Living in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as a French Citizen: Stay, Safety, Climate, Housing and Healthcare

France Diplomatie indicates that French nationals are not subject to a visa requirement for a stay of less than six months. A passport valid for at least six months after the planned return date is required, the national identity card not being sufficient, as is a return ticket. A “visitors permit” valid for 30 days is issued on arrival and is renewable up to six months. Yachtsmen complete customs and police formalities on entry as well as on departure; the import of perishable food products is prohibited; the Covid-19 health restrictions have been lifted.

Beyond six months, a residence permit must be applied for. France Diplomatie refers to the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines representation nearest the place of residence; locally, the Ministry of National Security, Disaster Management and Immigration, based in Kingstown (Melville Street, +1 784 457 1426), handles the passport, immigration and entry visa. The residence categories, documents and fees do not appear on the pages consulted: the surest approach is to ask this ministry before leaving, to keep proof of resources and accommodation and to arrange health insurance valid for the whole stay.

On settling, registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is recommended. The French embassy in Saint Lucia (Castries, +1 758 455 60 60 during working hours) is the competent authority and a French consular agency exists in Kingstown (+1 784 456 25 67).

France Diplomatie describes safety as generally good, while noting that petty crime has increased, including violent thefts and burglaries, and placing the whole country under heightened vigilance. Vigilance is particularly needed during the carnival in June and July. Simple habits reduce exposure:

• do not display signs of wealth and do not carry large sums of money;
• keep your passport, documents and valuables in an accommodation safe, with photocopies on you, and stay alert at cash machines;
• avoid walking alone, especially at night and in isolated places;
• check the security of a hotel before booking and avoid isolated lodgings;
• prefer a four-wheel-drive vehicle, with doors locked and windows closed, and do not pick up hitchhikers.

At sea, motorboat and jet ski operators sometimes behave dangerously near the shore; yachtsmen take precautions when anchoring outside marinas, armed robberies being reported regularly. For hiking, France Diplomatie advises never going alone, using a professional guide (strongly advised at Trinity Falls, Baleine Falls and Mount Wynne), registering at the entrance to the parks and following the prescribed route. Strong currents can surprise swimmers on the Atlantic coast, and not all beaches are supervised. Useful numbers: 999 for the police, the fire brigade and the coast guard; local police (duty line): +1 784 457 12 11.

The wet season runs from June to the end of November. France Diplomatie recommends following the National Hurricane Center, its advice on climate risks and the instructions of the local authorities. Hurricane Beryl is among the ordeals cited in the budget address, together with the eruption of La Soufrière and the pandemic.

La Soufrière, the volcano on the island of Saint Vincent, is active: its last major eruption was on 09/04/2021. France Diplomatie indicates that it poses no immediate threat and that it is monitored daily; it invites you to stay informed and to follow evacuation orders and the instructions of the national emergency management agency (NEMO). The budget address announces the modernisation of the Belmont observatory and of the volcano’s seismic network. The Kick’em Jenny submarine volcano, off Grenada, can be followed via the seismic research centre of the University of the West Indies or the CDEMA, and the Caribbean is a seismic zone. For a resident: solid housing, outside a flood or landslide zone, a reserve of water and food, digital copies of documents and insurance covering the home, medical costs and evacuation.

On the island of Saint Vincent, Kingstown concentrates the administration, the French consular agency and the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, which provides emergency care. The Ministry of Health divides the territory into nine districts: Kingstown, Calliaqua, Cedars, Georgetown, Marriaqua, Chateaubelair, Pembroke, then the Northern Grenadines (Bequia) and the Southern Grenadines (Union Island, Canouan, Mayreau). Each district has health centres, several a hospital, and a medical and diagnostic centre exists in Georgetown. In the Grenadines, the budget address specifies that the piped water network is lacking and that residents depend on rainwater harvesting: a point to check before any rental.

No administration consulted publishes rents or property prices. The budget address announces a property tax reform and a national property registration programme. For a first move, renting for a few months, visiting several areas outside the wet season and checking the distance to the hospital, the state of the roads, water, electricity and access to the islands by boat or air makes it possible to sign with full knowledge.

The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, pegged to the US dollar at 2.70 (Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis, same monetary union). The conversions on this page rely on the ECB reference rate. The budget address indicates that the general price level, and especially that of food products, has risen sharply; it sets at nearly 1,900 dollars a month (about €625) the minimum spending of a family of three to escape poverty. No administration publishes a typical budget for an expatriate: build your own from quotes.

On the tax side, VAT is 16% (11% on accommodation), and the government is studying a cut in the general rate, the removal of VAT on essential foodstuffs and on domestic electricity: the rate in force should be checked before drawing up a budget. Personal income tax exists, with a flat deduction of 25,000 dollars (about €8,230) in the withholding tables; the details are in the page on working in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The official documents consulted, from the government, the tax administration and the Ministry of Health, are published in English: procedures and schooling take place in English, which suits children already familiar with the language. The budget address announces the removal of administrative fees in public schools and a reform of technical and vocational training.

No official source consulted identifies an officially approved French school in the country. The French embassy in Saint Lucia and the AEFE (the agency for French education abroad) point towards local schooling in English or distance learning. See expat family insurance.

Among the strengths: safety judged generally good by France Diplomatie, a varied natural setting (volcano, beaches, islands), growing tourist activity with five new airlines and more than 100,000 stay-over visitors, and a currency that is stable against the US dollar. Among the points to watch: heightened vigilance, the hurricane season, the volcano, a rising cost of living and care to anticipate, since several hospitals require payment in advance and the French embassy cannot pay any costs. France Diplomatie recommends updating the French vaccination schedule and protecting yourself from mosquitoes (dengue, chikungunya, Zika).

How care is organised is detailed in the guide to the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines healthcare system and the arrangements by status in healthcare reimbursement. No social security agreement links France to this country (CLEISS, the French centre for international social security links): expat health insurance or the CFE (Caisse des Français de l’Étranger, the voluntary health insurance body for French people abroad) is chosen before departure. The country page gathers the general benchmarks.