--- title: "Saint Lucia Work permit requirements 2026: 1-year stay" url: https://settleanywhere.com/countries/saint-lucia/work-permit/ lang: en updated: 2026-10-12 --- Saint Lucia · Work # Saint Lucia Work permit **First stay:** 1 yr Work permit (Work Permit Unit, Ministry of Labour) Checked against official sources on 12 Oct 2026, some details partly verified [Record corrected 12 Oct 2026](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/corrections/#change-lc-work-permit) [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) - **First stay:** 1 yr (Issued for each desired year of employment and repeated annually.) - **Who can apply:** Any passport - **Tax angle:** Tax relief (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.) ## Key facts Work permit is a work route for Saint Lucia. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source. - **Government fees:** XCD 5,000/yr ≈ $1,850 · +3 more - **First stay:** 1 yr ## Cost, time and long term **Government fees: XCD 5,000/yr ≈ $1,850 · +3 more** - XCD 5,000 a year (≈ $1,850) Work permit fee for foreign nationals who are not Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. - XCD 4,000 a year (≈ $1,480) Work permit fee for Commonwealth nationals from outside the Caribbean, for each desired year of employment. - XCD 2,000 a year (≈ $740) Work permit fee for Caribbean Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. - XCD 100 (≈ $37) Non-refundable fee paid before the application form is issued. **Renewal: Renewable** A work permit is paid for each year of employment and the procedure is repeated each following year until the worker becomes a citizen. Holders of residential status still need a work permit. [Ministry of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour, Saint Lucia](https://archive.stlucia.gov.lc/faq/workpermitinfo.pdf) ## Why this route may not fit Check this before you apply. - Needs a job offer from an employer in Saint Lucia ### What you'll need #### Who can apply - The applicant must not work while the application is in process. #### What you must show - Fees by nationality are EC$2,000, EC$4,000 or EC$5,000 for each year; unskilled workers pay EC$200 for each 12 months, and a permit of up to one month costs EC$400. #### Documents - A police record from the last country of residence is required. - Certified qualifications are required. - A trade licence is required where applicable. - Copies of job advertisements are required. - Proof that income tax has been paid is required. - A photograph is required. ## What happens at day 183 How Saint Lucia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records. - **Stay on this route:** **1 year at first, renewable** - **Tax residence:** - **At least 183 days in a 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)) - **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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/saint-lucia/tax/) Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026 **Full official text** Foreign workers need a Minister-approved work permit; permits are issued per year with fees by nationality, and holders of residential status still need one until citizenship. (source 1) #### What you must show and pay - A fee of XCD 5,000 a year (≈ $1,850) · Work permit fee for foreign nationals who are not Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. (source 1) - A fee of XCD 4,000 a year (≈ $1,480) · Work permit fee for Commonwealth nationals from outside the Caribbean, for each desired year of employment. (source 1) - A fee of XCD 2,000 a year (≈ $740) · Work permit fee for Caribbean Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. (source 1) - A fee of XCD 100 (≈ $37) · Non-refundable fee paid before the application form is issued. (source 1) #### Requirements - The applicant must not work while the application is in process. (source 1) - Fees by nationality are EC$2,000, EC$4,000 or EC$5,000 for each year; unskilled workers pay EC$200 for each 12 months, and a permit of up to one month costs EC$400. (source 1) - A police record from the last country of residence is required. (source 1) - Certified qualifications are required. (source 1) - A trade licence is required where applicable. (source 1) - Copies of job advertisements are required. (source 1) - Proof that income tax has been paid is required. (source 1) - A photograph is required. (source 1) #### Stay - Issued for each desired year of employment and repeated annually. - Initial permitted stay: 12 months. - Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay. - Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal. #### Work Work for the employer named in the application. #### Fine print The fees come from a Ministry information sheet dated January 2004 that cites a 1997 order. Checked 2026-10-12 · partly verified ## Official sources 1. [Work permit: general information (Ministry information sheet of January 2004, citing Statutory Rules and Orders No. 73 of 1997)](https://archive.stlucia.gov.lc/faq/workpermitinfo.pdf) · Ministry of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour, Saint Lucia · checked 2026-10-12 · published 2004-01-26 ## Work permit and its alternatives | Route | Money needed | Stay | Work | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Work permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | – | | [Job-offer residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/mexico/temporary-resident-job-offer/) Mexico | – | 4 yr | – | | [Internationalisation visa M](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/colombia/m-fomento-internacionalizacion/) Colombia | – | 3 yr | – | | [Scientist/professional permit](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/costa-rica/temporary-professionals-scientists/) Costa Rica | – | 2 yr, renewable | – | | [Work visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/brazil/vitem-v-work/) Brazil | – | 2 yr, renewable | – | ## Questions people ask ### How much money do I need for the Work permit? A fee of XCD 5,000 a year (≈ $1,850). Work permit fee for foreign nationals who are not Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. A fee of XCD 4,000 a year (≈ $1,480). Work permit fee for Commonwealth nationals from outside the Caribbean, for each desired year of employment. A fee of XCD 2,000 a year (≈ $740). Work permit fee for Caribbean Commonwealth nationals, for each desired year of employment. A fee of XCD 100 (≈ $37). Non-refundable fee paid before the application form is issued. ### How long can I stay on the Work permit? Issued for each desired year of employment and repeated annually. ### Can I work on the Work permit? Work for the employer named in the application. ### Is there a tax break for Work permit 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](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/saint-lucia/tax/#tax-lc-remittance-basis-non-ordinary-resident) Tax relief Foreign-source income: Remittance basis **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 10 Oct 2026, some details partly verified [Change log](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/) [Full page →](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/saint-lucia/tax/) ## Work visas elsewhere [🇨🇦 Express Entry · Skilled Worker](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/canada/express-entry-pr/) [🇺🇸 Gold Card · Corporate $2M](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/united-states/gold-card-corporate/) [🇵🇦 Friendly Nations residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/panama/friendly-nations-permanent/) [🇨🇱 Paid work residence](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/chile/paid-activities/) [🇪🇨 Company executive visa](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/ecuador/temporary-legal-representative/) [🇩🇴 Managers and technicians](https://settleanywhere.com/countries/dominican-republic/managerial-staff/) ≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated. ## How this was checked **Checked on 2026-10-12 against 1 official source.** 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. 1. [Work permit: general information (Ministry information sheet of January 2004, citing Statutory Rules and Orders No. 73 of 1997)](https://archive.stlucia.gov.lc/faq/workpermitinfo.pdf) · Ministry of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour, Saint Lucia · checked 2026-10-12 Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the [changes page](https://settleanywhere.com/changes/), and the [methodology page](https://settleanywhere.com/methodology/) explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email [contact@stayglobe.app](mailto:contact@stayglobe.app?subject=Correction) with a link to the official source.