Working in Trinidad and Tobago as a French National: Permit, Pay, Taxation and Economy

Immigration regulations forbid anyone other than a citizen or a resident from practising a profession or holding a job in Trinidad and Tobago, paid or unpaid, without a valid work permit; the only exception cited by the Ministry of National Security is an activity of 30 days or less over twelve consecutive months. France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry) reminds travellers that the three-month visa-free stay does not allow any paid work.

Individual applications are processed online through the TTBizLink system, at least six weeks before the start date. The file includes, according to the official guidelines: a letter from the employer justifying why a national cannot be recruited, forms signed by the employer and the employee, two references less than six months old, a criminal record less than six months old for each place of residence over the last five years, a curriculum vitae and proof of qualifications, a photograph, proof of an advertisement published for at least seven days in the daily press (at least 3 by 5 inches) and an assessment report on the applications received. Documents must be notarised and translated into English if necessary. Investors and self-employed people provide proof of ownership of the business and a registration number with the tax administration.

• Fees: TTD 1,200 for processing, non-refundable; on approval, TTD 900 per month of permit, with a minimum of TTD 2,700, paid for the whole period before issue (Legal Notice 493 of 29 December 2025).
• Extension: application at the latest two months before expiry, with a tax certificate, advertisement and updated documents.
• Arrival formality: after receipt, the permit has to be stamped in the passport at the Immigration Division.
• Contact: permits help desk (eworkpermithelpdesk@mhs.gov.tt, +1 868 224 4667 extension 18300).

The national minimum wage is TTD 20.50 an hour (Ministry of Labour). It applies to all sectors; the reference working time and overtime premiums are set by the minimum wages order, the published text of which appears on the ministry’s page.

None of the official sources consulted publishes a pay scale by occupation for foreigners. Pay depends on the sector (energy, financial services, manufacturing), the status and the employer; a seconded employee often keeps the package of their French employer, whereas a local contract follows the Trinidad and Tobago market. See seconded or expatriate and the local contract.

The Inland Revenue Division applies to self-employed workers a rate of 25% on the first TTD 1,000,000 of taxable profit and 30% beyond, these rates being in force since 1 January 2017. The amount of the personal allowance for the current year should be confirmed with the administration. Self-employed people register for tax, and pay income tax, the 0.6% business levy and the health surcharge by quarterly instalments, at the end of March, June, September and December; the health surcharge is TTD 8.25 a week above an income threshold, and TTD 4.80 below it.

The National Insurance Board (NIB) publishes a contribution scale, revised periodically; the annual budgets of the Ministry of Finance may change the contribution rate, the full pension age or the taxation of private pensions, and these measures are to be checked in their enacted version. The split between employer and employee and the earnings ceiling are confirmed on the NIB scale.

The tax treaty signed in Port of Spain on 5 August 1987, published in the Journal officiel (the French official gazette) on 18 April 1989, avoids double taxation. Under its article 16, a salary is taxable in the State where the employment is exercised, unless the stay is 183 days or less in the tax year, the employer is not resident in that State and the cost is not borne by a permanent establishment: it then remains taxable in the State of residence. No social security agreement exists (CLEISS): no totalisation of insurance periods, and a seconded employee remains attached to the French scheme under the rules of a secondment outside an agreement.

For a self-employed person or an investor, the work permit is still required: the application can be filed by a Trinidad and Tobago lawyer when the applicant is self-employed or their employer does not operate in the country. The documents include the registration certificate or the incorporation documents of the company, the investment declaration and the tax registration number (BIR file number); the annual report accompanies the renewal.

None of the official sources consulted describes a remote work scheme for an employee of a foreign employer living in the country: the right to stay and taxation should be checked with the Immigration Division and the Inland Revenue Division before leaving. The digital nomad insurance page describes the protections to arrange.

A registered employee is affiliated to the NIB, which finances old-age pensions and benefits, but is not health insurance that reimburses care. Access to care relies on the public sector, whose health centres, district facilities and emergency services are described by the Ministry of Health, and on private insurance. The detail is in the pages on the healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement.

The IMF describes weak growth and an economy very dependent on the energy sector, which accounts for about a fifth of GDP, while the non-energy sector grows. The exchange rate is around TTD 6.8 to the US dollar. The indicators (inflation, budget deficit, unemployment) appear in the “Economic benchmarks” block above.

• IMF recommendations: consolidate public finances, rebuild reserves with energy revenues, gradually increase exchange rate flexibility and improve the business climate.
• For a French national: opportunities are concentrated in energy and its services, finance and exporting companies, with an employer who sponsors the permit.

See also the page on living in Trinidad and Tobago.