Guidance

Barbados: Knowledge Base profile

Published 25 March 2025

Version 2.0

About: Barbados

This document contains useful information about Barbados which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.

Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0

• published for Home Office staff on 21 March 2025

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with formatting changes.

Barbados: names

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Barbados.

Names in Barbados consist of:

• 2 or more forenames

• 1 surname

If the customer has a third forename, this will only be shown as an initial on their Barbados passport.

Change of name

Name changes are allowed in Barbados.

Name alignment

HM Passport office will not ask the customer to align their passport if they have a third forename that only appears as an initial on their Barbados passport.

Barbados: nationality

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality in Barbados.

Dual nationality is recognised in Barbados.

Barbados: legitimacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy in Barbados.

Legitimacy

Since 1 January 1980 Barbados does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. This means from this date all births are considered legitimate whether the child’s parents are married or not.

Children born in Barbados before 1 January 1980 were considered:

• legitimate if their parents:

  • were married at the time of their birth

  • married after their birth, but before 1 January 1980

• illegitimate if their parents were not married:

  • at the time of birth; or,

  • before 1 January 1980

Barbados: adoption

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about adoptions in Barbados.

Adoption is legal in Barbados.

Barbados: surrogacy

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about surrogacy in Barbados.

Surrogacy is not legal in Barbados, but egg donation is.

Barbados: civil partnerships and marriage

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about civil partnerships and marriage in Barbados.

Civil partnerships and same sex marriages are not recognised in Barbados.

Barbados: documents

This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents in Barbados.

The Supreme Court of Barbados holds a central registry for births, deaths and marriages. They:

• issue documents

• re-issue documents if an error is found

• provide copies of documents from their records (copies will be typed versions)

Birth certificates

Birth certificates are issued to every person born in Barbados.

All births in Barbados must be registered within 28 days of the date of birth. Late registration is possible. Birth certificates are issued after the birth is registered.

Marriage certificates

Marriages must be registered with the Supreme Court of Barbados within 28 days to be legal. Late marriage registrations may be accepted.

Death certificates

Deaths in Barbados must be registered with the Supreme Court of Barbados within 5 days of the death.

Death certificates are issued following a death being registered.

Identity documents

National identification cards are issued to all Barbados citizens.