The Caribbean’s most powerful passport just got a facelift – Barbados’ new passport features a new design, enhanced security features in line with international standards, and highlights of cultural landmarks.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Wilfred Abrahams, Minister of Home Affairs and Information referred to the new passport as a “collector’s item,” while reiterating its security. The new passport now features images of local attractions such as the rock at Bathsheba, Kensington Oval, and Farley Hill among others. The new security features of the passport have cleverly been embedded into these images.
The transition has begun, but the government now faces a huge demand as many held off renewals to get their hands on the new passport – however, the Minister assured that the government has “enough passports to service everybody.” Barbados nationals will continue to hold two passports until the old passport is “renewed out of the system.”
Furthermore, the Minister also announced that the thicker business passport with additional pages will now be discontinued to standardize a single passport for all citizens. As more and more countries move to electronic immigration procedures, business passports have become obsolete. “We took the decision to phase out the businessman’s passport because it makes more sense to have a standard book, so you’re not ordering different stock. You have one book that you can use for everybody. And it just makes it a lot easier to control and it makes it more secure,” he stated.
While the new passport certainly brings aesthetic improvements and enhanced security, the Barbadian passport is also amongst the most powerful passports in the world. With a mobility score of 153 countries and a massive global reach of 77%, the Barbadian passport ranks at 15th place on Arton’s Passport Index – amongst the Caribbean passports, it ranks first. Wondering how the top 5 Caribbean passports compare? Find out here.
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