Moving to Barbados from Vanuatu
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Vanuatu to Barbados — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Vanuatu to Barbados. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Vanuatu 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
Vanuatu 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 Vanuatu leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Vanuatu generally does better on environment, though Barbados leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Barbados performs significantly better than Vanuatu across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Vanuatu generally does better on employment & economy, though Barbados leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Barbados generally does better on family life, though Vanuatu leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2014–2020). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Vanuatu 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.
Vanuatu passport holder visiting Barbados
Visa Free
Barbados passport holder visiting Vanuatu
Visa FreeData: 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 Vanuatu and Barbados.
Is Barbados safe for expats?
Vanuatu 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 0.3 in Vanuatu.
How is healthcare in Barbados compared to Vanuatu?
Barbados generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 29.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Barbados, compared to 1.6 in Vanuatu. Barbados scores 77 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Vanuatu: 47).
What language do they speak in Barbados?
The official language in Barbados is English. In Vanuatu, the official languages are Bislama, English and French.
