Starting October 1, 2025, Barbados, alongside Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, is launching Enhanced Cooperation in Free Movement. This is a major upgrade from the existing CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
What does this mean for you?
CARICOM nationals from the four participating countries can soon live, work, and retire indefinitely in any of these countries—for any legitimate reason—without needing a work permit or CSME skills certificate.
Move Freely: Live, work, and travel across the four nations.
Social Access: Gain access to primary healthcare, schooling, and social benefits on par with locals.
Family First: Bring your spouse, dependent children, and wholly dependent parents with you.
Dive into the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below for all the details you need on your new rights, social access, and more, before the launch.
1. What does the right to free movement for CARICOM Nationals mean under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME)?
Free movement of CARICOM nationals under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) is free movement for economic purposes (whether as a business person, service provider, skilled national or as a consumer).
A CARICOM national of a CARICOM Member State participating in the CSME can exercise the rights above in another CARICOM Member State participating in the CSME. This does not include The Bahamas as that CARICOM Member State does not participate in the CSME.
CARICOM nationals can move to establish a business presence in another Member State participating in the CSME. The business can be to provide goods and/or services and can be an existing business that is establishing a subsidiary, branch or agency or a new business. The CARICOM national of an existing business can also move the managerial, technical and supervisory staff of that business. The CARICOM national and the managerial, technical and supervisory staff who are CARICOM nationals have a right to indefinite stay and do not need work permits.
A CARICOM national can also move temporarily to provide a service in another Member State participating in the CSME. The CARICOM national can move with CARICOM national personnel to provide the service. The CARICOM national and the personnel have a right to stay for six months or for a longer period, if required, to complete the provision of the service and do not need work permits.
A CARICOM national that is in one of the 13 approved categories of skilled CARICOM nationals can move to seek employment in a Member State participating in the CSME and has a right to indefinite stay and does not need a work permit.
Finally, a CARICOM national can travel to another Member State temporarily and get a definite stay of six months without permission to work. That CARICOM national can be visiting as a tourist, looking for business or job opportunities, consuming health or other services, among other things.
The Contingent Rights Protocol provides additional rights. For further details, see the Frequently Asked Question on the Protocol on Contingent Rights.
2. How is enhanced cooperation in free movement different to the right of free movement in the CSME?
This type of free movement expands what is offered under the CSME. It is available to all CARICOM nationals of any age of the participating countries and allows those CARICOM nationals to move for any legitimate purpose including economic purposes and leisure and remain indefinitely.
3. Which countries are participating in enhanced cooperation in free movement?
Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
4. What does the right to enhanced cooperation in free movement of CARICOM nationals mean for the participating countries (Barbados, Belize, Dominica & St. Vincent and the Grenadines)?
CARICOM Nationals from these four enhanced cooperation participating countries can enter, leave, re-enter, live, work without the need for a work permit or CSME skills certificate and can benefit from certain health and education services in any of the four participating countries. A participating country can refuse entry or remove a CARICOM national if that national poses a threat or is a burden on the public purse.
5. Which CARICOM countries will participate in enhanced cooperation in free movement on 1 October, 2025?
Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have all decided to take advantage of the changes to the Revised Treaty to allow a group of Member States, with the agreement of the Conference of Heads of Government, to deepen their cooperation. All citizens of these countries have the right to move, reside and work (without the need for a work permit or CSME skills certificate) in any of these Member States.
6. Can my family join me if I move to another participating Country under the enhanced cooperation in free movement?
Family members of CARICOM Nationals can accompany the CARICOM National of a participating country who has moved to another participating country. Family members include a spouse, unmarried children under the age of 18, unmarried children under the age of 25 attending school or university full-time and parents who are wholly dependent on the CARICOM national.
7. What social services can I access as a CARICOM national from a participating country who moves to live and work in another participating country?
You have access to primary healthcare, primary and secondary education, national insurance benefits and other social services on the same basis as that provided to nationals of the receiving Member State.
8. Can I make a complaint if I believe that my rights under enhanced cooperation in free movement are being denied?
Yes. The CARICOM Complaints Procedure adopted by the CARICOM Conference of Heads of Government can be used for any complaint arising out of an experience a CARICOM national may have had seeking to exercise his/her rights in the CSME, whether the experience(s) is at a port of entry, after entry or both. This procedure can also be used where a CARICOM national of a participating country has an experience exercising rights under enhanced cooperation in free movement. The complaints form is to be available at the ports of entry and departure and at Ministries, Agencies and Departments responsible for administering any of the regimes.
9. How can I make a complaint?
A CARICOM national wishing to make a complaint should fill out the complaints form in hard copy or online and submit it to the CSME Focal Point in the CARICOM national’s participating country, in the participating country where the CARICOM national has moved, is moving to or where the CARICOM national had the experience (if different). An investigation will be conducted.
10. Who should I contact if I have questions on enhanced cooperation in free movement?
The CARICOM Ambassador and National CSME Focal Point in each of the participating Countries:
Country: Barbados
CARICOM Ambassador: H.E. David Comissiong – dcomissiong@foreign.gov.bb
National CSME Focal Point: Shennel Richards, Chief Research Officer (ag), Prime Minister’s Office, Government Headquarters, Bay Street, St. Michael, BARBADOS
Telephone numbers: 1-246-535-5613, 1-246-535-5300 PBX, Fax: 1-246-228-4386
Email: shennel.richards@pmo.gov.bb
Country: Belize
CARICOM Ambassador: H.E. Lawrence Sylvester – lawrence.sylvester@mfa.gov.bz
National CSME Focal Point: Tricia Gideon, Deputy Director, General Directorate General for Foreign Trade,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, The Leigh Richardson Building, North Ring Road, City of Belmopan,
Cayo, BELIZE C.A.
Telephone numbers: 501-880-2832/2833
Email: tricia.gideon@mft.gov.bz, foreigntrade@btl.net
National CSME Focal Point: Janina Choj, Trade Economist CARICOM/CSME Unit
Email: janina.choj@mft.gov.bz
Country: Dominica
CARICOM Ambassador: H.E. Dr. Gerard Jean-Jacques – amboecscaricom@dominica.gov.dm, foreignaffairs@dominica.gov.dm
National CSME Focal Point: Matthan J. Walter, Director of Trade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy, 4th Floor, Financial Centre, Roseau, DOMINICA
Telephone numbers: 1-767 266 3266/ 2453640, Fax: 1-767-448-5200
Email: directoroftrade@dominica.gov.dm, tradeandcommerce@dominica.gov.dm
Country: St. Vincent & The Grenadines
CARICOM Ambassador: H.E. Allan Alexander – allanhmalexander@gmail.com, ridusvg@gmail.com
National CSME Focal Point: Sylvonne Jack, Economist, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade
Kingstown, ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Telephone numbers: 1-784-451-2253 – Direct Line, 1-784-456-2442 – PBX, 1-784-456-2610 – Fax
Email: sjack.foreignaffairs@mail.gov.vc
11. Can a participating country deny me entry or deport me?
Yes. A CARICOM national can be denied entry or can be deported or removed from a participating country if an assessment is made that the CARICOM national (i) poses a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to public safety, public order, public morals or public health; or (ii) is likely to be, or has become, a charge on the public purse.
12. What laws govern free movement?
- Caribbean Community Act
- Caribbean Community Skilled Nationals Act
- Immigration Act
- Barbados Accreditation Council Act
You may also download the above information by Click here
Author: Government of Barbados
Source: https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/faqs-on-enhanced-cooperation-in-free-movement-of-caricom-nationals/
