Montserrat – Small Business UK

Welcome to the Caribbean’s version of the Emerald Isle. Montserrat is a small island (similarly shaped to Ireland) with a small population – the Soufrière Hills make it one for volcano enthusiasts.

History buffs might be more partial to a hike to the petroglyphs or a buried city tour of country’s capital, Plymouth (with a certified tour guide only). As for sport, Montserrat is known for cricket, football and basketball.

The average temperature year-round, like most of the Caribbean, is 27 degrees Celsius. It’s definitely a place for the more chilled-out. Business hours aren’t late, with most businesses – aside from restaurants, pubs and clubs – closed by 7pm.

There aren’t any co-working spaces either, but you can work from cafés. Montserrat isn’t listed on Speedtest, so it won’t have the best internet speeds.

It is a very cheap place to live though, as these figures from Numbeo show:

• Three-course meal for two at mid-range restaurant: 130EC$ (£39)
• 1 litre regular milk: 9EC$ (£2.70)
• 500g loaf of fresh white bread: 8EC$ (£2.40)
• One-way ticket on public transport: 5EC$ (£1.50) per month
• 3-bedroom flat in city centre: 3,500EC$ (£1,045) per month

Traditional dishes include goat water (goat stew), duckna (dumpling cooked with coconut and sweet potato, served with salted fish) and pumpkin soup.  

The digital nomad visa

https://montserratremoteworker.com/

Name of visa: Montserrat Remote Work Stamp

Length of stay: One year

Visa fee: Application fees are required before application processing. These fees are non-refundable.

• Single Applicant
• USD$500 (£400)
• Families (up to 3 dependents): USD$750 (£600)
  Additional family member: USD$250 (£250) each

Can I extend my stay? No, but you can reapply using the standard process

Requirements:

• Works for an employer that is registered in a foreign country and they have a contract of work with that employer; or
• Conducts business activity for a company that is registered in a foreign country and of which they are a partner/shareholder; or
• Offers freelance or consulting services mostly to clients, whose permanent establishments are in a foreign country, and with whom they have contracts; and
• Has health insurance with valid Montserrat and Covid-19 coverage.

Minimum salary: $70,000 (£56,858)

How to apply: Online at https://montserratremoteworker.com/

It takes seven days to process once the application is received.