St. Kitts is located in the Eastern Caribbean at 17 20 North, 62 45 West, roughly 1,200 miles from Miami, 1600 miles from New York, 4,000 miles from London and about 45 minutes by plane from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

The island is 69 square miles with a population of 31,880. Basseterre is the capital.

Economy Immigration Emergency Numbers Utilities What to Wear Religion

Time:
Atlantic Standard Time throughout the year. 4 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-4 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is not observed.

Banks: Credit Union Bank of Nova Scotia First Caribbean International Bank Royal Bank of Canada St. Kitts Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Development Bank of St. Kitts & Nevis Banks are open Monday-Thursday 8am-2pm; Friday 8am-4pm Each bank provides 24 hour ATM services where you can get cash advances from your VISA or MasterCard. You can also withdraw from or check the balance of the primary chequing and savings accounts linked to your bankcard, via the PLUS/Electron or Cirrus/Maestro networks.   Top

Economy: Agriculture, tourism, light manufacturing.

Language Description: English.

Currency:
Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD$). U.S. bills are accepted by most stores and businesses and change is given in E.C. currency. U.S. coins are not accepted.
Exchange Rate: $1.00 USD = $2.70 XCD

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Travel Documents and Entry/Departure Requirements:
Citizens of Canada need only to present proof of citizenship – preferably a passport or birth certificate with the raised seal – in order to enter St. Kitts-Nevis.  If the birth certificate is used, it must be accompanied by a government issued photo ID (a drivers licence, for example) showing the same name.  Where applicable, documentation of a legal name change (for example, a marriage certificate) must also be presented.  Citizens of the United States, however, are required to have passports in order to re-enter that country.  As such a valid passport is a required travel document when travelling to the Caribbean.   

Additionally, proof of sufficient funds and a return or onward passage might be required. There is a departure tax of $60 XCD (about $22 USD) payable in cash, or by credit card – Visa or MasterCard – at  the airport.

Please reconfirm travel document requirements with your carrier prior to the commencement of your trip. Also, kindly click here for information regarding recent changes to the entry/re-entry requirements, as advanced by the United States Department of State. If you would like to apply for a United States Passport now, please click here.

Citizens of some countries are required to have visas in order to enter St. Kitts-Nevis.  However, citizens from countries that are members of certain international organizations might be eligible for exemption.  Please click on the appropriate category to see if your country is listed as an exempted country:  Commonwealth Countries; Organization of American States (OAS) Countries; Other Countries.  Cruise ship visitors, staying less than twenty-four (24) hours, are never required to have visas.

Phones:
Cable & Wireless serves 17, 000 telephone lines in St. Kitts & Nevis. Direct Dialing, Leased Circuits, Internet, Class Services, Voice Mail, Caller ID and other features are currently offered. ISDN and DSL services are also available. The area code for St. Kitts is 1-869.

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Emergency Numbers:
Police / Ambulance - 911
Fire - 333
Air Ambulance - (869) 465-2801
JNF General Hospital - (869) 465-2551

Internet Service:
Internet services are available at all of the hotels, as well as from an Internet Cafe in the city. Broadband connections (DSL & Cable) are also available, as are Web developing and hosting technology.

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Electricity:
The domestic market is served by a 230 volt single phase supply. However, a 117 volt supply is available in most hotels.

Water:
The water is of good quality and suitable for drinking. It is collected from direct precipitation, mountain springs and wells, and is chemically treated for purification. Locally bottled water is also available.

Health:
There are no particular health concerns associated with St. Kitts. Therefore, special vaccines are usually not required. Modern ambulatory services are available and there are specialists in most fields of medicine. A brand new state of the art hospital was opened in 2003, and emergency 911 services are available.

Pets
St. Kitts is quite a pet-friendly island. As such, we have put in place a set of protocols to facilitate those who would like to travel with their pets, specifically cats and dogs. These regulations serve to protect the interests of you, the pet's owner, the destination and, indeed, the pets themselves. Please click here to download the form that must be completed in compliance with the necessary protocols. We look forward to seeing you and your pet exploring St. Kitts.

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What to Wear:
Light summer clothing may be worn all year. Dress is informal, even at elegant hotels and plantation inns, though you may want to dress up a bit for a nice dinner. Nudity is not permitted at any beach. Swim wear or scant clothing should never be worn in towns or villages.

Tipping Overview:
A 10% service charge is normally included in hotel bills. In restaurants, leave 10%-15%. Tipping taxi drivers is not customary.

Educated Workforce:
St. Kitts has a labour force of about 22, 000. Unemployment in St. Kitts- Nevis is among the lowest in the Caribbean. According to a survey of the labour force, conducted jointly by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Government, the rate was confirmed at 4.3%. The country also enjoys a literacy rate of over 98%..

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