North and Central America and Caribbean

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• The hurricane season in Barbados normally runs from June to November.  See the Natural Disasters (Hurricanes) section of this advice and the Tropical Cyclones page of the FCO website for more details.
  
  
• There are confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) in Barbados. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. Check swine flu for further information. Guidance about pandemic flu is available through the UK Department of Health .
  
  
• Around 250,000 British nationals visit Barbados each year (Source: Barbadian Immigration).  Most visits are trouble-free.  71 British nationals required consular assistance in Barbados in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (23 cases); hospitalisations (9 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (22 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (59 cases). There have also been cases of armed robbery and muggings of tourists. See the Crime section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism in Barbados. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance for more details.