Barbados’ New Quarantine and Testing Rules for US Travelers

As COVID-19 infection levels continue to fluctuate around the globe, Barbados is heightening its vigilance to ensure that the island’s case count remains low. Thus far, the Caribbean country has had only 210 reported cases and seven deaths during the course of the pandemic.

Barbados reopened to international tourism on July 12 with pre-travel testing requirements in place. Visitors coming from medium- to high-risk countries (which, of course, includes the United States) must provide proof of their negative results from a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel and processed through an accredited or certified lab. Those who arrive without documentation of a valid negative test result may be denied entry into the country.

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Starting Friday, October 16, Barbados is also implementing some new, on-island protocols for travelers from high-risk countries, such as the U.S.:

—Travelers will be safely transported to their accommodations at an approved hotel or villa, where they’ll be required to remain, and may have limited access to certain areas on the property (a.k.a. restricted movement), pending the results of a second test to be taken on-island.

—Travelers will need to test a second time, four to five days after their original pre-travel test. If results of the second test come back negative (generally after 24 hours), the guest will then be allowed unrestricted access to Barbados, including its beaches, attractions, shopping venues and eateries, while adhering to island-wide health measures like wearing masks, social distancing and practicing good hygiene.

—Travelers will need to continue checking in with health officials via call or text with self-assessments. They’ll be asked to take their own temperatures daily and be on the lookout for symptoms.

—If a traveler’s test comes back positive, they’ll be subject to strict isolation measures at their own expense, or accommodations at a government-sponsored facility can be provided.

As the country anticipates a number of travelers taking advantage of its new Barbados Welcome Stamp program, which invites remote workers to come live and work on the island for up to an entire year, the government wants to guarantee that everyone residing in Barbados is protected from COVID-19. For these digital nomads, a few days quarantined at a hotel won't impact their visit much, but vacationers coming for a week or less could be deterred by the new rules.

For more information, visit barbadostravelprotocols.com.