Document checklist
Iran → Barbados: Short-stay tourist
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Checked by our automated verification on 20 Oct 2026: every source on this page resolves and the data is structurally complete. This does not confirm a person re-read the source text for accuracy.
Required documents
10 itemsIdentity
Application form, completed in full and signed: one per applicant
RequiredApply before you book anything: the department's instruction is that you should submit the application and be granted permission to travel PRIOR to booking and confirming travel. Processing takes three weeks and no status updates are given, though the department will contact you directly if it finds a fault with the documents. Applications can be filed through the online portal at apps.immigration.gov.bb, or at a Barbados mission or consulate abroad. If you also need a US or UK visa appointment, schedule it outside the three-week window.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Birth certificate, and marriage certificate where applicable
RequiredListed as a standard part of the application. Anything not in English must come with a certified copy of an English translation.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Copies of the passport's outer cover and biometric page
RequiredCopies, not the passport itself, the visa is issued as a LETTER, which airline check-in staff and Barbadian immigration officers accept. You only need to send the actual passport if you want the visa endorsed in it, and then you must include a prepaid airway bill for its return. Separately, at the border your passport must be valid for the duration of your trip.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
One passport-size photograph
RequiredA single photo, submitted with the application form.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Proof of status where you live, if that isn't your country of birth
If you're applying from a country other than your place of birth, you must copy and submit proof of your status there, a work permit, student visa or residence permit.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Financial
Visa fee: US$107 single entry, US$211 multiple entry
RequiredPaid by banker's draft, signed and dated, addressed to the Chief Immigration Officer; postal money orders are also accepted. Single entry is US$107 and permits one entry within a three-month period; multiple entry is US$211 and permits numerous entries within six months. Members of the Diplomatic Corps are exempt from the fee but must still submit form J with a copy of the passport bio page.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Purpose of travel
Cover letter to the Chief Immigration Officer
RequiredAddressed to the 'Chief Immigration Officer', carrying a return address, phone number, fax number and email address, and setting out the purpose of the visit, the proposed date of entry and how long you intend to stay.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Employment
Employment letter, or a letter from your school, college or university
RequiredWhichever applies to you. If you're attending a US or UK embassy appointment as part of the trip, a copy of that appointment letter is also asked for.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Travel
Online Immigration and Customs Form, within 72 hours of arrival
RequiredRequired of every traveller regardless of visa status. The form opens 72 hours before arrival; once submitted, save or print the Immigration and Customs receipts and present them on arrival. At the border you'll also need a return ticket to your country of residence, the address you're staying at, and evidence of personal support.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Other
Notarised parental consent letter, for travellers under 18
An unaccompanied minor needs a written consent letter from a parent or legal guardian, signed by a notary public with the seal affixed, stating the duration of stay and naming, with contact details, the authorised adult who will receive them on arrival. A minor travelling with an adult who isn't a parent or guardian needs the equivalent letter identifying the accompanying adult, and the receiving adult if different. Travel with the original and a copy.
Source: Barbados Immigration Department
Why applications on this route get refused
Refused entry at the port despite holding a visa
The department puts this in capitals: an entry visa is a pre-requisite to SEEK entry into Barbados, it does not guarantee entry, and permission to enter is granted only by the immigration officer at the port of entry.
How to avoid it: Carry the border documents as well as the visa, return ticket, the address you're staying at, and evidence of personal support, and make sure they match what the visa application said.
Travel booked before permission was granted
The published sequence is to apply, be processed and be granted permission to travel BEFORE booking and confirming travel. Processing runs three weeks and the department gives no updates in the meantime.
How to avoid it: Treat the three weeks as a hard lead time and hold off on non-refundable bookings until the decision arrives.
Documents submitted in a language other than English
Any document not in English must be accompanied by a certified copy of the English translation, a rule that catches birth and marriage certificates in particular.
How to avoid it: Get certified translations before submitting, rather than waiting to be asked.
Application form not completed in full, or not signed
The requirement is explicit that the form must be completed IN FULL and SIGNED, with one form per applicant, a family cannot share a single form.
How to avoid it: File one fully completed, signed form per person, including for children.
Sources
- Barbados Immigration Department · checked 23 Sept 2026
- Barbados Immigration Department · checked 23 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Barbados application fee.
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