Barbados lifts quarantine and second PCR for fully vaccinated travellers

The winter sun favourite is easing travel restrictions for vaccinated holidaymakers and their kids

Paynes Bay, Barbados at golden hour (Getty Images)

The Caribbean island of Barbados has scrapped its quarantine requirement and mandatory second PCR test for fully vaccinated visitors.

Vaccinated travellers now only need a negative result from a PCR test, taken within the three days before travel, and proof of vaccination to enter.

They may still be stopped for random free antigen testing on arrival at Barbados’s airport and, if selected, must wait the short turnaround time for a negative result before leaving the airport.

Unvaccinated travellers may also travel to the island with a negative PCR result from the previous 72 hours, but will need to quarantine for five days at a pre-approved accommodation, as well as taking a second PCR test at their own expense (at a specific, approved lab) on day five of their trip and continue to self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

The island has also scrapped its Countries of Special Consideration list, which imposed alternative restrictions on travellers who had come from destinations with worrying variants, including Brazil, India and South Africa.

The new rules, published by the Barbados Ministry of Tourism, came into effect on 26 October and apply to anyone fully vaccinated with seven approved vaccines - Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Sputnik V - who received their final dose more than 14 days before arrival.

It is understood that Barbados will add to the list of approved vaccines in the coming months.

All visitors to the island must also fill in a Customs and Immigrations form and submit it 24 hours before travel, as well as downloading the BIMSafe app where they can complete a travel form and validate their proof of vaccination.

Children under 18 travelling with a fully vaccinated parent or guardian can follow the same rules as their vaccinated chaperone, regardless of whether they’ve had their jabs or not. Kids under five can bypass testing completely, unless they are symptomatic or a family member tests positive.