All categories of Barbados Passports (Diplomatic, Official and Ordinary) are the province of the Barbados Immigration Department. Although Barbados’ consular offices may facilitate Barbadians overseas with passport applications, the documents are issued by the Immigration Department in Bridgetown. Passports are granted to Citizens of Barbados, and citizenship is derived from Birth, Descent, Marriage or Registration.
The Ministry and overseas Missions can ONLY authenticate documents issued and endorsed by the Government of Barbados. This usually pertains to documents signed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Registrar of Corporate Affairs or their representatives. In obtaining birth/marriage/death certificates, Barbadians can access the Registration Department’s online facility at https://www.barbadoslawcourts.gov.bb/ to obtain an application. It usually takes two (2) days for applications to be processed. Barbadians may receive further assistance by contacting correspondenceregistration@live.com
Consular and Notarial Service Act, 2006 stipulates the amount of fees to be charged for a range of consular services, and the Consular Officers appointed to act on behalf of Government of Barbados in a jurisdiction outside of Barbados to collect those fees. The legislation also enables designated officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade to charge fees for the performance of notarial acts, namely the authentication of documents signed by established Notary Public of Barbados. The Ministry must ensure that the appropriate administrative protocols are put in place for all Missions to collect fees in accordance with the legislation. (Link to Consular Services Fees (Amendment) Act, 2006.
All Barbadians have a right to fair and humane treated, even if accused of a crime. In cases of arrest or detention, any consular office overseas whether Embassy, High Commission or Consulate-General should provide consular support to any national who requests such assistance. Consular support may include contacting a legal representative on behalf of the Barbadian or being a liaison between the national and the legal authorities.
It is the responsibility of the consular officer to ensure that Barbadians were afforded due process before each repatriation, and where the deportation is warranted, the consular office must assist those persons with emergency travel documents if required.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 has significantly limited air travel, and a demand for travel visas. In May 2019, the Cabinet approved the waiver of visas for some twenty-five (25) countries including regions, targeted for enhanced bilateral relation. The visa suppression regime is part of a calculated strategy to increase opportunities for travel for commerce, tourism and cultural/technical cooperation. In an environment where visas are seen as a hassle, Barbados is attempting to create a framework for ease of travel and to do business. All travel visas are obtained through the Immigration Department at Bridgetown, Barbados. For single and multiple entry visas visit https://immigration.gov.bb/pages/Visa_Requirements.aspx
These comprise persons who are victims of crime; persons who have suffered grave illness or death and require repatriation; persons who become stranded due to natural disaster or other calamity (such as a global pandemic); persons who have lost official documents including passports. Such situations would require consular support.
Due to the restrictions in physical interaction with the public at the Barbados overseas offices with the emergence of COVID-19, the Immigration Department introduced the following temporary measures to assist Barbadians applying for Passports: