Trinidad and Tobago · Business / Startup
Trinidad and Tobago Investor or self-employed permit
Work Permit for investors and self-employed persons (via TTBizLink)
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
Investor or self-employed permit is a business / startup route for Trinidad and Tobago. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- TTD 1,200 ≈ $180 · +2 more
Cost, time and long term
Government feesTTD 1,200 ≈ $180 · +2 more
- TTD 1,200 (≈ $180)Work permit processing fee for each application or extension, non-refundable and non-transferable.
- TTD 900 a month (≈ $130)Duration fee for each month of the approved work permit period (Legal Notice 493 of 29 December 2025), paid in full before the permit is processed.
- TTD 2,700 (≈ $400)Minimum total duration fee for a work permit.
RenewalRenewable
A work permit can be extended on application, submitted no later than two months before it expires. The duration fee is paid for each approved month.
Permanent residenceGeneral rule: 5 years of residence
A person who has lived continuously in Trinidad and Tobago for five years (or a shorter period of at least twelve months that the Minister accepts) and has established themselves with enough means of support can ask the Minister for resident status. The Minister decides each case.
Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Trinidad and TobagoMinistry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 5 years of residence
Naturalisation needs residence in Trinidad and Tobago for the 12 months before applying and at least five years of residence in total in the seven years before that. The Minister decides each application.
Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- The applicant owns or directs a business in Trinidad and Tobago as an investor or self-employed person.
- Owners and directors do not have to advertise the position.
What you must show1
- Processing fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180) per application and a duration fee of TTD 900 (≈ $130) a month (minimum TTD 2,700 (≈ $400)).
Documents5
- Sole trade or partnership: certificate of registration of the business and Board of Inland Revenue registration (BIR file number).
- Company: certificate of incorporation, articles, notices of directors, address and secretary, and declaration of compliance with any special resolution.
- A declaration of the investment or assets being brought into the economy of Trinidad and Tobago.
- Covering letter, signed application forms, two character references, passport copy, CV and proof of qualifications.
- Police certificate of character from places of domicile in the last five years, plus a fingerprint search.
Steps2
- A self-employed person can have an attorney-at-law practising in Trinidad and Tobago apply on their behalf.
- Apply online through TTBizLink at least six weeks before the planned start of work.
After you arrive1
- The company's annual return is submitted with the documents for renewal of the permit.
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 for non-nationals who invest in and run or direct their own business in Trinidad and Tobago, applied for online with proof of ownership or directorship of the business; no employer sponsor is needed. 1 2
What you must show and pay
- A fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180) · Work permit processing fee for each application or extension, non-refundable and non-transferable. 2
- A fee of TTD 900 a month (≈ $130) · Duration fee for each month of the approved work permit period (Legal Notice 493 of 29 December 2025), paid in full before the permit is processed. 2
- A fee of TTD 2,700 (≈ $400) · Minimum total duration fee for a work permit. 2
Requirements
- The applicant owns or directs a business in Trinidad and Tobago as an investor or self-employed person. 2
- Owners and directors do not have to advertise the position. 2
- Processing fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180) per application and a duration fee of TTD 900 (≈ $130) a month (minimum TTD 2,700 (≈ $400)). 2
- Sole trade or partnership: certificate of registration of the business and Board of Inland Revenue registration (BIR file number). 2
- Company: certificate of incorporation, articles, notices of directors, address and secretary, and declaration of compliance with any special resolution. 2
- A declaration of the investment or assets being brought into the economy of Trinidad and Tobago. 2
- Covering letter, signed application forms, two character references, passport copy, CV and proof of qualifications. 2
- Police certificate of character from places of domicile in the last five years, plus a fingerprint search. 2
- A self-employed person can have an attorney-at-law practising in Trinidad and Tobago apply on their behalf. 2
- Apply online through TTBizLink at least six weeks before the planned start of work. 1 2
- The company's annual return is submitted with the documents for renewal of the permit. 2
Stay
- The permit period is set in the approval and extended on application.
Nationality
No nationality restriction stated.
Work
Work in the business named in the application.
Family
Persons accompanying the applicant are listed in the application.
Official sources
- Work Permits · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Work Permits for Non-nationals: guidelines for submitting applications (updated 1 January 2026) · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Act, Chap. 18:01, ss. 5, 6, 7 and 10 · Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required when applying for resident status: 5(3), persons residing in Trinidad and Tobago for a continuous period of 5 years · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago (formerly Ministry of National Security) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Act, Chapter 1:50 · Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
Investor or self-employed permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor or self-employed permit | – | – | – |
| CSME business right | – | – | Limited |
| 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 much money do I need for the Investor or self-employed permit?
A fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180). Work permit processing fee for each application or extension, non-refundable and non-transferable. A fee of TTD 900 a month (≈ $130). Duration fee for each month of the approved work permit period (Legal Notice 493 of 29 December 2025), paid in full before the permit is processed. A fee of TTD 2,700 (≈ $400). Minimum total duration fee for a work permit.
How long can I stay on the Investor or self-employed permit?
The permit period is set in the approval and extended on application.
Can I work on the Investor or self-employed permit?
Work in the business named in the application.
Can I bring my family on the Investor or self-employed permit?
Persons accompanying the applicant are listed in the application.
Does the Investor or self-employed permit lead to permanent residence in Trinidad and Tobago?
The general rule for permanent residence in Trinidad and Tobago is 5 years of residence. The general rule for citizenship is 5 years of residence.
Is there a tax break for Investor or self-employed permit 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
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 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.
- Work Permits · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Work Permits for Non-nationals: guidelines for submitting applications (updated 1 January 2026) · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Immigration Act, Chap. 18:01, ss. 5, 6, 7 and 10 · Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-11
- Documents required when applying for resident status: 5(3), persons residing in Trinidad and Tobago for a continuous period of 5 years · Ministry of Homeland Security, Trinidad and Tobago (formerly Ministry of National Security) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Act, Chapter 1:50 · Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal 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.