Traveling Luck for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, North America

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is located in Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago.

Land in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is volcanic, mountainous.

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian land covers an area of 389 square kilometers which is twice the size of Washington, DC

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian flag Saint Vincentian or Vincentian national flag (Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

As for the Saint Vincentian or Vincentian climate; tropical; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November).

Saint Vincentian(s) or Vincentian(s) speak English, French patois.

Places of note in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian Map Saint Vincentian or Vincentian map

Regions of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Disputed between France and the United Kingdom in the 18th century, Saint Vincent was ceded to the latter in 1783. Autonomy was granted in 1969 and independence in 1979.

Country Profile for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Economic growth in this lower-middle-income country hinges upon seasonal variations in the agricultural and tourism sectors. Tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002, and tourism in the Eastern Caribbean has suffered low arrivals following 11 September 2001. Saint Vincent is home to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. Saint Vincent is also a producer of marijuana and is being used as a transshipment point for illegal narcotics from South America.

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian natural resources include hydropower, cropland

the administration of the islands of the Grenadines group is divided between Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is comprised of 32 islands and cays

Saint Vincentian or Vincentian religion is Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant.

Natural hazards in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines include hurricanes; Soufriere volcano on the island of Saint Vincent is a constant threat.

Travel Advice for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

St Vincent and the Grenadines

This advice has been reviewed and reissued with an amendment to the Summary, Road Safety section (driving licence), Entry Requirements section (passport validity & import licences), Health section (standard of healthcare) and Natural Disasters section (La Soufriere volcano).  The overall level of the advice has not changed.

SUMMARY

  • The threat from terrorism is low.  But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

  • Most visits to St Vincent and the Grenadines are trouble‑free.  The main type of incident for which British nationals require consular assistance is for replacing lost and stolen passports.  You should not become complacent about safety and security as cases of robbery and other crimes occur.

  • The hurricane season in St Vincent normally runs from June to November.  Please see Natural Disasters section of this Travel Advice and the Hurricanes for more information.

  • If you are travelling to St Vincent & the Grenadines for the ICC Cricket World Cup, which runs from 11 March to 28 April 2007, with warm-up games in the region beginning on 5 March 2007, you should see the FCO's ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 for general advice you may need before you travel.

  • We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  Please see: Travel Insurance.


SAFETY AND SECURITY

Crime

You should take sensible precautions and be vigilant at all times.  Avoid isolated areas, including beaches after dark.  Do not carry large amounts of cash or jewellery.  Valuables and travel documents should, where possible, be left in safety deposit boxes and hotel safes.

Road Safety

All drivers are required to hold a local driving licence.  Car Hire companies sell temporary licences at the time of hiring a vehicle.  A valid UK driving licence is required in order to obtain a local one.

Motorists drive on the left in St Vincent and the Grenadines.  Most roads are narrow by UK standards and many are in need of repair.  In mountainous areas the roads can be extremely steep and have sharp hairpin bends, many of which are not clearly marked.  Automatic four-wheel drive vehicles are popular, and in some areas essential.   Given local conditions, you should drive slowly and remain vigilant.

Driving standards differ from those of the UK and Vincentians have a more relaxed attitude to the rules of the road.  You should be tolerant of this.


LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS

You should note that there are severe penalties for all drug offences. 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 Vincentian laws.


ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

British passport holders do not need visas to enter St Vincent for visits up to 3 months, on the date of entry your passport should have at least six month validity remaining.  You should note that overstaying without permission is an offence and paid employment is prohibited without a work permit.

Entry requirements may change from time to time and should be checked with the High Commission for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Foot and mouth disease

In May 2006, St Vincent lifted the ban on pork products from the UK.  However you are still not allowed to import fresh beef.  Import licences are required for the import of any foodstuffs to the island.


HEALTH

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  Please see:  Travel Insurance

Health care is generally good; services are available at the primary and secondary levels.  There are 38 health centres, which facilitate the delivery of primary care.  Secondary care is offered at the General Hospital in Kingstown.  This is a 209-bed hospital offering various categories of specialist care.  Acute care, not requiring specialist intervention, is also provided by 5 rural hospitals.

The dengue fever mosquito is found throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines.  You should take normal precautions against mosquito bites, including using insect repellent during daylight hours and after sunset.

You should be aware of the high prevalence of the HIV/AIDS virus in the Caribbean region and take precautions to avoid exposure to it.

You should seek medical advice before travelling and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on health, check the Department of Health’s website at: www.dh.gov.uk.

NATURAL DISASTERS

St Vincent has an active volcano; the last major eruption of La Soufriere was in 1979.  The hurricane season normally runs from June to November.  You should monitor local and international weather updates from the World Meteorological Organisation.  You can also access the http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ for updates.  Please also see Hurricanes for more detailed information about what to do if you are caught up in a hurricane.


GENERAL

If things go wrong when overseas, please see: What We Can Do To Help
Keep a copy of the photo page of your passport and relevant visa stamp in case your documents are stolen.

If you are on a package holiday, you must travel on the specified return date. If you fail to do so it is likely that you will have to pay for the return ticket yourself.

You will have to pay a departure tax of 50 EC$ per person when leaving St Vincent and the Grenadines.

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 Vincent can advise you how to do this. 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 Saint Vincent may be able to issue an Emergency Passport valid for a single journey back to the UK.


OTHER

St Vincent and the Grenadines Country Profile