St. Kitts and Nevis Eliminates COVID-19 Entry Requirements

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has ceased all COVID-19-related visitor entry testing and vaccination requirements effective immediately, said government officials in a statement issued late Monday. The dual-island Caribbean nation "is now open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers," officials added.

Travelers are no longer required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the Federation. The end of the entry and testing protocols coincide with national elections held earlier this month, under which Dr. Terrance Drew was elected the country's new prime minister, succeeding Timothy Harris. Drew also serves as the Federation's minister of health.

While entry testing and vaccination requirements have ended under the new guidelines, inbound passengers are required to complete an online Embarkation-Disembarkation (ED) card online "for ease of transit through our border management agencies," according to officials.

"The removal of entry testing and vaccination requirements comes at a time when traveler confidence is on the rise," said Ellison "Tommy" Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. "The combination of increasing demand and more seamless travel processes will make St. Kitts even more desirable to visitors abroad."

St. Kitts and Nevis has recorded strong post-outbreak visitor arrivals, as both the larger and smaller islands continue a series of tourism-related promotions and programs. St. Kitts' "Sweet Side of Summer" promotion offers travelers up to three free nights at participating hotels.

In July, the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society unveiled a statue entitled "Alexander Hamilton as a Young Man," at the Museum of Nevis History. The statue was created by sculptor Benjamin Victor, the only living artist to have two works displayed in the National Statuary Hall in the United States Capital Building.

Nevis recently completed Culturama, a celebration of the smaller island's culture and the emancipation of enslaved Africans held on Nevis by the British Empire in the 1830s.