Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St. Vincent finalize systems for full free movement

Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have finalized the administrative systems needed to roll out full Free Movement among their countries on 1 October 2025, following a CARICOM Heads of Government decision taken in July.

Representatives from the four Member States met on Thursday, 18 September, to coordinate, update, and confirm the next steps toward the historic launch. The meeting focused on the final administrative arrangements required under this enhanced cooperation initiative and underscored the importance of public education to ensure that nationals are aware of their new rights and responsibilities. Officials confirmed that most of the systems are in place to be activated on the start date.

Under the agreement, nationals of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will have the right to enter, leave and re-enter, move freely, reside, work, and remain indefinitely in any of the participating countries without the need for a work or residency permit. They will also be able to access emergency and primary health care, as well as public primary and secondary education, subject to the capacity of the receiving Member State.

This Free Movement arrangement is being implemented under the Enhanced Cooperation Chapter of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which allows groups of at least three CARICOM Member States to advance integration among themselves when a Community-wide approach would take longer.

The initiative goes beyond the existing CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) regimes, which currently allow for the free movement of skills, services, business establishment, and travel facilitation. By contrast, this new arrangement offers full mobility to all CARICOM nationals of the four participating states.

Other CSME Member States will continue to operate their free-movement provisions under the existing regimes while observing the progress of this pioneering group.