Getting Around Saint Kitts and Nevis

You need a local driving license, and it is bought rather than recognized.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office states plainly that you must hold a St Kitts and Nevis driving license to drive here. A home license is not accepted on its own, and neither is an international permit in place of one.

You buy a temporary one from the Inland Revenue Department, valid for either 3 months at 62.50 EC dollars or one year at 125 EC dollars. You will need to show your own driving license and your passport to obtain it. If you are hiring a vehicle, the hire company will usually help with the process.

Hire companies often set stricter conditions than the law does, such as a year of driving experience or a minimum age of 25. Ask when you book rather than at the counter.

What the roads are actually like, in the source's own terms.

This is one of the more detailed road descriptions the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office publishes for a small country, and it is worth reading as a list rather than a paragraph:

• there are potholes and unmarked speed bumps on minor roads;
• roads can be narrow with blind corners in rural areas;
• pedestrians often walk on the roads;
• drivers do not always use their indicators;
• road signs and hazards may not be easy to see.

Taken together those describe slow driving, particularly after dark, and a wide margin at every corner. They are also the reason many visitors decide a taxi is the better answer for an evening out.

If you have an accident.

The instruction is specific and it is the opposite of the instinct: phone the police on 911 and do not move your vehicle.

Leaving the vehicle where it stopped is what protects your insurance position and the official record of what happened. Move people to safety; leave the car.

Taxis, which are the default for most visitors.

Use only licensed taxis. Licensed operators carry or display identification, and you can identify the taxis by the yellow license plate with T or TA in the number. Unlicensed taxis often have no insurance to carry passengers.

Taxis are not metered. There are standard fares for most destinations, and you should agree the fare with the driver before you set off. Fares can often be paid in US dollars as well as EC dollars. Our money guide covers the currency question in full.

Crossing between the islands.

St Kitts and Nevis are two islands, and the journey between them is made by sea rather than by road. That single fact does more to shape an itinerary here than anything about the roads: an afternoon on the other island is a crossing in each direction, on a schedule set by somebody else.

If you are arriving by sea rather than moving between the islands, the entry rules are different and they have a clock attached. You must contact the St Kitts and Nevis Port Authority at least 24 hours before arriving, and contact either the Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority or the St Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority. Our entry requirements guide sets out the whole sequence.

One thing this guide does not tell you.

No source in this guide's register states which side of the road traffic uses here, and it is not stated anywhere in the unusually detailed road advice above. Rather than infer it from a neighbor, we have left it out. Check before you collect a hire car, and take the first few junctions slowly whichever answer you are given.

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, entry requirements: that a passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date of arrival; that a holder of a full British citizen passport can visit without a visa for up to 6 months; that all visitors must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation before travel, applied for online or via the official mobile app; that the immigration form should be completed online before travel to speed up arrival, and can also be completed on arrival using a personal device or the free public wifi; that a traveler arriving by sea must contact the St Kitts and Nevis Port Authority at least 24 hours beforehand and contact either the Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority or the St Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority; that arrival and departure tax is usually included in the ticket price of most commercial flights, with a departure tax payable at the Airport Finance Office for LIAT flights leaving Robert L Bradshaw International Airport; that a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required of anyone coming from a country listed as a transmission risk; that an extension of stay must be applied and paid for through the Immigration Department; and that it is illegal to overstay a visa or to work without a work permit. Accessed 18 September 2026.