Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia CARICOM free movement
CARICOM skilled nationals free movement (CSME Skills Certificate)
First checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
CARICOM free movement is a long-stay route for Saint Lucia. Local work: limited. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Work rights are limited
- Only for passports from 11 countries
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The person is a national of one of the 12 participating CSME states.
- The CARICOM Secretariat lists 13 categories: graduates, media persons, artistes, musicians, sportspersons, nurses, teachers, CVQ artisans and associate degree holders.
- Domestic workers, agricultural workers, private security officers and aviation personnel are also approved categories.
- Graduates hold at least a bachelor degree from a university recognised by the receiving state.
What you must show1
- The Saint Lucia CSME Skills Certificate application fee is EC$200.
Documents2
- Application form, two passport photos, original passport and biodata copy, qualifications and birth certificate.
- Police certificates of character are needed from the country of birth and the country of residence.
Steps1
- Apply through the Government of Saint Lucia (Consular Division); processing takes a minimum of 3 weeks.
After you arrive1
- Certificate holders are allowed an indefinite stay subject to all immigration requirements.
What happens at day 183
How Saint Lucia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a year of incomeResident in Saint Lucia if physically present for not less than 183 days in the year of income (para (a)(ii) of resident in Saint Lucia); a permanent place of abode with some presence makes an individual ordinarily resident (para (a)(i))
- Foreign-source income
Remittance basis
Under section 8(2) of the Income Tax Act, an individual who is resident but not ordinarily resident in Saint Lucia has assessable income that includes income accrued from sources outside Saint Lucia only to the extent that such income is received in Saint Lucia.
- Special regime
Resident but not ordinarily resident individuals · Tax relief
All tax rules for Saint Lucia Tax records checked
Full official text
Nationals of 11 other CSME states in an approved skills category can work in Saint Lucia without a work permit with a CARICOM Skills Certificate and indefinite stay, subject to immigration requirements. 1 2 3
Requirements
- The person is a national of one of the 12 participating CSME states. 3 4
- The CARICOM Secretariat lists 13 categories: graduates, media persons, artistes, musicians, sportspersons, nurses, teachers, CVQ artisans and associate degree holders. 2
- Domestic workers, agricultural workers, private security officers and aviation personnel are also approved categories. 2
- Graduates hold at least a bachelor degree from a university recognised by the receiving state. 2
- The Saint Lucia CSME Skills Certificate application fee is EC$200. 1
- Application form, two passport photos, original passport and biodata copy, qualifications and birth certificate. 1
- Police certificates of character are needed from the country of birth and the country of residence. 1
- Apply through the Government of Saint Lucia (Consular Division); processing takes a minimum of 3 weeks. 1
- Certificate holders are allowed an indefinite stay subject to all immigration requirements. 3
Stay
- Indefinite stay for certificate holders, subject to immigration requirements.
Nationality
Nationals of the CSME free movement states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. Open to: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, VC, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
Work
No work permit needed in the approved categories.
Family
Spouse and dependants are included; marriage and birth certificates, dependent letters and police records are required for them.
Official sources
- CSME Skills Certificate · Government of Saint Lucia · checked 2026-10-10
- Categories of Skilled Nationals as at December 2025 - Definitions · CARICOM Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-12-01
- CSME - CARICOM Single Market and Economy · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-10
- CSME Certificate Portal · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana · checked 2026-10-10
CARICOM free movement and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARICOM free movement | – | – | Limited |
| Visa-free stay Mexico | – | 6 mo | No |
| Andean free movement Colombia | – | 2 yr | Yes |
| Free movement by treaty Brazil | – | – | – |
| Mercosur residence Argentina | – | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the CARICOM free movement?
Indefinite stay for certificate holders, subject to immigration requirements.
Can I work on the CARICOM free movement?
Limited. No work permit needed in the approved categories.
Can I bring my family on the CARICOM free movement?
Spouse and dependants are included; marriage and birth certificates, dependent letters and police records are required for them.
Who can apply for the CARICOM free movement?
Nationals of the CSME free movement states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. Open to: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, VC, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
Is there a tax break for CARICOM free movement holders in Saint Lucia?
Saint Lucia: resident but not ordinarily resident individuals taxed on foreign-source income only when received: Under section 8(2) of the Income Tax Act, an individual who is resident but not ordinarily resident in Saint Lucia has assessable income that includes income accrued from sources outside Saint Lucia only to the extent that such income is received in Saint Lucia. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Saint Lucia: resident but not ordinarily resident individuals taxed on foreign-source income only when received
Tax relief
Details
- On: Foreign-source income is taxed only to the extent received in Saint Lucia
Under section 8(2) of the Income Tax Act, an individual who is resident but not ordinarily resident in Saint Lucia has assessable income that includes income accrued from sources outside Saint Lucia only to the extent that such income is received in Saint Lucia.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income is taxed only to the extent received in Saint Lucia; Saint Lucian-source income is taxed at the progressive rates.
Who it applies to
- Individual resident by the 183-day test or continuity rule without a permanent place of abode in Saint Lucia (not ordinarily resident).
Exclusions
- Ordinarily resident individuals (permanent place of abode in Saint Lucia and presence for some period in the income year) are taxed on all sources in or out of Saint Lucia (s.8(1)(a)).
Days in the country
- At least 183 days in year of income · Resident in Saint Lucia if physically present for not less than 183 days in the year of income (para (a)(ii) of resident in Saint Lucia); a permanent place of abode with some presence makes an individual ordinarily resident (para (a)(i))
Tax residence
Resident: 183 days or more in the year of income, or permanent place of abode plus some presence; ordinarily resident is the permanent-place-of-abode limb.
Visas
The rule depends on tax residence and abode, not on a visa category; the statute copy shows the law as at 31 December 2023.
Other taxes
Company income from a source outside Saint Lucia in accordance with section 10A is excluded from a resident company's assessable income (s.8(3)).
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Similar visas elsewhere
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 4 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- CSME Skills Certificate · Government of Saint Lucia · checked 2026-10-10
- Categories of Skilled Nationals as at December 2025 - Definitions · CARICOM Secretariat · checked 2026-10-10
- CSME - CARICOM Single Market and Economy · Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Trinidad and Tobago · checked 2026-10-10
- CSME Certificate Portal · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Guyana · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.