I moved to Barbados during the pandemic to go to work. Here’s how I did it

(CNN) – About a month ago, I packed my life in Hong Kong in two suitcases and traveled 16,000 miles to Barbados.

Barbados is so far away from Hong Kong – the shortest travel time is 24 hours – that I was not sure I would ever get the chance to visit.

What Barbados needs to work there

The visa scheme has a fee of $ 2000 for individuals or $ 3000 for families, which is payable after applications are approved.

Applicants must complete an online form, submit an income statement and details of the work they will be doing during their time on the island.

Those accepted still pay taxes in their home country and are not liable for income tax in Barbados.

“Covid-19 has changed the global business landscape as a larger number of people continue to work from home,” Barbados Premier Mia Amor Mottley said when the scheme was launched.

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

Welcome stamp was just the ticket

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

In Hong Kong, reality seemed grim to me when I first learned of the plan. As a freelance journalist specializing in lifestyle topics, I lost most of my job in 2020.

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

I was still not prepared to cut ties with Hong Kong completely. I just wanted to go somewhere else. Barbados’ welcome stamp was just the ticket, and it also provided an opportunity to expand my scope of work.

After learning that my application was approved within a few days and taking some time to think it through, I completed the payment in October and was ready to move in November.

Relocation during Covid-19: First choose a route

It was a challenge to plan a itinerary that included three days of travel, at a time when international travel is greatly interrupted.

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

Of course, traveling is not the most responsible thing to do at the moment. But because I would be living in Barbados for a long time, I was willing to take the risk.

Because I am a dual British-Canadian citizen, I thought I could keep the safest in my one of these countries.

It would remove the chance of being turned away in a country where I am not a citizen, the boundary rules would suddenly change.

A London stopover did not matter. At the time, Hong Kong was on the UK list of itineraries, which means I did not have to quarantine on arrival. Passenger arrival forms are required for both London and Bridgetown.

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

Search for a Covid-19 test site

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

It took me a while before I could find a clinic that met all my requirements, which had to present the results with a fairly quick turnaround, taking into account the time between the test and the arrival in Barbados.

On November 28, I leave for Hong Kong Airport for my big trek.

Unfortunately, when I booked my Virgin Atlantic flight, I was informed that the trip from London to Bridgetown had been canceled from the trip weeks ago. I have not received any prior notice of this. There would be no flight for another two weeks.

So I unexpectedly stayed in Hong Kong for two weeks. Paranoid about the growing number of cases in Hong Kong and aware 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.

Finally, on December 12, I board the plane to London for the first ride of my trip.

Arrival and quarantine

London was in the lock at the time. I had more than 24 hours there and spent it all in my room at a hotel at the airport.

The next day I was amazed at how busy the departure area of ​​Heathrow Airport was – a stark contrast to the ghost town that had become Hong Kong International Airport.

I had been traveling for so long at this point that the nine-hour trip to Barbados felt like an eternity. But I felt my fatigue immediately disappear as I was greeted with the face of the deep blue Caribbean Sea as we circled above Grantley Adams International Airport.

I was soon baking in the sun while we were asked to form lines to present our test results to staff.

It was much faster to cancel immigration than I thought – and people seemed really excited to see another Welkom Stamper arrive.

It is perhaps not surprising that the lines for interviews with health officials have taken the longest. I got paperwork explaining that I had to take my temperature and submit it to the authorities twice a day at WhatsApp seven days a day.

In addition, I will have to undergo a compulsory test four to five days after the date on which I took a test in my home country. After that, I will be free to walk around Barbados.

At my hotel in Holetown on the west coast – one of the designated quarantine residences of the government – I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that I was allowed to go out on the patio’s room during the quarantine.

The next day, the reception bank helped me take the test at a government clinic. Travelers also have the option of having it taken by a doctor or nurse in your room, but at a cost. It’s free to do it at a government clinic, but you do have to pay for a taxi.

The taxi ride was an exciting opportunity to pull into the sights of Barbados before I could venture out.

Next to a variety of colorful bungalow-style houses, I saw a sign in the Baoan creole, issued by the local health authorities, urging residents to stay home and ‘protect the family’.

At that time, visitors were told to expect their results within 24 to 48 hours. I took my test on Tuesday afternoon and received my negative results early on Thursday morning.

Three or so days in quarantine seemed relatively small compared to the 14-day standard countries like Canada.

Work from Paradise

With quarantine behind us, it was time to explore my new home. I pulled out of my hotel and headed to an AirBnb in Hastings on the south coast while searching for a place to live.

It was not as challenging to adjust my new working hours as I thought. I already expected that changes would be necessary after I moved 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 from Asia. The early morning hours are done if necessary.

It also means I usually take 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 Sunday afternoons and evenings, which are in Hong Kong on Monday mornings.

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

Connection set up

About the time I arrived in Barbados, there were reports of tourists misbehaving with their quarantine rules. The country had new figures for months, but it appeared a series of quarantine violations could mean a spread in the community could be imminent.

The evening watch series continued throughout the month, while case numbers continued to fluctuate. Travel rules have changed – now visitors can expect to stay in quarantine longer compared to what I experienced in December.

I could still visit the beautiful beaches that Barbados is known for – many of them are fairly empty and offer plenty of room for social distance – although I have noticed that many businesses have chosen to limit their services or working hours, even without official guidance on it. to do.

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

On January 27, the government announced a closure period from February 3 to 17. Most businesses will be closed, with only supermarkets and gas stations operating within limited hours. The evening clock is also extended to 19:00 to 06:00

Being in paradise is probably nobody’s pleasure, but I remind myself that I’m going to explore this beautiful island for the rest of the year.