Moving to Barbados from Spain

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Spain to Barbados — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Spain to Barbados, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Spain and Barbados stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

ES
0.7
BB
7.4
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

ES
3.5
BB
10.0

Spain performs better than Barbados across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

ES
$4,935
BB
$1,153
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

ES
42.9
BB
29.6

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Barbados leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

ES
10.0
BB
19.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

ES
4.5t
BB
2.5t

Spain generally does better on environment, though Barbados leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

ES
39.2
BB
37.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

ES
43.2%
BB
87.5%

Spain performs better than Barbados across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

ES
10.4%
BB
6.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

ES
$38,627
BB
$28,365

Spain generally does better on employment & economy, though Barbados leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

ES
83.9 yrs
BB
76.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

ES
2.6
BB
9.1

Spain performs better than Barbados across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Agencia Tributaria, Spain (2016), Ministry of Finance, Barbados (2016), The World Factbook (2014). How we calculate this

Can you move from Spain to Barbados?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Spain and Barbados. To live, work, or study long-term in Barbados, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Barbados's immigration authority.

Spain passport

Spain passport holder visiting Barbados

Visa Free
Spain passport holders can enter Barbados without a visa.
Barbados passport

Barbados passport holder visiting Spain

Visa Free
Barbados passport holders can enter Spain without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Barbados?

With 37.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Barbados can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Spain and Barbados.

Is Barbados safe for expats?

Spain performs better than Barbados across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Barbados is 7.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Spain.

How is healthcare in Barbados compared to Spain?

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Barbados leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Barbados, compared to 42.9 in Spain. Barbados scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Spain: 85).

What language do they speak in Barbados?

The official language in Barbados is English. In Spain, the official languages are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish.

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At a Glance

ES BB
Population 49,355,143 282,623
Currency Euro (€) Barbadian Dollar (BBD)
Languages Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +34 +1246
Time zones 2 1
Emergency number 112 —