CARICOM Skills Certificate in Barbados
We can help you apply for a CARICOM Skills Certificate (also called the CSME Skills Certificate) in Barbados: the office to apply to, who qualifies, and what you need.
Where to apply in Barbados
Office: Barbados Accreditation Council
Applications are addressed to the Executive Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council, which verifies your qualification and issues the certificate.
Who can apply
We can help if you are a CARICOM national in one of the 12 approved categories of skilled workers:
- University graduates (now includes associate degrees, two A-levels or CAPE)
- Artistes
- Musicians
- Media workers
- Sportspersons
- Nurses
- Teachers
- Artisans (with a CARICOM Vocational Qualification, CVQ Level 2)
- Holders of associate degrees
- Domestic workers (with a CVQ Level 2)
- Agricultural workers
- Private security officers
How to apply in Barbados
Confirm you qualify
You must be a CARICOM national in one of the approved skill categories, engaged in a legitimate economic activity. Free movement does not cover moving for residency or citizenship alone.
Complete the form and have it signed by a Justice of the Peace
Fill in the application form and have it signed and stamped by a Justice of the Peace. The Council will not accept the form without the JP's official stamp.
Gather your documents
Collect everything on the list below. Two professional reference letters must be addressed to the Executive Director of the Barbados Accreditation Council.
- Write your name in block letters on the back of both passport photos.
- Nurses need a letter from the General Nursing Council. Artistes, media workers, musicians and sportspersons need a letter from their national federation or ministry plus previous employer letters.
- Incomplete documentation is not accepted, so check the list twice before you go.
Submit in person and pay Bds$100
Hand in your application at the Phoenix Centre on George Street, St. Michael. An authorised agent can submit for you if they bring your written consent and valid ID.
Wait about 7 working days
The Council issues certificates in a minimum of 7 working days, and verifies certificates from other countries in about 10 working days. That makes Barbados one of the fastest issuers in the region.
Collect in person
The certificate or Letter of Verification must be collected in person by the applicant, even if an employer submitted the application for you.
Use it abroad
When you arrive in another member state, present the certificate to immigration for an initial six-month entry stamp. You can begin work immediately, then receive an indefinite stay stamp once that country's competent authority verifies the certificate. Spouses and dependants enjoy the same rights to live and work with you.
- Travel with your original qualification documents and a fresh Police Certificate of Character. The receiving country will want them for verification.
Documents required in Barbados
- Completed application form, signed and stamped by a Justice of the Peace
- Birth certificate
- Proof of CARICOM national status
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Your qualification (undergraduate, postgraduate or professional)
- Two professional reference letters addressed to the Executive Director, BAC
- Copy of your passport (bio-data page and date of issue)
- Two passport-sized photos with your name in block letters on the back
- Nurses: a letter from the General Nursing Council; artistes, media, musicians and sportspersons: a letter from the relevant national federation or ministry and previous employer letters
Good to know
- If you lose your certificate, file a police report in the country where it was lost, then apply for a replacement (Bds$100).
- Online submission is not available yet; the Council has said e-commerce facilities are coming.
You don’t have to do this yourself
I can handle your Skills Certificate application in Barbados for you. I work out what your country and your destination actually ask for, get the paperwork in order, and keep it moving, so you are not the one chasing offices and re-reading forms to figure out what happens next.
Moving to Barbados: common questions
What are the CSME steps in Barbados?
There are 7 main steps to get a CARICOM Skills Certificate in Barbados, starting with confirming you're in one of the 12 approved categories and ending with using your certificate to live and work abroad. Apply through Barbados Accreditation Council. The fee is Bds$100 (BBD) per application; Bds$100 to replace a lost certificate.. The full step-by-step guide is above on this page.
How do I move to Barbados as a CARICOM national?
The CARICOM Skills Certificate (CSME) is the main route for CARICOM nationals to live and work in Barbados without a work permit. Barbados also has full free movement with Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, so nationals of those countries don't need the certificate. Apply through Barbados Accreditation Council, then use the certificate at the border for an initial entry stamp. See Barbados at a glance for cost of living, places to live and what to expect once you're there.
CARICOM Skills Certificate in other countries
Travelling for your application?
If you need to travel to another CARICOM country for your application or to start work, we can sort your flights, a place to stay and your transfers in one booking.