New to Tortola

Welcome to Expat-blog, Davey

For basic info on the British virgin islands, i would suggest that you view the Life in the British Virgin Islands guide and read the articles it contains.

Regards,
Sheetul

Thank you for getting back to me. I have looked at the link you provided but unfortunately it seems a bit empty on the subjects I am looking for. Have also been on bvibeacon and other sites like that so begining to get a rough idea now, thinks its just going to be the case of finding out when I arrive.

Thank you again Sheetul

Regards Davey

Hey!!
I am doing some research on BVI's as it would be a dream come true to work out there, did you have a hard time finding work?

Hi Davey:

Some employers, particularly the bigger ones, offer some form of interim accommodation (2-weeks to a month) to enable you to find your feet and so on, as it's pretty tough arriving and getting started straight away.

Depending upon when you arrive you'll find more or less accommodation available.  The Beacon is probably your best bet for finding accommodation, but you might also try BVI Newbie on Facebook.

There is cheap accommodation to be found in areas such as Longbush and Purcell, but they're not the most desirable.  You might be better off looking for a houseshare to start with, as this will also allow you to meet other people through your flat-mate.  Again, not for everyone, but it's an idea.

Good luck.

Hi Davey,

BVI is pretty safe so not too many areas too avoid however some are better than others, it depends what your budget is and what you want, ie close to Road Town, close to beach, with neighbours etc, property to rent can be expensive.

Car insurance can be arranged in BVI when you find a car, if you want a 4x4 (i would recommend) you can pay $500 - 1200 per month to rent while you are looking for a car to buy. You can ask all the garages for cars for sale, if you send me your email address i can cc it to all the people i know as people often leave island and sell cars, what is your budget?

Let me know if you have any questions,

I highly endorse the Beacon, which in my biased opinion has the best classifieds in the territory, but you can also find classifieds (apartment and car listings) on the websites of bvinews & bviplatinum.
Good luck!

I will be living on the West End - Belmont area and need to be in Road Town daily.  Will the ferry leave in the AM and return in the PM?  I will not have a car for a while and hope that this will work for me.

I don't think you should plan to commute via ferry. I've asked around, and it sounds like there aren't any domestic West End to Road Town ferries, although some boats coming from the USVI do stop in West End on the way to Road Town. I understand the college operates a bus from the West End that goes through town, but I'm not sure about exactly where it stops.

Thank you Crystall,

My employer has put me in West End and has not mentioned how I will travel daily to Road Town.  Maybe I should have my own boat!

Chrystall wrote:

I highly endorse the Beacon, which in my biased opinion has the best classifieds in the territory, but you can also find classifieds (apartment and car listings) on the websites of bvinews & bviplatinum.
Good luck!

Must I pay the Immigration Bond or does my  employer pay this?

Also, must I have a one way ticket out of the BVI that is valid for one year?

Airline baggage fees, wasted cost of a return ticket, excessive labour dept fees for work permit, medical, police reports, passport photos etc..... This is the cost to go work in paradise.

I also suggest that you rent a car for atleast one month, while you search for a good deal on a 4X4.

Once you find a car to buy, you will need to get insurance. 

We used Nagico, it's office is located on the main road in town.  Insurance for a year is only a couple hundred dollars.  Once you get your proof of insurance you can head back out west to get your registration at the DMV. 

They will inspect your car at the DMV before issuing you a sticker (good for a year). I think the guys that do the inspection can smell a BVI Newbie from a mile away, so expect that they'll find one little thing for you to fix on your "new" car.  This can be really frustrating, but the good thing is you only have to do it once a year.

Good luck!