Money in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Two currencies in circulation, one of them yours.

The currency of the Federation is the East Caribbean dollar. For taxis, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office notes that you can often pay in US dollars as well as EC dollars.

That is a useful thing to know on a first afternoon, and it is worth reading precisely: often, not always, and about taxis specifically. Carry some local currency rather than assuming every counter takes yours.

Taxis are the one place the price is a conversation.

The same advice states that taxis are not metered, that there are standard fares for most destinations, and that you should agree the fare with the driver before you set off.

None of that is unusual in the Caribbean and all of it is easy to forget on arrival. Ask the price at the curb, in the currency you intend to pay in, before the bags go in the trunk.

Use only licensed taxis. They carry or display identification, and can be identified by the yellow license plate bearing T or TA in the number. Unlicensed taxis often have no insurance to carry passengers, which is a money question as much as a safety one.

The official figures this register does publish.

Where an official figure exists, it is given here in East Caribbean dollars because that is how the source gives it:

• a temporary driving license from the Inland Revenue Department, valid for either 3 months at 62.50 EC dollars or one year at 125 EC dollars;
• on conviction for drink-driving, a fine of 2,000 EC dollars with 12 months imprisonment for a first offense, and 4,000 EC dollars with 2 years imprisonment for subsequent offenses.

Those are published penalties and published fees rather than prices you will negotiate, and they are the most concrete money figures any source in this register states.

Budget for medical treatment as a real cost.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states that medical treatment in St Kitts and Nevis is expensive, that serious cases may require emergency evacuation, and that you should have insurance or accessible funds covering both treatment and repatriation.

Evacuation is the line item that turns a manageable bill into an unmanageable one, and it is the reason the insurance question belongs on a money page rather than only on a health one. If you intend to use a private facility, ask first whether it accepts your medical travel insurance.

Why there is no exchange rate here.

This guide publishes no conversion figure. The central bank and the International Monetary Fund both refuse our research tooling, and the one general reference that answers builds its data in the browser, so nothing readable came back from any of them.

A rate we could not read is a rate we will not print, and a stale one is worse than none because it looks current. Check the current rate with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank or your own bank before you travel. Our packing list covers what to carry and what to leave in the hotel safe.

Photograph by Gertjan R., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: St Kitts and Nevis travel advice, safety and security: that there have been incidents of serious crime including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault, with precautions including securing accommodation, taking care when walking alone off main roads, taking particular care around large gatherings including street and beach parties especially after dark or during the festival season, avoiding isolated areas including beaches after dark, using only licensed taxis, not carrying large amounts of cash or jewelry, and leaving valuables and travel documents in a hotel safe; that a driver must have a St Kitts and Nevis driving license, available as a temporary license from the Inland Revenue Department valid for either 3 months at 62.50 EC dollars or one year at 125 EC dollars, with a home license and passport shown to obtain it, and that hire companies often set stricter requirements such as a year of driving experience or a minimum age of 25; that after an accident a driver should phone the police on 911 and not move the vehicle; that drink-driving is illegal, with penalties on conviction of a fine of 2,000 EC dollars and 12 months imprisonment for a first offense and 4,000 EC dollars and 2 years imprisonment for subsequent offenses; that minor roads have potholes and unmarked speed bumps, rural roads can be narrow with blind corners, pedestrians often walk on the roads, drivers do not always use their indicators, and road signs and hazards may not be easy to see; that licensed taxis carry or display identification and can be identified by the yellow license plate bearing T or TA, that unlicensed taxis often have no insurance to carry passengers, that taxis are not metered, that there are standard fares for most destinations which should be agreed with the driver before setting off, and that fares can often be paid in US dollars as well as EC dollars; that currents can be deceptively strong and not all beaches have lifeguards or warning flags; that attitudes towards the LGBT+ community are mostly conservative in the Caribbean and public affection is uncommon for opposite-sex and same-sex couples alike; that starting a wildfire, or attempting to, can bring up to 10 years in prison; that earthquakes are a risk; and that Mount Liamuiga is a potentially active volcano likely to erupt in the future, monitored by the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre. Accessed 18 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: St Kitts and Nevis travel advice, health: that the emergency medical number is 911 and a caller should ask for an ambulance; that vaccine recommendations should be checked at least 8 weeks before a trip; that the main government hospital on St Kitts is the Joseph N France General Hospital and the main government hospital for Nevis is the Alexandra Hospital in Charlestown, that both can provide many forms of treatment and that serious cases may require emergency evacuation; that medical treatment is expensive, that a private facility should be asked first whether it accepts medical travel insurance, and that adequate insurance or accessible funds should cover treatment and repatriation. Accessed 18 September 2026.