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St Lucia Expat Guide


Thinking of moving to St Lucia ?
Maybe you are a returning St Lucian national ?
Want to import a vehicle or household effects to St Lucia ?
Thinking of buying a property in St Lucia ?
Here we will try and answer some of the questions you may have





Want to know  what you can bring into St Lucia with you ? Or if any duty is payable ?

Click here to be transferred to the Official St Lucia Customs and Excise site



HISTORY OF BUYING PROPERTY IN THE CARIBBEAN

It is not difficult to see why purchasing property in the Caribbean has become so popular with British and Irish buyers.
 Each of the islands presents appealing lifestyle options with the glorious sunshine, laidback attitude and the huge selection
 of events and carnivals make them a wonderful place to visit and live.  Prices have been rising steadily since the first Europeans
 entered the market over a decade ago, with capital growth of 10% per annum since 2000.  A 2 bedroom apartment that would
have cost £70,000 just six years ago, is now worth £125,000. (remember real estate values can fall as well as rise).

Buying a property in the Caribbean today

Prices vary from island to island, and in general, properties in St Lucia are about 60% of the price you would expect to pay in Barbados,
 but the gap is closing as more and more people dicover the wonders of this tropical island haven.  The Caribbean coast of St Lucia
remains by far the most popular choice, with much of the construction work taking place in Rodney Bay and its environs.  However,
the Atlantic coast is gaining in popularity and many developers are investigating this, as yet untapped, side of the island. Expect to pay
£178,000
 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment in a gated complex in Rodney Bay, on the east coast, a luxury three bedroom fully furnished
 and managed  condo on a golf course with hotel and spa facilities will cost £650,000. 


Purchase procedure for buying property in the Caribbean The Caribbean legal system is very different from the British and Irish.
 However, provided that the appropriate procedures are followed and precautions are taken, buying a property in the Caribbean is
quite safe.  Buying property in St Lucia  is very straightforward. First of all choose a reputable estate agent, one used to dealing
 with international property and one which can provide comprehensive and understandable information about the property you are thinking
 of buying. This is at the heart of Rodneybay.net

If you decide to purchase, you will sign a simple reservation contract in the Caribbean, which reserves your property for you.
A reservation contract takes the property off the market for around two to four weeks, during which time your lawyer can make
all the necessary checks on the property. You pay a reservation deposit of, typically, £2,000/€3,000. During this period, your lawyer
 needs to make the necessary checks on the property but s/he also needs to deal with the key issue of who should become the legal
owner of the property. After all the necessary checks have been carried out and providing you are satisfied, you then sign the
preliminary contract and, usually, pay over a deposit of 10% of the price (on a resale property) or a down-payment of, perhaps,
 30% (on a new or 'off plan' property). In the case of a new property, bought 'off plan', there then usually follows a series of stage
 payments as the construction process progresses. Once the property has been finished (or, in the case of a resale property, as soon
as everyone is ready to proceed), your lawyer will arrange for payment of the taxes on your behalf and the final Contract of Sale/Title
 Deed is signed.

This is the document transferring the right to ownership to you. The notary will then arrange for this to be registered at the Land Registry.
In the case of a new property, a licence to occupy the property as a dwelling is issued by the Caribbean authorities. The whole process will,
in the case of a resale property with no mortgage, typically take about 16 weeks. In the case of a property under construction, the pace is
usually determined by the speed of construction – typically, perhaps, 18 months.

Working in St Lucia (Visa Issues)

VISAS & PERMITS

There are specific visa requirements for each island in the Caribbean.  For all foreign visitors duration of stay of over 28 days requires a visa.

The approval or non approval of a work permit is determined by the Minister of Labour.  To receive an application form for a St. Lucia Work Permit,
you are required to pay a non refundable fee of one hundred Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC$100.00) to the Accountant General at the Government
 Treasury in Castries. This payment is acceptable upon presentation of the necessary ‘A’ Form once completed by the Work Permit Officer and available
 at the Department of Labour Relations in Castries.
The Treasury Receipt you will receive is required to obtain the Work Permit Application form.  Prior to submission of the Work Permit Application form,
 the following documents are required for submission to the Work Permit Officer. These documents are:

A Police record from the country where you last resided;
Certified documentary proof of qualifications;
Trade Licence (where applicable);
Copies of advertisements for the post that you will be  applying for;
Evidence that income tax has been paid.
Once your application has been approved, you are required to pay a fee for the Work Permit which is based on your nationality at present.

To begin the process, overseas applicants would need to have someone in St Lucia to complete the ‘A’ Form and make the EC$100.00
payment on your behalf.  The ‘A’ Form cannot be mailed to you.




Health Care in St Lucia


Health care costs are high on the island and health insurance is recommended, which should cover medical evacuation.  A trip to the hospital can be
quite expensive in St. Lucia, especially because many serious cases have to be evacuated to neighbouring islands. There are five hospitals located
on the island.  However, most visitors take advantage of in-house doctors that are located at many of the hotels and resorts. Most hotels have a
doctor in residence on the property, and those that don't will have a doctor on call. A visit from a doctor in residence will cost around $15(USD)
and a visit from an on-call doctor will generally cost more.
2009-A new general hospital has been given the go ahead to be built.




EDUCATION IN ST LUCIA

Most of St.Lucia’s population are graduates from accredited technical colleges and universities of the Caribbean, Canada, USA and Europe.
 St. Lucia offers post secondary education at a community college (Sir Arthur Lewis Community College) and one university (University of the West Indies
 through their Distance Education Centre) providing a full range of diploma and under graduate programmes including management, engineering,
agriculture, health sciences, technology, arts and science.

St Lucia is divided into eight districts, including 66 primary schools and 19 secondary schools.  Parents are required to produce a report from their
children's last school attended showing specific grades and conduct, two passport size pictures, birth certificate as well as a small registration fee.
Classroom capacity is 35 children per room. 

There are seven private primary schools including Bonne Terre prep, locoted in Bonne Terre( 5 min to Rodney Bay) and Tapion primary located
 nearer to the Capital city of Castries in the hills of La Toc,Tapion primary school , and two private secondary schools on the island including
one in Rodney Bay.  Rodney Bay Private Secondary School 

Education is a major aspect of the government’s programme, recognizing its importance to the progress of the state. Every school is tasked with satisfying
 the intellectual and educational growth of children and cater for their physical and emotional needs. Sports, extracurricular, recreational and cultural activities
 are high on the agenda. Given that tourism is the most important industry on the island, the government has developed an educational curriculum emphasising
the significance of tourism, history, culture and traditions. Through this programme

Personally I believe education goes way beyoned schooling and college and is in fact a life long learning curve to reach our goals and aspirations. What motivates
you to really go for and achieve your dreams in the time which has been allocated to us on this earth ?  Here is a link to some inspiring and practical ways for you
 to enhance your life and realising you full potential.  School of successful living, click here to really start living your dreams !!


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