Trinidad and Tobago · Business / Startup
Trinidad and Tobago CSME business right
CSME Right of Establishment: work permit exemption for CARICOM-owned businesses
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
CSME business right is a business / startup route for Trinidad and Tobago. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The work permit exemption can be extended on application, submitted three months before the current exemption expires.
Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
- Only for passports from 11 countries
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The business is more than 50% owned by a CARICOM national, shown by statutory declaration or special resolution registered with the Registrar General.
- The applicants are the partners or directors of the business, with spouse and dependants listed.
What you must show1
- Bank statements or other evidence of financial resources.
Documents4
- Business plan or project proposal for a new enterprise, business registration or certificate of incorporation, and Board of Inland Revenue registration.
- Tax receipts or Form C for the business and the individual, and VAT registration where applicable.
- Lease for the business premises, landlord permission, current contracts and licences or food badge where needed.
- Police certificates of character no older than six months for all partners, directors and spouses, from the home country and countries lived in for more than three months.
Steps1
- Submit PDF copies of the documents on the CSME eApplication platform.
After you arrive1
- Extension applications are filed three months before the exemption ends, with a progress report, three-year projections, annual returns and tax documents.
When you become tax resident
How Trinidad and Tobago decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
Residence is tested by ordinarily resident and domicile status in the Income Tax Act.
- Foreign-source income
Remittance basis (non-dom)
Section 5(2) of the Income Tax Act provides that income arising outside Trinidad and Tobago to a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled there is taxable on the amount received in Trinidad and Tobago, while employment exercised in Trinidad and Tobago is treated as income arising there whether or not received.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income of persons not ordinarily resident or not domiciled · Tax relief
All tax rules for Trinidad and Tobago Tax records checked
Full official text
Work permit exemption for CARICOM nationals who set up a business in Trinidad and Tobago that is more than 50% owned by CARICOM nationals; the application is made to the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs with a business plan and proof of finances. 1 2 3
Requirements
- The business is more than 50% owned by a CARICOM national, shown by statutory declaration or special resolution registered with the Registrar General. 2
- The applicants are the partners or directors of the business, with spouse and dependants listed. 2
- Bank statements or other evidence of financial resources. 2
- Business plan or project proposal for a new enterprise, business registration or certificate of incorporation, and Board of Inland Revenue registration. 2
- Tax receipts or Form C for the business and the individual, and VAT registration where applicable. 2
- Lease for the business premises, landlord permission, current contracts and licences or food badge where needed. 2
- Police certificates of character no older than six months for all partners, directors and spouses, from the home country and countries lived in for more than three months. 2
- Submit PDF copies of the documents on the CSME eApplication platform. 1
- Extension applications are filed three months before the exemption ends, with a progress report, three-year projections, annual returns and tax documents. 3
Stay
- The exemption period is set in the approval and extended on application filed three months before expiry.
Nationality
Businesses owned by nationals of participating CARICOM Member States. Open to: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, VC, Suriname.
Work
Work in the established business without a work permit.
Family
Spouse and dependants are listed in the application.
Official sources
- CSME - CARICOM Single Market and Economy · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for new applicants under the Right of Establishment · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for applicants for extension under the Right of Establishment · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
CSME business right and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSME business right | – | – | Limited |
| Investor or self-employed permit | – | – | – |
| Freelance professional M Colombia | Needs income of COP 8.8M+ a month ≈ $2,740 | 3 yr | Limited |
| BC Entrepreneur · Base Canada | Needs an investment of CAD 200k+ ≈ $140k | – | – |
| E-1 Treaty Trader United States | – | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the CSME business right?
The exemption period is set in the approval and extended on application filed three months before expiry.
Can I work on the CSME business right?
Limited. Work in the established business without a work permit.
Can I bring my family on the CSME business right?
Spouse and dependants are listed in the application.
Who can apply for the CSME business right?
Businesses owned by nationals of participating CARICOM Member States. Open to: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, VC, Suriname.
Is there a tax break for CSME business right holders in Trinidad and Tobago?
Trinidad and Tobago: foreign-source income of persons not ordinarily resident or not domiciled taxed when received: Section 5(2) of the Income Tax Act provides that income arising outside Trinidad and Tobago to a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled there is taxable on the amount received in Trinidad and Tobago, while employment exercised in Trinidad and Tobago is treated as income arising there whether or not received. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Trinidad and Tobago: foreign-source income of persons not ordinarily resident or not domiciled taxed when received
Tax relief
Details
- On: Foreign-source income actually received in Trinidad and Tobago
- Who: Person who is not ordinarily resident in Trinidad and Tobago
Section 5(2) of the Income Tax Act provides that income arising outside Trinidad and Tobago to a person who is not ordinarily resident or not domiciled there is taxable on the amount received in Trinidad and Tobago, while employment exercised in Trinidad and Tobago is treated as income arising there whether or not received.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income actually received in Trinidad and Tobago; Trinidad and Tobago employment income whether or not received.
Who it applies to
- Person who is not ordinarily resident in Trinidad and Tobago, or not domiciled there.
Exclusions
- Income from employment or office exercised in Trinidad and Tobago is taxable regardless of where received.
- Persons ordinarily resident and domiciled in Trinidad and Tobago fall under the general charge on income accruing in or derived from Trinidad and Tobago or elsewhere (s.5(1)).
Tax residence
Residence is tested by ordinary residence and domicile status under the Income Tax Act.
Visas
The treatment follows from residence and domicile under the Income Tax Act, not from a visa category.
Other taxes
Individual income tax is only part of the system; VAT and National Insurance contributions apply separately.
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
More in Trinidad and Tobago
Business / startup visas elsewhere
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 3 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- CSME - CARICOM Single Market and Economy · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for new applicants under the Right of Establishment · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required for applicants for extension under the Right of Establishment · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.