Dominica will join Barbados, Belize, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in launching full Free Movement from October 1, 2025, setting a landmark in Caribbean integration. This means that from that date, citizens of those four countries will be able to move, live, work, and stay indefinitely in each other’s territories without work or residency permits.
Additionally, people will be granted access to emergency healthcare and public primary and secondary education in their host country, under terms aligned with available capacity. The move follows decisions made at CARICOM’s 49th Heads of Government meeting, where the legal framework for enhanced cooperation under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas was strengthened to allow subsets of member states to progress toward full integration, even if not all members are ready.
Behind the scenes, officials from the four participating states have been finalizing legislative and administrative arrangements to ensure that when October arrives, free movement is operational, not merely declarative.
One supporting voice has come from the Private Sector Organization, which has hailed the October implementation and called on other CARICOM countries to resolve remaining legal, regulatory, and administrative hurdles.
For Dominica, this development means far more than easier travel. It signals deeper integration, more opportunity for citizens to pursue work and education across borders, and expanded access to essential services.
As the October rollout nears, attention is focused on how smoothly the reforms will be adopted, and how effectively the government and regional partners will manage the transition.
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