Barbados is planning to introduce a "12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp" that would allow visitors to stay in theCaribbean country for up to a year and work remotely.- Barbados plans to reopen to tourists on Sunday, when some air
travel is expected to resume. - It's important to note that nonessential travel is still discouraged in many places because of the coronavirus pandemic. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned against it.
If you can work from anywhere, would you stay where you are?
As much of the world has taken to working remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic, many employees are no longer tied to where their offices are.
Barbados is banking on the idea that many people will choose a tropical paradise over their current digs.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said last week that the Caribbean country was planning to introduce a "12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp" that would allow visitors to stay for up to a year and work remotely.
Mottley said the stamp would allow "persons to come and work from here overseas, digitally so, so that persons don't need to remain in the countries in which they are" — but beyond that, information is scarce. A representative for Barbados Tourism Marketing told Insider that "details on the visa are still being finalized by the Government of Barbados."
The idea is that as short-term travel becomes increasingly difficult, a 12-month stamp would make the trip more worthwhile. It would also bring much-needed tourism dollars to the island.
Mottley said on June 26 that Barbados planned to reopen to tourists on July 12, this Sunday, when some air travel is expected to resume.
"We will continue to take a risk-based approach to the protection of our country, our people and our visitors," Mottley said.
It's important to note, however, that nonessential travel is still discouraged in many places, including the US, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned against it.
A recent press release from Barbados Tourism Marketing said visitors from high-risk countries (more than 10,000 new cases in the past seven days) were "strongly encouraged" to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their departure. Travelers from low-risk spots (with fewer than 100 cases in the past week) could take the test up to a week before departure.
Travelers who didn't take a test before their arrival will have to take one when they land, then quarantine at their expense until they receive the results, which could take about two days. Should they test positive, "they will be placed in isolation where they will receive care from the Ministry of Health and Wellness," the press release said.
Visitors will also have to fill out an online embarkation/disembarkation form related to their health and face temperature checks at the airport, the press release said.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Barbados had 98 confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths as of Wednesday.
While it's still unclear when this welcome stamp might launch, Mottley said: "The government is committed to working with you on the promotion of new concepts like the 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp, being able to open our borders to persons traveling and making it as hospitable as ever for all of us."
Representatives for the Barbados Government Information Service did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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