St. Kitts & Nevis Traveler Requirements Upon October 31 Reopening

The Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis has announced that it will begin Phase 1 of its staged reopening to outside visitors on October 31. It also just released the official entry requirements that will need to be met by travelers seeking to enter the country.

The dual-island Caribbean nation was recently assessed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as very low-risk and was issued its “No Travel Notice” standing. There have only been 19 cases of the virus on the islands, with no community spread and zero deaths.

Trending Now

Reopening Plans

Hong Kong Entices Visitors With Free Air Tickets and Vouchers

Thailand Drops New Entry Rules, Adds Tourist Fee

China Reopens for Travel: Here's What You Need To Know

Thailand Reimposes COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

US to Require Testing for Inbound Chinese Travelers

During Phase 1, travelers will be sorted into one of three categories, each of which imposes specific entry criteria on arrivals. These designations are:

— Travelers from the CARICOM Member States that are part of the “Caribbean bubble”.

— International travelers coming from a country or territory outside of the “Caribbean bubble”.

—Returning nationals (citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis, and passport holder), residents (with proof of residency stamp in passport), Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) certificate holders and work permit holders.

All Travelers Must:

1. Complete an Entry Form and submit their negative results from a PCR test performed by an approved lab within 72 hours of travel. The Ministry of Health will issue a list of accredited labs at a later date.

2. Undergo a health screening process upon arrival at the airport, which includes a temperature check and health questionnaire.

3. Download the ‘SKN COVID-19’ contact-tracing mobile app (to be used for the first 14 days of travel).

Caribbean Bubble Residents

The “Caribbean bubble” currently consists of eight CARICOM Member States: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia & St. Vincent and the Grenadines. That list is, however, subject to change depending upon future assessments of COVID-19 risk levels for each country.

Travelers from within the “Caribbean bubble” are permitted to stay in pre-approved private homes or COVID-certified hotels (list of properties available here).

International Travelers

This category of travelers includes anyone from outside of the “Caribbean bubble”, including those coming from the U.S., Canada, South America, U.K., Europe and Africa.

—For the first seven days of their visit, international travelers are required to stay at an approved hotel (listed here), where they’re free to move about the property, partake in onsite activities and interact with other guests, but may not stray outside its bounds.

—During the second week, foreign visitors must take another PCR test at their own expense. If a traveler tests negative on day seven, he/she is allowed to book select excursions and access select destination sites (list to be announced later) through the hotel’s tour desk.

—Travelers who are staying 14 days or longer will need to take their second PCR test on day 14. Assuming the results are negative, they are then allowed to move freely within the country.

Returning Residents and Nationals

Following their airport screening, these types of travelers will be permitted entry and transported to Government-approved accommodations, where they’ll complete a 14-day quarantine. The cost of these accommodations (being about $600 USD) falls to the traveler, as does additional COVID-19 testing (around $100 USD each).

Travelers in this category can also opt to stay at one of six approved hotels instead and “Vacation in Place”. The requirements for them would then be the same as those applying to international travelers in terms of testing and restricted movement.

For more information, visit stkittstourism.kn or nevisisland.com.