St Vincent and the Grenadines Basics

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The Basics

Time: Local time is GMT -4.

Electricity: Grenadines 220 volts and St Vincent 230 volts, 50Hz. Three square-pin plugs are standard.

Money: St. Vincent and the Grenadines' currency is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$), a regional currency shared among members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The US dollar is accepted in most hotels and some shops, and major credit cards are also widely accepted. Banking hours are from 8am to 3pm on Monday to Thursday, and till 5pm on Fridays. There are also ATM machines available.

Note: These rates are not updated daily and should be used as a guideline only.

Language: English is the official language, but many of the locals speak Vincentian Creole.

Entry requirements for Americans: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Entry requirements for UK nationals: Passport or passport replacing documents required. No visa necessary for up to six months for holders of British passports endorsed British Overseas Territories Citizen or British Overseas Citizen. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month for nationals of United Kingdom (Great Britain).

Entry requirements for Canadians: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Entry requirements for Australians: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Entry requirements for South Africans: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Entry requirements for New Zealanders: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Entry requirements for Irish nationals: Passport required. No visa necessary for visits of up to one month.

Passport/Visa Note: All visitors are required to hold an onward/return ticket, documents for their next destination and sufficient funds for the duration of their stay.

Travel Health: While there are few health risks associated with travel to St Vincent and the Grenadines, recommended vaccinations include Hepatitis B, Yellow fever, Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and Tetanus-diphtheria. Dengue fever occurs rarely and there have been cases of Leptospirosis. HIV/AIDS is present and travellers should take the usual precautions. Ensure food is properly prepared and cooked, avoid un-pasteurised milk and drink only boiled or bottled water. There are pharmacies, hospitals and evacuation facilities available if needed; ensure health insurance is comprehensive.

Tipping: A 10% service charge is added onto most restaurant bills, in which case no further tipping is necessary.

Safety Information: Most visits to St Vincent and the Grenadines are trouble-free, but visitors should take general precautions against robbery and theft. Isolated areas, such as beaches, should be avoided after dark. Hurricane season is normally from about June to November.

Local Customs: It is an offence for anyone to dress in camouflage clothing. Homosexuality is illegal.

Communications: The international access code for St Vincent and the Grenadines is +1 784. The outgoing code is 011 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 01144 for the United Kingdom). North American mobile phones work on all the islands and network coverage is good. Email and Internet access is available at Internet cafés.

Duty Free: Visitors may import 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 225g of tobacco, and 1.136 litres of alcoholic beverage.