Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Currency and Money Guide

What you actually pay with.

The currency of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the East Caribbean dollar, shared with several neighboring states. The FCDO adds a practical observation that shapes most visitors' trips: you can often pay in US dollars instead of East Caribbean dollars.

"Often" is the source's word and this guide keeps it. It is not a promise, and it is not a reason to arrive without any local currency.

The one place the advice says to use the local currency.

Taxis. The instruction is specific and it is the most useful sentence in this guide: taxis are not metered, there are set fares for most destinations, and you should agree the fare in local currency with the driver before you set off. Payment can then often be made in US dollars.

Read the order of those clauses carefully. Agreeing in East Caribbean dollars and paying in US dollars is a different transaction from agreeing in US dollars, and the advice puts the agreement in the local currency for a reason. Settle the number before the journey, not after it.

Cash, and where to be careful with it.

The safety advice asks visitors to take care when taking money from ATMs, to keep valuables secure and out of sight, and not to carry large amounts of cash or jewelry. Where possible, leave valuables and travel documents in a safety deposit box or hotel safe. During Vincy Mas in early July the same page notes that theft and opportunistic crime may increase.

Why there is no exchange rate on this page.

Because no source in this guide's register publishes one. The FCDO names both currencies and says one is often accepted in place of the other; it does not give a rate, and neither does any other authority this cluster cites. A figure carried across from memory or from a neighboring island's page would look authoritative and would be this guide's own invention rather than an authority's statement, so there is none here.

Check a rate with your own bank or card provider on the day. If you would like us to build a budget around the parts that are published, tell us what you are planning.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines travel advice, safety and security: that there have been incidents of crime including murder, armed robbery and assault, and an increase in gang-related murders involving guns; that visitors should keep valuables secure and out of sight, secure their accommodation including if staying on a yacht, take care walking alone off main roads and when taking money from ATMs, use only licensed taxis, and not carry large amounts of cash or jewelry; that the Vincy Mas carnival takes place in early July and that theft and opportunistic crime may increase during carnival; that there are severe penalties for all drug offenses; that it is illegal for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing; that attitudes towards the LGBT+ community are mostly conservative throughout the Caribbean and that some same-sex sexual activity is illegal; that some beaches may have strong undercurrents known as riptides and that not all beaches have lifeguards or flag warning systems; that a local temporary driving license must be obtained, that car hire companies will usually help with the process and that a valid home driving license must be shown to get it; that drivers should watch out for potholes and speed bumps, take care on minor roads where there can be very steep drops with no safety barriers, watch out for blind corners, and that taxi vans make random stops; that taxis are not metered, that there are set fares for most destinations, that the fare should be agreed in local currency with the driver before setting off and that payment can often be made in US dollars instead of East Caribbean dollars; that there was a lot of damage to tourist infrastructure on Mayreau and Union caused by Hurricane Beryl which struck the islands in July 2024, that smaller islands including the atolls of Palm Island and Petit St Vincent in Tobago Cays are also still affected, that this has affected hotel availability and other facilities including services at the airport, and that a traveler planning to visit Mayreau, Union or the smaller islands should confirm arrangements before traveling; that the last explosive eruption of La Soufriere volcano on St Vincent was in 2021; and that a traveler should monitor the alert level of the underwater volcano Kick em Jenny, located 5 miles off the coast of nearby Grenada, and keep out of maritime exclusion zones. Accessed 21 September 2026.