' contact tracing app. The app will be accompanied by a monitoring bracelet during self-isolation. The app is available for Android and iOs devices. Further details can be accessed at this link. Travellers without the app will be contacted by health authorities for health tracking via phone calls or SMS for seven days or for the duration of their stay, whichever is shorter.

Airline restrictions

• Minimal

• International commercial passenger flights are operating.

Border restrictions

• Minimal

• Borders are open.

• Barbados authorities have categorized countries based on different risk levels. Restrictions on travellers may vary in accordance with the risk level categorization of the countries. The entry restrictions can be accessed at this link.

Curfew restrictions

• Significant

• A night curfew is in effect from 23:00 to 05:00 (local time), from Friday to Sunday, until 25 July. Non-essential movement is prohibited during the curfew hours.

Social distancing restrictions

• Moderate

• Social distancing measures are enforced in public spaces.

• Gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people.

• People violating social distancing measures may be fined or imprisoned, or both.

Internal travel restrictions

• Minimal

• Public service vehicles are permitted to operate with limited capacity.

Non-essential shops open?

• Yes

• Most business establishments except dance studios and clubs may reopen in compliance with strict health protocols and curfew measures.

Accommodations open?

• Yes

• Accommodations are open; however, not all hotels and private rentals have reopened or fully reopened to the public.

Restaurants open?

• Yes

• Restaurants are operating at a limited capacity.

Bars and cafes open?

• Yes

• Bars are operating at a limited capacity.

Beaches and tourism sites open?

• Yes

• Beaches and parks shall be opened for limited hours. Picnics, music, drinking alcohol, and parties are prohibited on all beaches.

Museums and heritage sites open?

• Yes

• Museums and heritage sites are open.

*Personal care services open? *

• No

• Personal care services are closed.

Places of worship open?

• Yes

• Places of worship are open.

Events allowed?

• No, with exceptions

• No gatherings are allowed. Funerals and weddings may be organized with a limited number of participants.

• Meetings of civic associations, private or social clubs, and other organizations may resume as long as participants follow health protocols. Such gatherings are limited to 100 people.

• Sporting activities that are pre-approved are permitted without spectators.

Masks required in public?

• Yes

• Masks are mandatory in all public spaces, including outdoors.

Others

• People may only visit a beach or a park for swimming or exercise and groups should be from the same household and not exceed ten people.

• Cinemas and nightclubs remain closed.

• Pleasure craft and private boat charters shall carry limited passengers.

• A 24-hour hotline has been established by the Ministry of Tourism to address delays being experienced by tourists/visitors in quarantine at hotels and other accommodations in receiving their second COVID-19 test results. The call center's local number is 628-4150 and +1(246) 628-4150 from outside Barbados.

The COVID-19 epidemic is constantly changing worldwide. Travel and border restrictions may change with little or no notice. Airlines may have their own requirements for testing, masking, and distancing. It is recommended that travellers carry a supply of face masks since the requirement can vary by location. It is recommended that travellers practise social distancing, maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals and avoid crowded areas. Check with your airline, booking agent, or country's embassy for information on your specific travel plans.