Saint Lucia travel advice

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the Summary (removal of reference to Swine Flu), the Crime section (armed robberies in the last 12 months) and the Health section (dengue and Swine Flu). The overall level of the advice has not changed.

Travel Summary

• The hurricane season in St Lucia normally runs from June to November. You should monitor local and international weather updates. See the Natural Disasters section of this advice and Tropical cyclones for more details.
  
  

• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  

• Around 84,000 British nationals visited St Lucia in 2008 (Source: St Lucia Tourist Board). Most visits are trouble-free. 30 British nationals required consular assistance in St.Lucia in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (5 cases); hospitalisations (5 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (8 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (15 cases). There are incidents of violent crime including murder. These intend to occur within the local community but can sometimes affect tourists. Crimes include muggings and thefts from hotels, yachts or holiday homes. See the Crime section of this advice for more details.
  
  

• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel Insurance for more details.

Safety and security

Terrorism

There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.

Crime

Around 84,000 British nationals visited St Lucia in 2008 (Source: St Lucia Tourist Board). St Lucia is a friendly and welcoming country and overall crime rates are relatively low. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, however, there have been incidents of violent crime including murder. These tend to occur within the local community but can sometimes affect tourists. The St Lucian authorities are working with the tourism industry to maintain a safe environment for visitors, and a more visible police presence had an impact in 2008. Nevertheless, muggings and thefts from hotels, yachts or holiday homes do occur, and are occasionally accompanied by violence. A tourist was raped and her husband beaten in March 2008. Another tourist was also raped in December 2008. For more general information see the “Rape and Sexual Assault Overseas” page of the FCO website. There have been four armed robberies at waterfalls in the Anse La Raye area in the last twelve months and these sites should be avoided.

You should therefore maintain at least the same level of security awareness as you would in the UK and ensure that your living accommodation is secure. Apply the same measures if you are staying on a yacht. Avoid walking alone in isolated areas, including beaches, after dark. Take particular care at popular late night street parties and "jump-ups". Be extremely cautious about accepting lifts and use only licensed taxis. Do not carry large amounts of cash and jewellery. Valuables and travel documents should be left, where possible, in safety deposit boxes or hotel safes. If staying in a residential/holiday villa, take sensible precautions to secure your valuables, lock doors and windows.

For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad.

Political Situation

St Lucia Country Profile.

Road Travel

You can hire self-drive cars. However, you will require your full UK licence in order to purchase a local driving permit, which costs US$20.

Motorists drive on the left in Saint Lucia. Most roads are narrow by UK standards and in varying states of repair. In mountainous areas roads can be extremely steep and have sharp hairpin bends, some of which are not clearly marked. Four-wheel drive vehicles with automatic gearboxes are popular, and in some areas essential. Driving standards are variable and you should negotiate roundabouts with extreme care. Given local conditions, you should drive slowly and cautiously.

It is common for pedestrians to flag down vehicles in an attempt to get a lift. You should not stop to do so. It is advisable to keep car doors locked when driving.

There are regular mini bus services, which provide relatively cheap, but sometimes dangerously fast, travel between all main towns. Standard taxi fares exist for most destinations but you should clarify the fare with the driver before the beginning of the journey.

For more general information see Driving Abroad.

Local laws and customs

There are severe penalties for all drug offences. A number of British nationals have been arrested for trafficking of cocaine. Pack all luggage yourself and do not carry anything through customs for anyone else.

You should be aware that it is an offence for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing.

Certain homosexual acts are illegal under Saint Lucian laws.

For more general information for different types of travellers see Your Trip.

Entry requirements

Visas

British Passport holders do not need visas to enter Saint Lucia for visits up to 42 days. It is an offence to stay beyond 42 days without permission from the local immigration authorities. It is also an offence to take any form of paid employment without a work permit.

Bringing produce into St Lucia

If you wish to bring meat or plant products into Saint Lucia you must obtain a licence in advance from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Health

Medical treatment can be very expensive and serious cases are transferred overseas (usually to Miami or Martinique) incurring air ambulance costs.

In the event of a medical evacuation to Martinique, you may be entitled to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as residents of Martinique if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which was issued in the UK or France. The EHIC provides emergency health cover for treatment in Guadeloupe by the French state health service for which you will have to pay but for which you will be able to claim back up to 70% of the costs on your return to the UK. For more general information see EHIC.

Dengue fever is common to Latin America and the Caribbean and can occur throughout the year.

You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to St Lucia and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the National Travel Health Network and Centre NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health and Swine Flu and UK Department of Health. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice.

Natural disasters

Hurricanes

The hurricane season in the Caribbean normally runs from June to November. You should monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meteorological Organisation and the US National Hurricane Centre. For more general information see Tropical cyclones.

General

Insurance

We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance, which includes medical evacuation by air ambulance, before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. For more general information see Travel Insurance.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas then this is How We Can Help.

Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

ID

Keep a copy of the photo page of your passport and relevant entry stamp in case your documents are stolen.

Package holidays

If you are on a package holiday, you must travel on the specified return date. If you fail to do so you will have to pay the additional costs of accommodation and a replacement air ticket.

Departure tax

Departure tax is included within the price of the airline ticket.

Luggage allowances

Most airlines will allow passengers to check two pieces of luggage on transatlantic flights. However, local inter-island flights will generally only allow one piece at 20kg. You may therefore wish to confirm baggage entitlements with your airline if you are travelling between islands.

Passport

In the event of loss of your passport, you will need to apply to the Passport Office at the British High Commission, Barbados for a replacement. The British High Commission in St Lucia can advise you how to do this, and supply you with application forms. Urgent applications can be speeded up if you pay for courier costs, but even so, the issue of a replacement passport could still take several days.

In cases of genuine emergency, the British High Commission in St Lucia may be able to issue an Emergency Passport valid for a single journey back to the UK.

Money

Although the official currency is the East Caribbean Dollar (EC$), most tourist establishments will also accept US dollars and will quote prices in either, or both, currency. Make sure you know which currency you are being quoted. ATM machines are readily available in main towns and accept UK credit/debit cards.