Trinidad and Tobago Travel Safety Guide

Read this first, and read both halves of it.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office records that the Trinidad and Tobago government introduced a State of Emergency on 3 March. It states that the State of Emergency was introduced following persistent violent crime and criminal activity and gives authorities additional powers of search, arrest and detention, and in the same passage that no curfew or restrictions on movement have been imposed. Travelers are asked to follow the instructions of police and local authorities.

Those two facts belong together. A reader given only the powers imagines a country under lockdown, which it is not. A reader given only the absence of a curfew is unprepared for why the measure exists. The source gives no year for that date, so this page gives none, and the live advice page is the only place to check whether it is still in force.

The crime picture, in the words of the source.

It is not softened here. In Trinidad and Tobago, there is a high level of violent crime, including gang-related attacks and shootings. Instances of homicides and armed robberies are common. The advice adds that a significant portion of violent crime in Trinidad and Tobago is gang-related.

The areas it asks visitors to be cautious in or around are named rather than left vague: downtown Port of Spain east of Charlotte Street, south and west of Picadilly Street and north of Independence Square; Carenage, Sea Lots, Belmont, Laventille, Morvant and Beetham; Barataria and Cocorite; and the interior of Queens Park Savannah.

That last one is worth pausing on, because the Savannah is a landmark a visitor will certainly see and probably walk beside. The caution is about its interior, not its perimeter, and it is the kind of specificity that makes advice usable rather than frightening.

The precautions, as given.

Always be alert to your surroundings and do not wear headphones when out and about. Avoid walking or hiking alone, deserted beaches or isolated areas. Avoid walking at night, and avoid poorly lit or quiet areas of streets or parks. Consider removing expensive jewelry. Keep money, valuables and passports somewhere safe. Park in well-lit areas and never leave anything in an unattended vehicle. Be careful at ATMs, using well-lit machines and small withdrawals in daylight. Be careful what you post online, because social media platforms are increasingly being monitored by criminals. If you are staying in a villa, especially in an isolated area, make sure it has adequate security.

And the hardest sentence in the advice, which is given here because leaving it out would be a kindness that costs something: if you're attacked or robbed, don't resist. Criminals are often armed, and you can be seriously injured or killed. If you are the victim of a violent crime, especially rape, the advice is to get urgent medical help.

Drug-assisted robbery, and dating apps.

This warning is specific and recent enough to matter. There have been reports of criminals in Trinidad and Tobago using drugs, deception and sexual solicitation, including via dating apps, to facilitate robbery and sexual assault. Victims may be lured and drugged or beaten and robbed. Incidents have occurred in bars, nightclubs, hotels and on city streets, sometimes involving groups working together.

What is asked of a visitor: avoid accepting invitations from strangers or inviting them to your accommodation, take care when using dating apps, keep food and drinks under supervision, and plan travel routes in advance, particularly at night. If drugged, seek local medical attention as soon as possible. Avoid accepting drinks from anyone you do not know and do not leave drinks unattended.

Carnival.

The advice does not tell you to stay away. It tells you that robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the carnival period and asks that at a large-scale event you take sensible precautions and always be aware of your surroundings, avoid displaying jewelry or valuable items, practice caution at crowded events and have a clear plan to return home safely after attending any events.

That last clause is the practical one. Decide how you are getting back before you go, not at four in the morning in a crowd.

Laws a visitor needs to know.

Camouflage clothing. It is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in it or bring any into the country. See the packing list.

Cannabis. Possession of up to 30g, or up to 5g of resin, has been decriminalized. 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 bring heavier fines and possible imprisonment, and there are severe penalties for other drug-related offenses.

Trespass. 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 to use defensive and even deadly force against trespassers.

The law on same-sex activity. The advice states 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. It adds that LGBT+ visitors could receive negative attention if they show affection in public, and asks for particular care with dating apps used by the LGBT+ community, because criminals have used apps like Grindr to trick, rob and assault people.

All three clauses are published together because each is incomplete without the others. The law is the law regardless of how it is enforced, and a traveler is entitled to know their legal position before they decide whether to come.

Adventure activities, and the numbers.

The advice notes that providers of recreational and adventure tourism may not meet UK safety standards, and asks travelers to check safety standards and confirm insurance before boat trips, water sports, quad biking or horse riding.

In a medical emergency, call 811 and ask for an ambulance. Contact your insurer quickly if you are referred for treatment. Medical facilities can be limited in some areas, private clinics can treat most ordinary problems, and medical evacuation may be necessary in more serious cases, which is the reason the insurance requirement is not a formality.

Two health risks belong on a safety page because both are avoided by behavior rather than treated after the fact. TravelHealthPro records that there is a risk of dengue in this country and that there is a risk of Zika virus in this country, and notes that the mosquitoes carrying dengue mainly feed during daytime hours. It also records that as of 2 April 2025 the Ministry of Health was investigating a cluster of five malaria cases on Trinidad, and that mosquito bite avoidance is recommended for all travelers. Daytime biters make repellent a daytime habit here, which is the opposite of what most visitors assume.

What this page is not saying.

It is not saying do not come. The official advice does not say that either. It is saying that this country asks more of a visitor's judgment than its neighbors do, that the advice is unusually specific about where and when, and that a trip planned with that specificity in hand is a different proposition from one planned without it.

If you would like an itinerary built with accommodation, transfers and evening movement arranged around that advice, tell us and we will plan it that way.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Trinidad and Tobago travel advice: that the Trinidad and Tobago government introduced a State of Emergency on 3 March following persistent violent crime and criminal activity, which gives authorities additional powers of search, arrest and detention; that no curfew or restrictions on movement have been imposed and that travelers should follow the instructions of police and local authorities; and the standing instruction to research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. 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.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Trinidad and Tobago travel advice, health: that in an emergency a traveler should call 811 and ask for an ambulance; that at least 8 weeks before a trip a traveler should check the latest vaccine recommendations and where to get vaccines; that the yellow fever vaccination is recommended for some travelers if visiting Trinidad; that the 2022 UNAIDS Country Factsheet estimated around 12,000 adults aged 15 or over in the country were living with HIV; that the legal status and regulation of some medicines can differ from the country they were prescribed in; and that medical facilities can be limited in some areas, that private clinics can treat most ordinary problems but medical evacuation may be necessary in more serious cases, and that adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds are needed to cover treatment and repatriation. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• TravelHealthPro, the National Travel Health Network and Centre: Trinidad and Tobago country page: that there are no certificate requirements under International Health Regulations and that there is a risk of yellow fever transmission in parts of the country; that yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers aged 9 months and older traveling to densely forested areas on the island of Trinidad and is not recommended for cruise ship passengers; that there is a risk of dengue in the country and a risk of Zika virus in the country; that on 24 March 2026 the Ministry of Health reported a confirmed detection of yellow fever in a deceased monkey with no human cases detected, and that the last significant yellow fever outbreak in Trinidad occurred in 1979; that as of 2 April 2025 the Ministry of Health was investigating a cluster of five malaria cases on the island of Trinidad with the first case identified on 27 March 2025, that it was unclear whether it was locally acquired and that the species had not been confirmed, and that mosquito bite avoidance is recommended for all travelers; and that the capital is Port of Spain, the official language English and the monetary unit the Trinidad and Tobago dollar. Accessed 21 September 2026.