Embassy/Consulate Addresses | Foreign Relations | Travel Advisories | Travel Tips | Customs/Duties



EMBASSY/CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Diplomatic Representation in US:
Ambassador: Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the OAS--Jacinth L. Henry-Martin
Embassy: 3216 New Mexico Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016
Telephone: [1] (202) 686-2636
Fax: [1] (202) 686-5740

US Diplomatic Representation:
Ambassador: Vacant
Embassy: In Barbados is located in the Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael
Telphone: 246-436-4950
Fax: 246-429-5246


Embassy and Consulate Web Sites for the St. Kitts & Nevis
Embassy of St. Kitts & Nevisin Washington DC, U.S.A.



FOREIGN RELATIONS

St. Kitts and Nevis maintains diplomatic relations with the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Taiwan, Cuba, and South Korea, as well as with many Latin American countries and neighboring Eastern Caribbean states. It is a member of the Commonwealth, the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Eastern Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS), and the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank is headquartered in St. Kitts. St. Kitts and Nevis has chosen to recognize Taiwan instead of the People's Republic of China.

U.S.-ST. KITTS AND NEVIS RELATIONS
Since St. Kitts and Nevis attained full independence in 1983, relations with the United States have been friendly. The United States seeks to help St. Kitts and Nevis develop economically and to help strengthen its moderate, democratic, parliamentary form of government. St. Kitts and Nevis is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative. U.S. assistance is primarily channeled through multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) office in Bridgetown, Barbados. In addition, St. Kitts and Nevis benefits from U.S. military exercises and humanitarian civic action construction projects.

St. Kitts and Nevis is strategically placed in the Leeward Islands, near maritime transport lanes of major importance to the United States. St. Kitts and Nevis' location close to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands makes the two-island federation attractive to narcotics traffickers. To counter this threat, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis cooperates with the United States in the fight against illegal narcotics. In 1995, the government signed a maritime law enforcement treaty with the United States, later amended with an overflight/order-to-land amendment in 1996. St. Kitts and Nevis also signed an updated extradition treaty with the United States in 1996, and a mutual legal assistance treaty in 1997.

St. Kitts and Nevis is a popular American tourist destination. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, tourism declined, but the islands have seen growing numbers of visitors in recent years. Fewer than 1,000 U.S. citizens reside on the island, although students and staff of Ross University Veterinary School and the Medical University of the Americas (Nevis) constitute a significant population of U.S. citizens.

The United States maintains no official presence in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Ambassador and Embassy officers are resident in Barbados and frequently travel to St. Kitts and Nevis. A U.S. consular agent residing in nearby Antigua, however, assists U.S. citizens in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--vacant
Deputy Chief of Mission--D. Brent Hardt
Political/Economic Chief--Ian Campbell
Consul General--Nicole Theriot

The United States maintains no official presence in St. Kitts and Nevis. The ambassador and embassy officers are resident in Barbados and frequently travel to St. Kitts and Nevis. A U.S. consular agent residing in nearby Antigua, however, assists U.S. citizens in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The U.S. Embassy in Barbados is located in the Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael (tel: 246-436-4950; fax: 246-429-5246). Consular Agent: Rebecca Simon, Hospital Hill, English Harbor, Antigua Tel: (268) 463-6531.


TRAVEL ADVISORIES

To obtain the latest Travel Advisory Information for St. Kitts and Nevis check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.


TRAVEL TIPS

Driving TBA
Currency (XCD) East Caribbean Dollar
Electrical 230 Volts
Telephones Country Code 1



Time: GMT - 4.

Electricity: 230 volts AC, 60Hz (110 volts available in some hotels).

Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 1 869. Outgoing international code: 1 (Caribbean, Canada and USA); 011 (elsewhere).
Climate: Hot and tropical climate tempered by trade winds throughout most of the year. The driest period is from January to April and there is increased rainfall in summer and towards the end of the year. The volume of rain varies according to altitude; rain showers can occur throughout the year. The average annual rainfall is about 125cm (50 inches) to 200cm (80 inches) with a wetter season from May to October. Like the other Leeward Islands, St Kitts lies in the track of violent tropical hurricanes which are most likely to develop between August and October.

Required clothing: Tropical lightweights, with light rainwear advisable all year round.

Food & Drink: St Kitts & Nevis has built up a widely established reputation for fine food, a reputation which the local restauranteurs guard zealously. Restaurants specialise in West Indian, Creole, Continental, Indian, Chinese and French cuisine. Most restaurants in St Kitts offer a continental menu with island variations. Local dishes include roast suckling pig, spiny lobster, crab back and curries. Restaurants that cater more for locals also offer conch (curried, soused or in salad), turtle stews, rice and peas and goat’s water (mutton stew). Christophine, yams, breadfruit and papaya are also served. Nevis is less grand and Charlestown’s small restaurants cater more to Nevisians than visitors. Local specialities are native vegetable soup, lobster, mutton and beef. Fruit, including mangoes, papayas and bananas, is sold at the waterfront market.
The locally produced CSR (cane spirit) is excellent. A wide range of imported drinks is available.

Shopping: Local crafts include carvings, batik, wall hangings, leather art and coconut work. Local textiles and designs are also available. Stamp collectors should note the excellent Philatelic Bureaux in Basseterre and Charlestown. Duty-free shopping is relatively new to St Kitts and, as yet, only a few shops feature imported merchandise at substantial savings. Nevis’ hot pepper sauce, ranked among the Caribbean’s best, is a good take-home item and can be bought at the Main Street grocery in Charlestown. Friday and Saturday are the busy market days, and visitors should not miss the chance to witness this abundance of exotic food stalls, accompanied by lively local chatter. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0830-1200 and 1300-1600; some shops close early on Thursday.

Tipping: Ten per cent service charge is added to hotel bills. In restaurants, leave ten to 15 per cent and tip taxi drivers ten per cent of the fare.

Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of EC$100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of EC$1, and 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents. US Dollars are also legal tender on the islands.

Currency exchange: Most major currencies can be exchanged at banks on the islands.

Credit & debit cards: All major cards are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services that may be available. ATMs are widely available.

Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars.

 




CUSTOMS/DUTIES

Tobacco...200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco

Liquor....1.136 litres of wine or spirits

Perfume....170ml of perfume

Import/export info

Import - currency

Local currency / eastern caribbean dollar / or foreign currency : unlimited amount provided a declaration is made upon arrival

Export - currency

Local currency /e.c.d./ or foreign currency :

Unlimited amount up to value imported

Note: there are no duty-free shops, selling a range of goods, including perfumes, textiles, clothing, porcelain, crystal and jewellery.



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