ST. KITTS & NEVIS REOPENING BORDERS ON OCT. 31
SAFETY FIRST PROTOCOLS ARE THE TOP PRIORITY
Oct 21, 2020
Early morning at the Nisbet Plantation Beach Club Photo Credit Tina Thuell Photography
St. Kitts & Nevis is pleased once again to welcome visitors to its shores beginning October 31, 2020. The Federation will observe a phased reopening with specific entry and travel requirements to be observed by visitors. The travel requirements outlined here are for Phase 1.
In Phase 1 of the reopening, St. Kitts and Nevis will designate visitors into three categories:
1. Travelers from the CARICOM Member States that are part of the “Caribbean bubble”.
2. International travelers coming from a country or territory outside the “Caribbean bubble”.
3. Returning Nationals (Citizen and passport holder of St. Kitts and Nevis, Residents (proof of residency stamp in passport), Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) certificate holders and Work Permit Holders.
1. CARICOM Bubble
Travelers from within the “Caribbean bubble” include those traveling from the following 8 CARICOM member states: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia & St. Vincent and the Grenadines (the list of states is subject to change based on the level of risk determined by the amount of positive cases per 100,000 of the population within a 14-day period). Those coming from within the “Caribbean bubble” must have resided in a “Caribbean bubble” territory for at least 21 days and must meet the following requirements:
– Complete the entry form on the national website (www.covid19.gov.kn) and submit a negative PCR test completed within 72-hours of travel (List of accredited labs to be provided by the Ministry of Health, at a later date).
– Undergo a health screening at the airport which includes a temperature check and a health questionnaire.
– Download the SKN COVID-19 contact tracing mobile app (to be used for the first 14 days of travel or less).
The traveler will be allowed to integrate within the Federation. Travelers from the “Caribbean bubble” can stay at COVID-19 pre-approved private homes or COVID-19 certified hotel properties:
– The Hermitage Inn
– Montpelier Plantation & Beach
– Nevis Golden Rock Inn
– Nisbett Plantation Beach Club
– Mount Nevis Hotel
– Paradise Beach Hotel
– Pinney’s Beach Hotel
– Sugar Bay Club
– Timothy Beach Resort
Mountain views from the Ocean Pool Photo Credit Four Seasons Resort Nevis
2. International Travelers
The second category of travelers refers to those coming from outside of the “Caribbean bubble” including the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Africa, and South America. These travelers must meet the following requirements:
1. Complete the entry form on the national website (www.covid19.gov.kn) and submit a negative PCR test completed within 72-hours of travel from an accredited laboratory (List of accredited labs to be provided by the Ministry of Health, at a later date).
2. Undergo a health screening at the airport which includes a temperature check and a health questionnaire.
3. Download the SKN COVID-19 contact tracing mobile app (to be used for the first 14 days of travel or less).
4. 1-7 days they are free to move about the hotel property, interact with other guests and partake in hotel activities.
5. 7 -14 days visitors will undergo a PCR-test (visitors’ cost) on day 7. If the traveler tests negative on day 7, they are allowed, through the hotel’s tour desk, to book select excursions and access select destination sites (list to be announced later).
6. 14 days or longer visitors will need to undergo a PCR-test (visitors’ cost) on day 14, and if they test negative the traveler will be allowed to integrate into the St. Kitts and Nevis
Approved hotels for international travelers are:
1. Four Seasons Nevis
2. Koi Resort, by Curio, Hilton
3. Oualie Beach
4. Park Hyatt St. Kitts
5. Royal St. Kitts Hotel
6. St. Kitts Marriott Resort
Park Hyatt St. Kitts is a family-friendly resort overlooking Banana Bay Photo Credit Park Hyatt St. Kitts
The third category of travelers refers to returning Nationals, Residents (proof of residency stamp in passport), Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) certificate holders and Work Permit Holders. These travelers must meet the following requirements:
1. Complete the entry form on the national website (www.covid19.gov.kn) and submit a negative PCR test completed within 72-hours of travel from an accredited laboratory (List of accredited labs to be provided by the Ministry of Health, at a later date).
2. Undergo a health screening at the airport which includes a temperature check and a health questionnaire.
3. Download the SKN COVID-19 contact tracing mobile app (to be used for the first 14 days of travel or less).
Following the airport health screening, the traveler will be allowed entry into the Federation and transported to Government approved accommodations, where they will stay at their cost for 14-days in quarantine. The cost is USD600.00 and USD 100.00 for each COVID-19 test.
The Government approved accommodations are:
1. Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI)
2. Oualie Beach
3. Potworks
4. Royals St. Kitts Hotel
Any traveler in this category who wishes to stay in one of the six (6) approved hotels for “Vacation in Place”, are required to do the following:
– 1-7 days they are free to move about the hotel property, interact with other guests, and partake in hotel activities.
– 7 -14 days visitors will undergo a PCR-test (visitors’ cost) on day 7. If the traveler tests negative on day 7, they are allowed, through the hotel’s tour desk, to book select excursions and access select destination sites (list to be announced later).
– 14 days or longer visitors will need to undergo a PCR-test (visitors’ cost) on day 14, and if they test negative the traveler will be allowed to integrate into the St. Kitts and Nevis
The CDC recently assessed the Federation”s Covid-19 risk as very low and designated it as “No Travel Notice” required, having had only 19 cases of the Coronavirus, no community spread and no deaths.
Stakeholders in every sector of the industry have been trained in our health and safety protocols, which include a comprehensive system of inspection and monitoring to encourage everyone to maintain the basic standards. Stakeholders who have participated in the training receive certificates and business who have been inspected and meet the “Travel Approved” criteria, will receive their “Travel Approved” Seal.
Specifically, the “Travel Approved” program achieves two things:
1. It offers “Travel Approved” training for tourism stakeholders and awards the “Travel Approved” seal to those businesses which meet, both the St. Kitts Tourism Authority and Ministry of Health inspections standards.
2. It allows for St. Kitts and Nevis on their respective websites, to promote those business entities that have received the “Travel Approved” seal. Those without the seal are not approved for visitors.
Visitors will also be asked to follow basic health and safety protocols of frequent handwashing and or sanitizing, physical distancing, and mask-wearing. Masks are required whenever the visitor is outside of their hotel room.
Travelers should regularly check the St. Kitts Tourism Authority (www.stkittstourism.kn) and Nevis Tourism Authority (www.nevisisland.com) websites for updates and information.
About St. Kitts & Nevis
Located in the northern Leeward islands where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean is the captivating twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Step off the beaten track in this uncrowded quintessential Caribbean destination to discover a distinctive array of tourism activities and astonishing natural beauty.
Experiences ranging from one-of-a-kind attractions such as the UNESCO recognized Brimstone Hill Fortress Park and The Sugar Train, the Caribbean’s only scenic passenger railway in St. Kitts to the birth place of America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton in Nevis bring the historic past of the first European outpost in the Caribbean to life.
Authentic “hidden gems” abound, including local restaurants that grill up the catch of the day to barefoot beach bars and private inlets for swimming or anchoring a sailing vessel or yacht.
Become immersed in nature with a hike up the rain forested Mt. Liamuiga in St. Kitts or Nevis Peak in Nevis, then take to the water for kayaking, speedboating, or a scenic catamaran sail along the coast. When the beach beckons, head to one of many secluded stretches of sand to soak in the Caribbean sun until at day’s end it silently slips below the horizon.
