Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago CARICOM free movement
First stay: 6 mo
CARICOM skilled nationals free movement (CSME Skills Certificate)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
CARICOM free movement is a long-stay route for Trinidad and Tobago. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
- First stay
- 6 mo
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 apply4
- The person is a national of one of the 12 participating CSME states and holds a valid passport of that state.
- Approved categories include university graduates (bachelor degree), associate degree holders, artistes, musicians, media workers and sportspersons.
- Nurses, teachers, artisans, domestic workers, agricultural workers and private security officers also qualify.
- Persons outside the approved categories must apply for a work permit from the Ministry of National Security.
Documents2
- A police certificate of character from the home country is required before residency or an indefinite stamp is granted.
- Holders of another state's certificate present their passport, original certificate and a verification application form.
Steps3
- Obtain a Skills Certificate from a competent authority of a participating state, or apply to the Trinidad and Tobago CSME Unit via the eApplication portal.
- On entry the person receives a definite stay of 6 months, within which a certificate from another state must be verified free of charge.
- After the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs confirms verification, the holder books the Immigration Division to receive the appropriate stamp.
After you arrive1
- Holders must pay taxes and national insurance contributions in the same way as nationals; free movement is not a right to citizenship.
When you become tax resident
How Trinidad and Tobago decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
6 months at first
- 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
Nationals of 11 other CSME states in an approved skills category (such as university graduates) can work in Trinidad and Tobago without a work permit once their CARICOM Skills Certificate is verified, with indefinite stay. 1 2
Requirements
- The person is a national of one of the 12 participating CSME states and holds a valid passport of that state. 1 2
- Approved categories include university graduates (bachelor degree), associate degree holders, artistes, musicians, media workers and sportspersons. 1
- Nurses, teachers, artisans, domestic workers, agricultural workers and private security officers also qualify. 1
- Persons outside the approved categories must apply for a work permit from the Ministry of National Security. 1
- A police certificate of character from the home country is required before residency or an indefinite stamp is granted. 1
- Holders of another state's certificate present their passport, original certificate and a verification application form. 1
- Obtain a Skills Certificate from a competent authority of a participating state, or apply to the Trinidad and Tobago CSME Unit via the eApplication portal. 1
- On entry the person receives a definite stay of 6 months, within which a certificate from another state must be verified free of charge. 1
- After the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs confirms verification, the holder books the Immigration Division to receive the appropriate stamp. 1
- Holders must pay taxes and national insurance contributions in the same way as nationals; free movement is not a right to citizenship. 1
Stay
- 6-month definite stay on entry; indefinite stay once the Skills Certificate is verified and the immigration stamp is granted.
- Initial permitted stay: 6 months.
- On entry up to 6 months: Certificate from another state must be verified by the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs within these 6 months.
- After verification: Immigration Division stamp; indefinite stay while engaged in legitimate economic activity.
Nationality
Nationals of the CSME free movement states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname. Open to: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, VC, Suriname.
Work
No work permit needed for approved categories. Holders must be engaged in a legitimate economic activity and can buy or rent property.
Family
Spouses and immediate dependent family members may move with the Skills Certificate holder and receive the appropriate stamp from the Immigration Division.
Official sources
- CSME - CARICOM Single Market and Economy · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-10
- CSME Certificate Portal · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana · checked 2026-10-10
CARICOM free movement and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARICOM free movement | – | 6 mo | Limited |
| Visa-free stay Mexico | – | 6 mo | No |
| Andean free movement Colombia | – | 2 yr | Yes |
| Free movement by treaty Brazil | – | – | – |
| Mercosur residence Argentina | – | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the CARICOM free movement?
6-month definite stay on entry; indefinite stay once the Skills Certificate is verified and the immigration stamp is granted.
Can I work on the CARICOM free movement?
Limited. No work permit needed for approved categories.
Can I bring my family on the CARICOM free movement?
Spouses and immediate dependent family members may move with the Skills Certificate holder and receive the appropriate stamp from the Immigration Division.
Who can apply for the CARICOM free movement?
Nationals of the CSME free movement states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname. 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 CARICOM free movement 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
Similar visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
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 2026-10-10
- CSME Certificate Portal · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana · checked 2026-10-10
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.