Work permits are easily obtained for foreigners. However, many jobs are designed for "Belongers" only. Belongers are people that have TCI citizenship which is not easily obtained. Work permits are applied through agencies on the island and require proof of citizenship, proof of employment, proof of residence on the island, and are then ratified by passing an HIV test. This test is safely and cleanly performed at the local clinic for $100 USD. After a work permit has been issued, your employer may ask you to apply for "National Insurance".
Few work permits are issued for specific jobs. Example, as of 2007 only 5 work permits on the island were held for photographers. Typical cost for this profession was around $2500 USD, renewable every six months. There are discounts (through agencies) for one year permits. A work permit for a Clerk position is $500 for every six months, with the same discount structure.
It can take up to 6 months to actually have the work permit in hand, with enforcement being slack unless you are in direct competition with a Belonger.
Certain jobs on the island are deemed unfit for non-Belongers to apply for: banking, civil servants, and boat operators are specific jobs that fall under this rule.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Turks and Caicos Islands
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Turks and Caicos Islands - updated May 2024
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Turks and Caicos Islands Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
