Barbados passport

Barbados passport
Issued by  Barbados
Type of document Passport
Purpose Identification
Eligibility requirements Barbados citizenship
Expiration 10 years after issuance for individuals aged 16 and above; 5 years for citizens from the age of 5 - 15[1]

A Barbados passport is a travel document issued to citizens of Barbados, in accordance with Citizenship Act (CAP. 186) from 1978, the Immigration Act (CAP. 190) from 1997, and the Barbados Constitution, for the purpose of facilitating international travel. It allows the bearer to travel in foreign countries and the Commonwealth of Nations, in accordance with visa requirements, and facilitates the process of securing assistance from Barbados consular officials abroad, if necessary.

A Barbados passport is a document for valid proof of citizenship. The passport is also a Caricom passport, as Barbados is a member of the Caribbean Community. There are three types of passport booklets: regular, service, or diplomatic passports. Despite the placement of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) logo at the top of the document's cover-page, Barbados passports are issued by the Immigration Department under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister,[2] and at the Diplomatic Missions and Honorary Consulates of Barbados abroad.[3]

Types of passports

Regular
Issuable to all citizens (and non-citizen nationals[4]).
Service
issued to officials attached to government institutions who have to travel on official business
Diplomatic
Issuable to Barbadian diplomats accredited overseas and their eligible dependants.

Application

All applicants aged 16 or above are entitled to apply for a standard Barbados passport. Minors aged 15 and below may remain on their parent's passport.

Passport fees (Effective 1 December 2010)[5]

Standard
Business

Barbados passports may also be issued outside Barbados, for which fees vary per country.

Format

Cover

Barbados passports are dark blue in colour, with logo of CARICOM and the words CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY followed by BARBADOS inscribed on top of the booklet. The Barbados coat of arms is prominently emblazoned in the centre of the cover page, followed on the bottom by the inscription of the words PASSPORT on ordinary passports, and DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT on diplomatic passports.

Identification page

The following information is printed on the identification page, in: English, French, and Spanish.

1. Photo of Passport Holder 2. Type (PR for passport)
3. Code of Issuing State (BRB) 4. Passport Number
5. Surname 6. Given name(s)
7. Nationality (Barbados citizenship) 8. Date of birth
9. National Identification Number 10. Sex
10. Place of birth 11. Holder's signature
12. Date of issue 13. Date of expiry
14. Issuing authority

Passport photographs

The standards are:

Passport statement

Barbados passports contain on their inside cover the following words in English only:

“ These are to request and require in the name of the Governor-General of Barbados all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford him or her every assistance and protection of which he or she may stand in need. ”

Visa requirements for Barbadian citizens

According to the 2013 Visa Restrictions Index, the Barbados passport was ranked no. 22 in travel freedom and visa-free access. Barbados was placed after The United States (no. 2), Canada (no. 4), Argentina (no. 18), Brazil (no. 19), and Chile (no. 21) in The Americas. The Barbados passport also ranks, jointly with the Bahamas passport, 1st among CARICOM passport holders that enjoy travel freedom and visa-free access.

Holders of a Barbados passport may travel without a visa, or receive a visa upon arrival, to many other countries. As of 28 May 2009, Barbados signed a short-stay visa waiver agreement with the European Union. The agreement allows citizens of Barbados to visit the countries of Europe who are members of the Schengen Area for up to three months in any six-month period without a visa. Similarly, citizens of Europe (who countries are members of the Schengen Area) will be able to visit Barbados for the same period without a visa.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.foreign.gov.bb/pageselect.cfm?page=116
  2. ↑ G.O.B. (2011). "Prime Minister's Office, National Security, Civil Service and Urban Development". Barbados Government Information Service B.G.I.S. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  3. ↑ G.O.B. (2011). "Government of Barbados". Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade B.G.I.S. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  4. ↑ Feere, Jon (August 2010). "Birthright Citizenship in the United States: A Global Comparison". Retrieved 17 October 2011. Over the last few decades, many of those few countries with automatic birthright citizenship policies have changed their law as a means of discouraging illegal immigration and to give citizens more control over the future of their societies. The countries that have ended the practice in recent years include the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, India, Malta, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic. Barbados and Antigua & Barbuda may also be ending the practice as the nations look for ways to cope with illegal immigration.
  5. ↑ Staff writer (22 November 2010). "Hike in passport, immigration fees". Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 16 October 2011.

References

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