Barbados Reopens For Vaccinated Tourists

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Last Updated 3 years ago

Barbados is the latest country to amend entry requirements for vaccinated tourists, making visiting the island for inoculated tourists slightly easier than their current testing/quarantine rules.

Barbados first reopened for tourism on July 1, 2020, after being closed for a few months at the start of the pandemic, but has remained open for tourism since, albeit with some tough entry rules. Current requirements for visiting include a pre-flight test, a test on arrival, and the third test after 5 days on the island, plus a 7-day quarantine.

However, with the latest reports now showing confident data about vaccinated passengers, Barbados is simplifying the process for tourists that have received their shot.

Barbados Recognizes Vaccinated Tourists

Starting May 8, 2021, fully vaccinated travelers can enter Barbados with more simplified rules.

The vaccines Barbados will recognize include AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer. Additional types of vaccines may be added to the approved list in the future. Passengers must have received their last shot (or the one-shot) at least 14 days before travel to the island to be considered fully vaccinated.

Modified Entry Rules For Vaccinated Tourists

Entry rules are a little easier and more accommodating for passengers who are fully vaccinated by shaving off one of the 3 tests needed and shortening the quarantine by 5 days. As of May 8^th, fully vaccinated travelers can enter the Barbados with the following requirements:

Before Arrival

• Take a pre-flight PCR test (no more than 3 days prior to arrival) and bring proof of the negative test
• Book 1-2 nights at a government-approved hotel
• Download the BIM app to upload negative test and proof of vaccination certificate/card

Upon Arrival

• Undergo a rapid test upon arrival at the airport
• Transfer to their government approved hotel to await results (usually 1 day)

After 1-2 Days

• After a negative result is received, the vaccinated traveler is free to roam about the island of Barbados without further testing or quarantines.

What about unvaccinated travelers?

Entry requirements are stricter and more complicated for unvaccinated travelers.

Before Arrival

• Take a pre-flight PCR test (no more than 3 days prior to arrival) and bring proof of the negative test
• Book 7 nights at a government approved hotel
• Download the BIM app to upload negative test and health questionnaire

Upon Arrival

• Undergo a PCR test upon arrival at the airport
• Transfer to their government approved hotel to await results (usually 1-2 days)

7-Day Quarantine

• Even after receiving negative results from the PCR test done upon arrival at the airport, unvaccinated passengers still need to stay in their hotels rooms in quarantine. A third PCR test will be done on Day 5, of which the negative results will release the passenger on Day 7-8.

Vaccinated or unvaccinated, Barbados remains tough to visit

Although the nation is making some progress by softening the rules slightly for vaccinated passengers, entry into Barbados is still not as easy as booking a flight, which may be a deterrent for many visitors. Other vacation hotspots like Mexico and Costa Rica have made entry a breeze with no testing and quarantines and are taking the lion’s share of tourism in 2021 because of it.  

It’s unlikely the Barbados will see any kind of real tourism resurgence while rigorous rules are still in place.

While vaccinated tourists only have to comply with 2 tests and a 1-2 day quarantine compared to their unvaccinated counterparts, those rules can quickly change due to variants. The government of Barbados states: “Acceptance of vaccination status will not be considered independently if there is a high prevalence of Covid-19 Variants of Concern.”, which means increased rules can be imposed upon full vaccinated passengers at any time.

Countries with ‘Variants of Concern’ will be released before the new entry rules come into place on May 8, 2021, and will be updated regularly.

Some travellers may get their vaccine while in Barbados

Back in March, The Government of Barbados announced that they intend to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to visitors to beginning in May. With over 12.5% of the population receiving their first shot of the vaccine by mid-March, Barbados led the way for vaccinations in the Caribbean.

“To ensure widespread protection, Government has signaled its intent to obtain more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for persons on island, whether they are citizens or not, by the end of April or early May 2021,” the official tourism authority of Barbados told Travel Off Path in an email.

What Type Of Travelers Will Be Eligible?

While further details have not been released at this time, travelers that may receive preference could be those already in Barbados on programs such as the 1 year Barbados Welcome Stamp. Other travelers given priority could include long stay tourists and snowbirds.

Read More:

• Barbados entry requirements in 2021
• Countries that are allowing vaccinated tourists to visit
• Countries that are open to all with no quarantine/testing
• Travel health insurance that covers covid

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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

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