Working from home always sounds like the best situation imaginable: pajamas all day and no one dropping by the cubicle to rant about their favorite sports team or politics? Yes, please. But it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. If you don’t ring the recess bell every few hours, you might forget to take a screen break, and having a pantry right down the hall means snacking never ends. After a while you might even start to miss your boss Glenn’s crazy stories about all the times he met Jimmy Buffett, and you’ll realize that an office is always what you make of it.
Unless, of course, your office is in paradise. Following in the sandy footsteps of Barbados, Bermuda has launched a One-Year Residential Certificate program to allow professionals from any destination to trade their pajamas pants for board shorts and work from this North Atlantic island for a year. Beginning on August 1, any remote workers looking to relocate to a pink-sand beach will be able to apply through the Government of Bermuda’s website, so long as they meet the criteria.
This includes being 18 years or older with no prior convictions, and applicants must be able to provide proof of a job and/or business ownership that are not based in Bermuda, as part of the goal of this program is for non-Bermudians to help reignite the region’s economy. Applicants also must have health insurance and adhere to the strict health protocols in place for eliminating the spread of Covid-19. In addition to pre-departure policies, like taking a PCR test within 72 hours of flying, travelers are required to practice social distancing at all times, wear masks in public places and adhere to the nightly curfew.
Social distancing is, of course, the easy part. Bermuda is packed with beaches that earn rave reviews from both casual and professional travelers alike. While Horseshoe Bay Beach is arguably the most popular beach on the island, sandy spots like Somerset Long Bay and Astwood Cove offers areas so remote that you might feel like the only person with a laptop and portable WiFi hotspot on Earth.
Bermuda features a bevy of accommodations for all types of travelers, from the luxury of a private island retreat like Hawkins Island or the above-and-beyond seclusion of a property like the Oswego House. For those seeking a vacation within their remote work experience, or perhaps a family getaway to make up for canceled plans, The Loren at Pink Beach boasts The Residence, which is a six-bedroom, 10,700-sq. ft. home that will make guests feel like they just flew in from the Oscars.
Regardless of where you stay, the only problem you’ll face here is remembering to get your work done.
