I moved to Barbados during the pandemic to work. See how I did it

(CNN) – Just over a month ago, I put my life in Hong Kong in two suitcases and moved 16,000 kilometers to Barbados.

Barbados is so far away from Hong Kong – the shortest travel time is 24 hours – that I wasn’t sure if I would ever have a chance to visit.

What Barbados requires to work there

Open to all remote workers who earn at least $ 50,000 a year, the visa scheme has a fee of $ 2,000 for individuals or $ 3,000 for families, which must be paid after applications are approved.

Applicants must complete an online form, submit a tax return and details of the work they will do while on the island

Those who are accepted continue to pay taxes in their home country and are not responsible for income tax in Barbados.

“Covid-19 has changed the global business landscape as large numbers of people continue to work from home,” said Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley when the scheme was launched.

“With this new visa, we can give workers the opportunity to spend the next 12 months working remotely, from paradise, here in Barbados”.

Welcome Stamp was just the ticket

The scheme would also help boost Barbados’ economy, which relies heavily on tourism and has been hit hard by the effects of the pandemic.

In Hong Kong, the reality seemed bleak to me when I heard about the scheme. As a freelance journalist specializing in lifestyle topics, I lost most of my work in 2020.

The pandemic has aggravated the city’s politically volatile situation. It felt like my hometown was becoming a shell of its former self.

Still, I was not ready to sever ties with Hong Kong entirely. I just wanted to go somewhere else for a while. The Barbados Welcome Stamp was just a ticket and also offered the opportunity to expand my scope of work.

After learning that my application had been approved in a few days and taking some time to think about it, I completed the payment in October and prepared to move in November.

Changing during Covid-19: first, choose a route

Planning a trip that involves three days of travel, at a time when international travel is very disrupted, was a challenge.

There is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados.

Traveling, of course, is not the most responsible thing to do right now. But since he would be in Barbados for an extended period, he was willing to take the risk.

As I have dual Canadian-British citizenship, I thought my safest bet would be to make my stopover in any of these countries.

This would eliminate any chance of being refused in a country where I am not a citizen if border rules change suddenly.

A stopover in London was a no-brainer. At the time, Hong Kong was on the UK travel corridor list, which means that I wouldn’t have to be quarantined on arrival. Passenger arrival forms are required for London and Bridgetown.

I booked a flight from Hong Kong to London, with a one night stopover, and then a morning flight the next day to Bridgetown.

Next, find a Covid-19 test site

Self-administered home tests are also not accepted. My family doctor also warned me about Covid-19 clinics that were not accredited.

It took me some time to find a clinic that would meet all my needs, which needed to show results with a very quick return considering the time between the test and arrival in Barbados.

On November 28, I left for Hong Kong airport for my big move.

Unfortunately, during check-in for my Virgin Atlantic flight, I was informed that the leg of the trip between London and Bridgetown had been canceled weeks ago – I did not receive any prior notification about it. There would be no flight for another two weeks.

So I ended up unexpectedly staying in Hong Kong for fifteen days. Paranoid with the growing number of cases in Hong Kong and aware of the fact that I had to take another Covid-19 test before my new travel date, I spent most of the two weeks – including my 30th birthday in early December – in House.

Finally, on December 12, I flew to London for the first leg of my trip.

Arrival and quarantine

London was blocked at the time. I spent more than 24 hours there, and spent everything in my room at an airport hotel.

The next day, I was surprised to see how busy Heathrow Airport’s boarding area was – a stark contrast to the ghost town Hong Kong International Airport had become.

I had been traveling for so long that the nine-hour trip to Barbados seemed like an eternity. But I felt my fatigue disappear instantly when I was greeted at the sight of the deep blue Caribbean Sea as we circled over Grantley Adams International Airport.

I soon found myself sunbathing when we were asked to form lines to present the test results to the team.

Clearing immigration was much faster than I thought – and people seemed genuinely excited to see another Welcome Stamper arrive.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the queues for interviews with health workers were the longest. I received the paperwork that explained that I should take my temperature and send it to the authorities via WhatsApp twice a day for seven days.

In addition, I would need to pass a mandatory test four to five days after the date I took the test in my home country. After that, he would be free to roam Barbados.

At my West Coast hotel in Holetown – one of the government-designated quarantine accommodations – I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was allowed to go out into the bedroom courtyard during quarantine.

The next day, the front desk helped me arrange to get tested at a government clinic. Travelers also have the option to do it in their room by a doctor or nurse, but at a cost. Doing so at a government clinic is free, although you will need to pay for a round-trip taxi.

The taxi ride was an exciting opportunity to dive into the sights of Barbados before I could leave.

Beside a series of colorful bungalow-style houses, I spotted a plaque, issued by local health authorities, in Bajan’s Creole, asking residents to stay home and “protect their family.”

On the occasion, visitors were told to expect their results within 24 to 48 hours. I took my test at noon on Tuesday and received my negative results early on Thursday evening.

Three or more quarantined days seemed relatively shorter compared to the 14-day standard adopted by countries like Canada.

Working from paradise

With the quarantine behind me, it was time to explore my new home. I left my hotel and went to an AirBnb in Hastings, on the south coast, while looking for a place to live.

Adjusting to my new working hours was not as challenging as I thought it would be. I had already anticipated that changes would be necessary after moving to the other side of the world. Barbados is exactly 12 hours behind Hong Kong.

Since most of my work is based in Asia, I work at night – in the morning in Asia. Working until dawn is done when necessary.

It also means that I usually take time off on Fridays – when I wake up, it’s already the start of the weekend in Hong Kong. But on the other hand, I also work on Sunday afternoon and evening, which is Monday morning in Hong Kong.

The beauty of working remotely and as a freelancer is that I have a lot of flexibility.

Tax curfew

By the time I arrived in Barbados, reports of ill-behaved tourists who broke the quarantine rules began to emerge. The country had new single-digit numbers for months – but it seemed that a series of quarantine violations meant that a spread of the community could be imminent.

The curfew continued throughout the month, while the number of cases continued to fluctuate. Travel rules have changed – now visitors can expect to stay in quarantine longer compared to what I experienced in December.

I still managed to visit the beautiful beaches for which Barbados is famous – many of them are quite empty, providing ample space for social distance – although I realized that many companies have chosen to limit their services or opening hours, even without official guidance to do so.

St. Lawrence Gap, an area on the south coast famous for its restaurants and nightlife, was empty.

On January 27, the government announced a standstill period from February 3 to 17. Most businesses are scheduled to close, with only supermarkets and gas stations operating during limited hours. The curfew is also being extended from 7pm to 6am

Being stuck in paradise is probably not fun for anyone, but I keep reminding myself that I will have the rest of the year to explore this beautiful island.