Before You Fly to Grenada: A 15-Point Pre-Departure Checklist

Most problems on a trip to Grenada are made at home, in the week before departure. A passport with too little validity left, a hire car not booked for Christmas week, a villa address that only exists on a booking site, an insurance policy that does not cover medical evacuation: none of these are dramatic, and all of them are easier to fix before you leave than after you land.

This checklist is arranged in the order you would naturally work through it, from documents and money to transport and the first days on the island. It is written for visitors on a holiday of a few days to a few weeks. Entry rules depend on nationality and change from time to time, so confirm anything legal with official sources or your airline before you travel.

Documents and entry: weeks before

Start here, because these items take longest to fix if something is wrong.

1. Check passport validity. Your passport must be valid for your whole stay, and many airlines and government travel advisories recommend at least six months' validity beyond your arrival date. Renewing at the last minute is expensive and stressful, so check now.
2. Check whether you need a visa. Citizens of many countries, including the UK, the US, Canada and EU member states, have long been able to visit Grenada without a visa for a holiday, but the list is set by the Grenadian authorities and can change. Check for your passport, and for any connecting country where you will clear immigration.
3. Keep proof of onward travel. Visitors are normally expected to hold a return or onward ticket. A one-way ticket can raise questions at check-in as well as on arrival.
4. Confirm any arrival form. Grenada has been moving parts of its arrival paperwork online. Ask your airline, or check official Grenadian sources, whether a pre-arrival form applies on your dates, and complete it before you fly if so.
5. Check health entry requirements. A yellow fever vaccination certificate can be required if you are arriving from a country with yellow fever risk. Most visitors from North America and Europe are not affected, but travellers coming via South America or Africa should check.

Money, insurance and health: the week before

Insurance with medical evacuation. Grenada has a general hospital in St George's and private clinics, but serious cases can require evacuation to a larger centre such as Barbados, Trinidad or the United States, which is very expensive. Make sure your policy covers medical treatment and evacuation, and check what it says about hurricanes and missed connections.

Tell your bank. Let your bank know you are travelling if it requires it, and check foreign transaction fees on your cards. Cards work in hotels, larger restaurants and supermarkets; buses, taxis, markets and small shops want cash.

Plan your cash. The Eastern Caribbean dollar is pegged at EC$2.70 to US$1. US dollars are widely accepted, but change usually comes back in EC dollars. ATMs at the airport and in Grand Anse, St George's and Grenville dispense EC dollars, so you need not buy currency at home.

Medicines. Carry prescription medicines in your hand luggage, in original packaging, with a copy of the prescription. Bring enough for the trip plus a few days in case of delays, and pack basic remedies for stomach upsets, insect bites and sunburn.

Mosquito protection. Dengue fever occurs across the Caribbean. Pack a repellent you are happy to use daily, and light long-sleeved clothing for evenings.

Transport bookings: book early in peak season

Your airport transfer. If you land after dark or are staying outside the south-west, arrange a driver through your accommodation and get the driver's name and agreed fare in writing. For short daytime runs to Grand Anse or Lance aux Epines, the taxi rank is fine.

Car hire. From mid-December to mid-April, and around Easter and the August Carnival, hire cars can sell out. Book ahead, ask whether the local visitor driving permit can be issued at the counter, and pack your physical home licence. The permit fee has been around EC$60; confirm when booking.

Carriacou and Petite Martinique. If your trip includes the sister islands, check how you will get there before you fly: a domestic flight from Maurice Bishop to Lauriston Airport, or the ferry from St George's. Services and timetables have changed since Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, so confirm the current position with the operator.

Tours and dives. Popular boat trips, dive courses and guided hikes fill up in high season. Book for day two onwards, never for the afternoon you land.

Phone, maps and information

Five minutes on these saves a lot of time on the ground.

• Decide between roaming, a local SIM and an eSIM. Digicel and Flow are the two networks, and local plans are usually much cheaper than roaming. An eSIM can be set up before you leave if your phone supports it.
• Download an offline map of Grenada. Mobile coverage is good on most of the main island, but patches in the interior and on some hillside roads are weak, and many addresses are described by landmarks.
• Save your accommodation's full address, the area name and the host's contact details somewhere you can see without data.
• Write down the island's emergency number, 911, and your insurer's emergency assistance contact.
• Check the date of any public holiday or festival during your stay, such as Carnival in August, Independence Day on 7 February or Emancipation Day on 1 August, when shops and offices may close.
• Note that Grenada stays on Atlantic Standard Time all year, four hours behind GMT, and adjust the time difference you give your driver and family accordingly.

Packing points specific to Grenada

Grenada uses the same three-pin plug as the UK, at around 230 volts, though some hotels also provide North American sockets. Bring an adapter if your devices use a different plug, and check that chargers accept the voltage. Many travellers find a small power strip useful in older rooms with few sockets.

Pack for heat, sun and sudden showers: light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen and a thin rain jacket for hikes in the Grand Etang area, where rain is common even when the coast is dry. Proper shoes with grip are needed for waterfall trails, which are muddy and slippery. Beachwear is for the beach; cover up in St George's, in shops and in churches.

Think about what you will bring home as well. Spices, chocolate and rum are classic purchases. Liquids such as rum and hot sauce must go in checked luggage, so leave space in a suitcase. Fresh fruit, plants and seeds cannot be taken into most countries, so plan to buy dried and packaged products instead.

Mistakes people regret

The most common regret is relying on a booking-site address. Many villas and apartments are known locally by a different name, and immigration officers, taxi drivers and delivery couriers all need a real address. Ask your host for the full address and directions from a recognisable landmark before you fly.

The second is booking something non-refundable for arrival day. Connecting flights into Grenada are delayed often enough that a boat trip or dinner booking on the first afternoon is a gamble. The third is ignoring the season. Travelling between June and November is perfectly reasonable, and fares are often lower, but it is the hurricane season; buy insurance before you travel, not after a storm is named, and keep an eye on forecasts in the days before departure.

The last is forgetting that the island is small and the network thin. One cancelled flight can mean a day's delay. A spare day in the plan, flexible first-night accommodation and essentials in your hand luggage cover almost every scenario.

Frequently asked questions