St Kitts and Nevis eTA: fee, validity and how to apply

The portal of the Ministry of National Security states that the eTA is mandatory for all foreign visitors, whether they arrive by air or by sea, and whatever their age. Airline and boat crew with a valid general declaration or flight manifest must also submit one, as must members of diplomatic missions and international organisations accredited to the Federation. A foreign spouse of a citizen and a foreign child travelling with a citizen parent also need their own eTA.

The exemptions are narrow: citizens of St Kitts and Nevis, citizens of the other OECS member states (including dual citizens holding OECS citizenship) and residents of the Federation, who only file the Immigration and Customs ED Form. Air passengers in transit who do not leave the airport and cruise passengers on day trips are not required to apply, but anyone arriving by boat who stays overnight or leaves by air must have an eTA.

You need a passport valid for at least six months after the planned arrival date with at least one blank page, a recent passport-style photo or a selfie taken during the application, home address, telephone and email, and your travel details including the arrival flight number. The eTA can only be requested after transport and accommodation are booked.

Accommodation is checked: give a hotel booking, or if you stay with friends or family, an invitation letter from the host and the host's ID where applicable. Payment is by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Apple Pay or Google Pay; cheques and cash are not accepted.

The single-entry eTA costs USD 17 per traveller, plus payment and other fees, and faster service levels cost more. Applications are usually decided within 24 hours depending on the processing period you select, and an expedited application at the airport is processed within one hour. Travellers who forgot to apply can do so on arrival, but must pay the expedited fee.

Applications made through third-party websites are automatically denied, according to the portal. In June 2025 the government warned that sites charging for eTA processing, e-visas or expedited services outside the official channels expose travellers to inflated fees, identity theft and invalid documents.

On the portal you photograph or upload the passport page, scan your face, enter the trip and personal details, answer the eligibility questions and pay. No account is needed and an unfinished application can be saved on the same device. An email confirms receipt with a reference number, a second email confirms payment, and a third gives the immigration officer's approval or refusal with the eTA attached as a PDF.

Print the PDF, keep it on your phone or store it in the app: the approval QR code must be shown at check-in and on arrival. If the eTA is refused you cannot travel for the moment; the portal directs refused applicants to write to knatravelform@gov.kn.

The eTA does not guarantee admission. Airlines can still refuse boarding without a passport or boarding pass, and immigration officers decide on admission and length of stay. Travellers using the official channels can use the biometric Fast-Track corridor that has operated since 2 June 2025. The portal states that no vaccinations are currently required for entry.

If your eTA expires while you are in the country you do not need a new one; it is only checked on entry. To stay longer than the period granted at the border, apply for an extension of stay on the eVisa portal.