Hi .. My wife and I are about to exchange contracts on an apartment in St James .. the idea is that we will winter over for say 4 to 5 months each year. I understand that we do not require a visa as we are UK citizens with UK passports, but on telephone enquiry to the Embassy in London I was told that we would initially be provided with 30 days entry, then would need to apply for an extention, which I was told would be no problem for up to six months. I asked if we could get this extention at immigration entry to Barbados, but they were unsure! So, the question is how do we go about getting the required 4 or 5 month entry permit and can we just obtain it from immigration as we arrive.
Many thanks

It is really luck of the draw. The person at immigration at the airport makes the decision basicly. On my first visit of 6 months I was only given 30 days and had to get the extenstion at immigration in town. My 2nd and 3rd visit the immigration officer gave me 3 months (which still meant I had to go for an extention, but for only 3 months not 5 months, not that it makes any difference to the price). I have known some people to get 6 months there and then at the airport. It really depends on who you see at immigration (in my experience).

Hi Michael

I was granted an extended stay at the airport upon my recent arrival. I had been prepared for a simple 30 day stamp and having to renew in B'town, but was lucky enough to get the full time of my ticket (to the day). I've only ever been given 30 days in the past though and was made to work for this, with rather intense interview from the person dealing with me, right there on the concourse. I feel I was extremely lucky to have been given this and was definitely made to understand that this was the exception rather than the rule. So I guess the luck-of-the-draw theory stands

Many thanks for this .. can you tell me what the procedure is to get an extention if not granted at immigration. And, where would we need to go, what to take with us and how long the process takes.
Michael

It seems that if you are a property owner the immigration staff at the airport will stamp your passport for the number of days as per your airline ticket. This is my experience, although I have never stayed more than 3 months.

Whenever I have had to get an extension in B'Town, I have taken my passport, return airline ticket and proof of funds (bank statement). I would suggest getting to immigration 30 mins before it opens (which is 8.30) or after lunch. Most people I fnid get there for 8.30-9am so I have always had to wait hours when getting there at that time. I found that getting there after lunch 1ish was best for me as most people had been served by then, so I never had to wait as long.

LMAO heard that immigration was on strike today - perhaps they fed up cos someone told them to smile to the peasants oopps i mean customers

Smile...? LOL

No they are on strike as last week an unhappy customer banged on the glass screen and smashed it. When they came to work on Monday it was still smashed so they sent all the new customers home and went on strike.

Awwwwww, maybe if they had learnt to smile the customer would not have been quite so unhappy, who knows

Perhaps it was the alien ness of an immigration smile that cracked the glass ??