Saint Lucia visa guide: visits, extensions and work permits

Saint Lucia's visa rules come from the Immigration Act and the Immigration (Visa) Order (Statutory Instrument 33/2006, amended in 2007 and 2020), published in the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia by the Attorney General's Chambers. The Order has four lists: Schedule 1 names the nationalities that need a visa, Schedule 2 those among them who may obtain it on arrival, Schedule 3 those who must obtain it before arrival, and Schedule 4 the nationalities exempt from any visa.

Schedule 3 lists the nationalities that must hold a visa before they travel, among them China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan, Nigeria, Colombia, Iran and Turkey. Non-immigrant visas are processed by the Immigration Department of the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, and the Ministry of External Affairs publishes the application form and fees.

Citizens of the EU member states other than Ireland benefit from the EU-Saint Lucia short-stay visa waiver agreement (90 days in any 180-day period, no paid activity), and the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Japan and others are in Schedule 4. Citizens of OECS Protocol member states may enter and remain for an indefinite period under section 6 of the Immigration Act.

On entry a visitor is given at most six weeks and must have a return ticket; longer stays need an extension of stay. Paid work requires a work permit or exemption under the Labour Act. Saint Lucia also runs a Citizenship by Investment Programme, which grants citizenship rather than a visa.