Moving to Barbados from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Barbados — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Barbados. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Barbados, and how the trend has changed.
Who's moving to Barbados?
Top countries of origin for Barbados's foreign-born residents.
- 6,667
- 3,148
- 2,537
- 2,200
- 1,506
-
6.1,044
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States and Barbados stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
United States generally does better on safety, though Barbados leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Barbados generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United States generally does better on environment, though Barbados leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
share of households with internet
United States performs better than Barbados across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Barbados leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
United States performs better than Barbados across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Internal Revenue Service (2016), Ministry of Finance, Barbados (2016), The World Factbook (2010). How we calculate this
Can you move from United States to Barbados?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Barbados
Visa Free
Barbados passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: 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 United States and Barbados.
Is Barbados safe for expats?
United States generally does better on safety, though Barbados leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Barbados is 7.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.8 in United States.
How is healthcare in Barbados compared to United States?
Barbados generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Barbados, compared to 36.8 in United States. Barbados scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What language do they speak in Barbados?
Both United States and Barbados share the same official language: English.
