FAQs under Management Consulting Services

What types of personnel would be allowed to work at the Barbadian-owned or operated EU-located Management Consulting Service? And how long would they be permitted to live and work in Europe?

 

Subject, of course, to the normal visa requirements, Management Consulting Firms from Barbados are allowed to operate in the EC for the following designated lengths of time:

Generally, the senior Barbadian staff responsible for establishing your commercial presence in Europe may stay for 90 days in any 12-month period. Key personnel will be allowed to work in Europe for a period of up to 3 years, and graduate trainees may stay for one year.

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May Management Consulting Firms from Barbados invest in or operate businesses in the EC as part of the Economic Partnership Agreement?

 

Barbadian companies are able to invest in or establish legal entities in both Management Consulting Services and Services related to Management Consulting.  There is one country-specific condition to this access in Hungary where there is no commitment to permit arbitration and conciliation services.


 

 

There are also some general conditions that are in place across the EC for Management Consultants from Barbados.

Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia: Limitations on the acquisition of land and real estate.

Estonia, Finland, Italy, Romania and Sweden: Limitations requiring local citizenship or residency of senior management or Board of Directors.

Poland: Limitations on the type of business.

Bulgaria, France, Finland and Italy: Limitations on the type of investment e.g. a maximum percentage for foreign shareholding or voting rights.

EC: Limitations on the treatment extended to branches and agencies.

 

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What about licensing requirements for Management Consultants from Barbados in Europe or European Territories in the Caribbean under the EPA? Do these exist?

 

Yes, in order for a Barbadian Management Consultant or Management Consulting firm to provide services in the EC, a person’s qualifications or business license needs to be recognised in that country.  The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) establishes a process for the private sector, through its relevant professional bodies, to negotiate the terms for mutual recognition of qualifications and licensing requirements.

The Agreement requires that the relevant professional bodies engage in negotiations with their counterparts in the EU. The professional bodies will then make recommendations to the CARIFORUM-EC Trade and Development Committee, which will finalise the mutual recognition agreements.

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I am an independent Management Consultant and would like to move to one of the countries of the EC to open a business. May I do so under the EPA?

 

You may, as an Independent Management Consultant work in the EC.  However, you may not own or invest in a business there.  As an Independent Management Consultant you may work there providing that you have a contract with a European client that is not longer than 12 months.  You will also be subject to the following conditions:

You must have at least 6 years professional experience as a Management Consultant

When applying for temporary entry, you must have a university degree or equivalent qualification, and professional qualifications where required by law.

The temporary entry will be for a cumulative period not exceeding 6 months (or 25 weeks in Luxembourg) during a 12-month period or for the duration of the contract (whichever is less).

The visa permits only the contracted service activity, no other business activities.

 

There are also some conditions that are applied to both Independent Management Consultants, and those Independent Professionals who are providing services related to Management Consultants that are imposed by individual countries.  They are:


 

 

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Spain, Italy & Poland: Economics needs tests will be applied.

 

Belgium: Economic needs tests will be applied

 

Denmark: Economic needs tests will be applied. 

 

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania & Slovakia: Economic needs tests will be applied. 

Spain, Italy & Poland: Economics needs tests will be applied.

 

Belgium: Economic needs tests will be applied

 

Denmark: Economic needs tests will be applied. 

 

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Romania & Slovakia: Economic needs tests are applied.  

 

Hungary: Economic needs test, except for arbitration and conciliation where Hungary makes no commitment to allow the provision of these services through this form of supply.

 

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