Here's How You Can Apply To Move To Barbados For A Year

The island’s 12-month ‘Welcome Stamp’ is now a reality.

What started as a fun little "What if?" quickly became one of the most buzzed about stories in the Caribbean. In announcing the reopening of the island's borders to international travelers earlier this month, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley teased the idea of a "12-month Welcome Stamp" that would allow residents of the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America to pack up their home offices and spend the next year working remotely from one of the most beautiful places on Earth?

Who could say no to that? If you need a little more influence, Mottley is happy to oblige.

"Rather than coming for the usual week, or three weeks or a month, why not plan out your business? We have a mechanism that allows people who want to take advantage of being in a different part of the world, of the sun, sea and sand, and a stable society; one that functions well. Barbados is a perfect place for you to come."

Now, the Welcome Stamp is a reality and the application process is underway, but before you re-pack your bags—assuming you were overly excited by the first announcement—you'll need to meet the visa requirements. The necessary documents for each applicant include two passport size photographs, the bio data page of passport, birth certificate and proof of relationship to any dependents, in case you're planning to bring the whole family. Entry visas are also required where applicable. 

Upon approval, individual professional nomads will be required to pay a non-refundable fee of $2,000, while the "family bundle" fee is $3,000. It's a small price to pay, though, for a year of incredible beaches, views and people. And who among us wouldn't benefit professionally and personally from a literal change of scenery and a mental health break?

"The sunshine is powerful," Mottley told Today's WorldView. "The seawater is powerful. They're both therapeutic in ways that are hard to explain. Why not share it?"