6 Things To Know About Living In The British Virgin Islands

Craft Alive Village, Road Town, Tortola,
British Virgin Islands

In this blog post, I list 6 things that that you might be interested in knowing if you want to live in the British Virgin Islands. 

1.  Work Permit
In order to be living in the British Virgin Islands you must be legally employed.  To do that you must have a work permit.  After you have obtained employment your potential employer would submit your work permit to the labour department.  You are required have to leave the territory at this point until your work permit has been approved.

After your work permit has been approved* you will have to return to the territory (with a return ticket) and pay a work permit fee.  This fee is calculated based on your job title.  Some employers pay for some of their employees work permits without a reimbursement agreement.  Some employers may pay for your work permit if you ask them.  You will have to reimburse your employer over an agreed period of time.  You will also have to pay for immigration time which is a standard US25.00.  And have it renewed annually.

*You will be required to do a medical check up in your home country and get a police report

You will have to renew your work permit every year.

2. Vehicles
The vehicles we drive are left hand drive vehicles and we drive on the left side of the road.

3. Capital of the British Virgin Islands
Tortola is the primary island of the British virgin islands and the capital is Road Town

4. Driver's License

When you first arrive in the territory you can use your current drivers license for 3 months.  After that you will have to get a British Virgin Islands drivers license - you will have to do a written test with your application.

5. BVI Sources Of Revenue
The territory main sources of revenue of tourism and off shore banking

6. The Islands Of The British Virgin Islands 

The islands in the territory are:

Tortola, Anegada, Beef Island, Safa Rock, Virgin Gorda, Jos Van Dyke, Peter Island, Salt island, Ginger Island, Norman Island, Cooper Island

7. Food Franchise Outlets
There are no food franchise outlets and malls in the territory.  You will have to travel to St. Thomas for the malls and food franchise outlets.