Trinidad and Tobago Currency and Money Guide

The currency, and who governs it.

The currency is the Trinidad and Tobago dollar, written TT$ and abbreviated TTD. TravelHealthPro's country profile records the monetary unit as the Trinidad and Tobago dollar, and the capital as Port of Spain.

It is a managed currency rather than a freely floating one. The Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago states that the Bank is responsible for the management of the Foreign Exchange Market in the public's interest, and that under the Exchange Control Act, the Bank licenses authorized dealers in foreign exchange, which include commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions. Those licensed dealers are where a visitor changes money.

Why there is no rate on this page.

Because no source this build can read publishes one. The Central Bank's website links no daily exchange rate page from its homepage, from its statistics section or from its description of what it does, and the obvious address for one returns a 404. Barbados produced the same result earlier in this program for a different technical reason.

So this guide prints no rate, and you should treat any travel page that does print one as quoting a number whose age you cannot check. Ask at a licensed dealer on the day. The rate is managed, so it moves less than a floating currency would, which makes the absence less costly here than it would be elsewhere.

Three figures that are published, and are worth knowing.

Each of these is an official amount in local dollars, and each is attached to something a visitor could actually do.

20,000 dollars. Currency in and out is unlimited, but you must declare cash in any currency worth over 20,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars, with strict penalties for failing to declare amounts in excess of the limit. The threshold counts the value in any currency, not just local notes.

50,000 dollars. Possession of small quantities of cannabis has been decriminalized, but it is not legal to smoke it in public spaces or while operating a vehicle, and being stopped with those amounts can bring a fine of up to 50,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars. Larger quantities carry heavier fines and possible imprisonment.

750,000 dollars. This is the one almost nobody expects. Entering private property without permission can bring a fine of up to 750,000 Trinidad and Tobago Dollars or imprisonment for up to 25 years, and local laws allow legal occupants of private property to use defensive and even deadly force against trespassers. It belongs in a money guide because the size of the number is the point: this is not a trespass notice, it is a serious criminal exposure. Do not shortcut across land to reach a beach or a trail.

Cards, cash and ATMs.

The official safety advice gives practical instruction rather than policy here, and it is worth following: be careful when withdrawing cash from ATMs or changing money, use well-lit ATMs, withdraw small amounts only and preferably during daylight hours, and keep an eye on your card when making purchases to avoid card skimming.

That is the whole of what an official source says about handling money on the ground, and it is more specific than the usual advice. Treat it as the baseline rather than as a worst case.

A small thing worth seeing.

The notes carry the country's birds. A visitor who has spent a morning in the Northern Range or on the Main Ridge tends to notice partway through a transaction that the currency is illustrated with what they came to see.

If you would like a trip costed properly before you commit, tell us what you are planning.

Sources

• Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago: the central bank statement of what it does: that the Bank is responsible for the management of the Foreign Exchange Market in the public's interest, and that under the Exchange Control Act the Bank licenses authorized dealers in foreign exchange, which include commercial banks and non-bank financial institutions. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Trinidad and Tobago travel advice, entry requirements: that a passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the date of arrival; that a traveler will be denied entry without a valid travel document or with a passport reported lost or stolen; that a visitor may enter without a visa for up to 90 days and must have an onward or return ticket and proof of funds for the stay; that the 90-day visit can be extended by applying to the passport and immigration department and that the passport must be stamped on arrival or an extension will be difficult; that a traveler may sail into and out of the marinas or Chaguaramas Bay but must follow government regulations; that health entry requirements and recommended vaccinations are set out by TravelHealthPro; that there are strict rules about goods taken into or out of the country and that anything prohibited or subject to tax or duty must be declared; and that the amount of currency brought in or taken out is unlimited but cash in any currency worth over 20,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars must be declared, with strict penalties for failing to do so. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Trinidad and Tobago travel advice, safety and security: that there is a high level of violent crime including gang-related attacks and shootings and that instances of homicides and armed robberies are common; the named areas in which to be cautious, including downtown Port of Spain east of Charlotte Street, Carenage, Sea Lots, Belmont, Laventille, Morvant, Barataria, Cocorite and the interior of the Queens Park Savannah; that a significant portion of violent crime is gang-related and the listed precautions, including avoiding walking at night, keeping valuables out of sight in a moving vehicle, and using well-lit ATMs during daylight; that criminals have used drugs, deception and sexual solicitation including via dating apps to facilitate robbery and sexual assault; that robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the carnival period; that providers of recreational and adventure tourism may not meet UK safety standards; that it is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing or bring any into the country; that possession of up to 30g of cannabis or 5g of cannabis resin has been decriminalised, that smoking cannabis in public spaces or while operating a vehicle is not allowed, and that being stopped with those amounts can bring a fine of up to 50,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars; that in March 2025 consensual same-sex activity was reinstated as a crime punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, that it is also illegal for LGBT+ foreign nationals to enter the country, and that neither of these laws has been enforced in recent times; that entering private property without permission can bring a fine of up to 750,000 Trinidad and Tobago Dollars or imprisonment for up to 25 years and that legal occupants may use defensive and even deadly force against trespassers; that a UK photocard driving license may be used for up to 90 days and that an international driving permit is needed beyond that; that driving standards are mixed, that high-speed accidents on the main highways often result in fatalities, that some roads are narrow, winding and unlit and that pedestrians often walk on the roads; that Trinidad and Tobago is rarely affected by hurricanes but can have severe storms; that earthquakes are a risk and that the last serious earthquake was in 2018; and that travelers should monitor the alert level of Kick em Jenny, an underwater volcano located off the coast of Grenada and about 200km from Trinidad, which erupts every few years. Accessed 21 September 2026.