Amewill

Hi all,

we have recieved our welcome stamp confirmation and are now in the process of sorting our shipping.
I have found some really helpful info on here and we are looking at JP Ram.

Can anyone with experience of shipping personal effects help us with a few questions. We are looking for an agent to help us with the Barbados imports (getting it through customs etc) and a removal company to get the goods from port to our house. Does anyone have any experience of how the customs process works? Is it relatively straight forward?

Thanks in advance

Sunniebgi

I would like to ask.. how long do you plan to be in Barbados on the Welcome Stamp??.. The full year.. or less.. or possibly more. and I guess next. what are the items you are likely to be shipping. ??? I have experience with shipping items from the US, but it's been years. and the process was likely a lot easier back then. (2009 would have likely been when I brought it in).. (and have been on the island a lot longer than that)..
I ask about the items and how long you will be here, because it may not be worth the time, effort of money to "move" items you have a short, even a year, space of time.

had to go back and look at old posts here and found this..

RICHFIELD CUSTOMS BROKERS INC.
18 EAST, VAUXHALL GARDENS, BRIDGETOWN, CHRIST CHURCH, 15073, Barbados
Telephone: 2464372045
Fax: 2464370980
[email protected]

I can't verify if the gentleman is still in the customs game, but.. it's worth a try

another is Calvin Alkins Custom Brokers.. https://www.cacs.com.bb/ (while I have never had the occasion personally to use Mr. Alkins and his company, I know him personally (our sons went through school together) and would suggest you check with him as well.

a couple of things to add. at the present. it's taking LONG for items to be cleared through our port. I heard a report the other day, where someone had a shipment arrive in November and up to last week it hadn't been cleared. the excuse from the broker was. ... lack of staff.. in his office, not the port. (not acceptable and have no idea who the broker was). and depending on what you want shipped. it might be better to store and home and finding alternatives here..

Amewill

Hi Sunni,

thanks for the reply. Our plan is to stay the full year- our children will attend school and if the chance arises I would like to think we will want to stay longer. That’s the plan if everything works out ok on lots of levels!

we are hoping to ship mainly the children’s toys, and bits to make them feel at home when everything else has changed! We are not bringing furniture so looking at a smallish wooden crate with JP Ram.

gosh that is a long turn around- I’m guessing that’s not normal!? I will chat with the brokers you mentioned and see what they say. Thanks so much for the recommendations!

bs_wave

Hi Amewill,

First of all, congratulations on your visa approval.

My understanding is that there are no placements in state schools for parents bringing their children to Barbados under the remote work visa. You may need to pay for your children to attend a private school in Barbados. To be certain whether this is the case, I would recommend you contact the Welcome Stamp Contact Centre for advice.

You can reach them in the UK by dialling 0800 016 3098. If you can't get through to them by phone, email the department at [email protected].

I would recommend that you initially book a property on Airbnb for at least one month so you and your family can orientate yourselves to life in Barbados. You may wish to find a property with air conditioning as you will be suddenly going from a cold climate to a warm climate, and it may take some time for you to adjust.

Once you are ready to move into permanent accommodation, you may wish to look at rental properties with a lettings agent such as Terra Caribbean. The terms of lettings are similar to that of the UK – usually a minimum of six months. However, there is no deposit protection scheme in Barbados.

If you are bringing appliances or electronics to the island, you must check the electrical rating before you ship it. If it's rated "110v - 240v", you can use it in Barbados with a suitable power adapter or extension. Barbados uses the same plug sockets as the United States, but the voltage is 115v at a frequency of 50 Hz.

Some appliances, like coffee machines, are likely to be rated at "220v - 240v" and thus cannot be used in Barbados without either a heavy and expensive power transformer that can operate at twice the maximum wattage of that appliance, or in a property with Type G (UK) plug sockets rated at 220v.

A number of properties and hotels in Barbados already have 220v Type G plug sockets, but most properties don't. However, you should be able to get 220v Type G plug sockets installed in most properties by a qualified electrician, obviously with permission from the landlord. It may be cheaper to do this than buying a power transformer.

As regards to shipping your personal effects, most items can be shipped free of import duty as long as such belongings and effects were purchased more than one year ago. This exemption applies to residents only, but this should be satisfied by way of your remote work visa.

Barbados is under a lockdown until the 17th February 2021 and hopefully will not be extended beyond this date. You can still travel to the island during this period but there are business closures and movement restrictions which you will need to familiarise yourself with, should you be released from quarantine before the end of the lockdown period.