Trinidad and Tobago · Work
Trinidad and Tobago Work permit
Work Permit (individual or group, via TTBizLink)
First checked against official sources on Record corrected 11 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Work permit is a work 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
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Trinidad and Tobago
What you'll need
Who can apply3
- The applicant is a non-national who will be employed in Trinidad and Tobago, whether for gain or not.
- A person who enters to work for one period of no more than 30 days in every 12 consecutive months does not need a permit.
- The employer or its attorney-at-law justifies why a national cannot be hired for the job.
What you must show2
- Processing fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180) per application or extension, non-refundable.
- Duration fee of TTD 900 (≈ $130) for each month of the approved period, with a minimum of TTD 2,700 (≈ $400).
Documents5
- Covering letter from the employer, application forms signed by employee and employer, and passport copy.
- Two character references no older than six months, and a curriculum vitae with proof of qualifications.
- Police certificate of character no older than six months from each place of domicile in the last five years, plus a fingerprint search.
- Proof that the job was advertised for at least seven days in the daily newspapers, with an evaluation report on the applicants.
- Tax clearance certificate Form C from Inland Revenue if the applicant was previously employed in Trinidad and Tobago.
Steps2
- Apply online through the employer's TTBizLink corporate account at least six weeks before the employee starts.
- Extensions are filed at least two months before the permit expires.
After you arrive1
- Pay and collect the approved permit within six months, then have it endorsed in the passport at the Immigration Division.
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
Employer-sponsored work authorisation for non-nationals; individual applications (1 to 9 permits) and group applications (10 or more) are filed online through TTBizLink, and the employer must show why a national cannot be hired. 1 2 3
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. 3
- 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. 3
- A fee of TTD 2,700 (≈ $400) · Minimum total duration fee for a work permit. 3
Requirements
- The applicant is a non-national who will be employed in Trinidad and Tobago, whether for gain or not. 2 3
- A person who enters to work for one period of no more than 30 days in every 12 consecutive months does not need a permit. 2 3
- The employer or its attorney-at-law justifies why a national cannot be hired for the job. 3
- Processing fee of TTD 1,200 (≈ $180) per application or extension, non-refundable. 3
- Duration fee of TTD 900 (≈ $130) for each month of the approved period, with a minimum of TTD 2,700 (≈ $400). 3
- Covering letter from the employer, application forms signed by employee and employer, and passport copy. 3
- Two character references no older than six months, and a curriculum vitae with proof of qualifications. 3
- Police certificate of character no older than six months from each place of domicile in the last five years, plus a fingerprint search. 3
- Proof that the job was advertised for at least seven days in the daily newspapers, with an evaluation report on the applicants. 3
- Tax clearance certificate Form C from Inland Revenue if the applicant was previously employed in Trinidad and Tobago. 3
- Apply online through the employer's TTBizLink corporate account at least six weeks before the employee starts. 2 3
- Extensions are filed at least two months before the permit expires. 3
- Pay and collect the approved permit within six months, then have it endorsed in the passport at the Immigration Division. 3
Stay
- The permit period is set in the approval and extended on application; the duration fee is charged for each approved month.
Work
Work for the employer named in the permit.
Official sources
- Work Permit · Government of Trinidad and Tobago (ttconnect) · checked 2026-10-10
- 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
Work permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit | – | – | – |
| CSME Skills Certificate | – | 6 mo | Yes |
| Job-offer residence Mexico | – | 4 yr | – |
| Internationalisation visa M Colombia | – | 3 yr | – |
| Scientist/professional permit Costa Rica | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Work 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 Work permit?
The permit period is set in the approval and extended on application; the duration fee is charged for each approved month.
Can I work on the Work permit?
Work for the employer named in the permit.
Does the Work 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 Work 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
More in Trinidad and Tobago
Work 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 2026-10-11 against 6 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.
- Work Permit · Government of Trinidad and Tobago (ttconnect) · checked 2026-10-10
- 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 2026-10-10. 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.