St Kitts(Christopher)and Nevis is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean sea. It is situated in the middle of several Islands with the Dominican Republic to the West of the Island, the Virgin Islands to the north, Martinique and other windward islands to the south and Antigua to the East. Its sister island Nevis situated just next door is a part of the federation of St Kitts.
I have always felt an attraction towards the Caribbean and whilst I lived in the UK for a large proportion of my life I knew that one day I would return and retire in paradise. I first visited St Kitts and Jamaica in 1979; and it was then that I fell in love with the landscape, the foods and the people. It is a magical combination, and I felt drawn to re-visit many times over the years. I returned to St Kitts & Nevis in 1995, sadly in the intervening years my parents had both passed away. I stayed with the same person who had accommodated us before, but this time it was a lot different from the previous visit. We had previously stayed in Factory a housing development where many of the employees of the sugar cane factory lived.
The house was close to the St Kitts Basseterre Sugar Factory, where the production of sugar cane had been centralised since the year 1912. We, that is my mother, sister, nephew and I had been lucky enough to be shown around the sugar factory and see many of the differing processes taking place. It was really interesting watching the raw sugar cane being turned into sugar, molasses and rum. We also had an Island tour and visited Brimstone Hill, a Fort which the British used as a lookout.
Now I was on my own and was staying in a different location (Greenlands) in a big three bedroom house, as opposed to a small two bedroom property. I noticed that with the passing of time the Island was becoming more of a tourist attraction, in much the same way as many of the other Caribbean islands. I, along with some friends from England who joined me, became one of the many tourists who are charmed and enticed into learning about St Kitts culture and traditions.
I made friends with several people and additionally my host introduced me to several others. During the days I would wander off to the beaches in Frigate Bay or Turtle Beach with the little girl who I had made friends with, and meet up with my new found friends on the beach. Some evenings and weekends we would go to Frigate Bay and dance to soca and reggae music. We visited Ocean Terrace Inn, a hotel which has a calypsonian evening every Friday, and at other times we would go for an evening meal at Ballahoo, a restaurant situated in the circus opposite The Berkeley Memorial.
It is during these visits that I learned about Caribbean cuisine, about the historic aspects of St Kitts and also about the social scene. We had great fun, and the perception of the Caribbean as a place of fun, sun and lots of laughter was fully realised.
My final exploratory trip took place in 2008, when I visited for about five weeks. There were pluses and negatives during this vacation, which combined business with some pleasure. I hired a small car, and took myself on an island tour during the period and stayed for some of the holiday in a self-catering apartment. To some extent this trip prepared me for living in St Kitts, as it took into account where to live, and what it might be like, I spoke to many of the local people who gave some insight into the cost of living on the Island, and because the vacation was self-catering I gained an impression about the cost of buying food.
Although I might be perceived as being quite spontaneous, in that I will just pack a bag, grab my passport and head for the airport, in reality I have been planning the move to the Caribbean for a number of years. I really didn’t just descend upon St Kitts, but over the years have visited and tried to establish if it was a place in which I could settle and call home. I have been living in the Caribbean since 2010, and have visited several of the Islands checking out the viability of making one of these places my home.
Many of the Islands are similar in terms of the fertility of the land, most having green lush vegetation and plant life such as a variety of palms, coconut trees and beautiful flora. The colours of the flowers being bright yellows, purples and pinks. A glorious display to been seen, especially at this time of the year. The surrounding terrain in St Kitts is quite mountainous, although not as steep as some of the other Islands, for instance St Vincent and the Grenadines. Unlike St Vincent, St Kitts which was once a volcanic island is no longer spewing forth its hot ashes and lava.
For the most part the areas where people reside is fairly flat and the mountains in the background provide a comforting reminder that the Island is still environmentally friendly, and retains some of its original characteristics. Most of the town of Basseterre, is on relatively flat ground, and the houses reminiscent of homes which were built in the 19th century after the emancipation of slaves. They were often wooden, but nowadays tend to have a brick structure and many have a veranda.
The one room tenement, as they were previously referred to have been extended to becoming three bedroom bungalows, and almost exclusively have inside bathroom and toilet facilities. Newer homes built by private land developers and the government tend to be quite luxurious in their presentation; and for those who can afford it, a two storey rather than bungalow tends to be the norm.
St Kitts is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. I remember on my second visit to the Island a friend who had collected me from the airport stopping by the sea, simply to take in the sound of the waves and look at the moon. There is something extremely therapeutic and calming just listening to the waves gently lapping along the shoreline.
During my travels in and around the Caribbean for the last two years I have acquired a caricom passport which has enabled travel to many of the Islands with relatively few difficulties. I really enjoy the Caribbean lifestyle, which to a large extent means waking up to a powder blue sky with a few clouds dotted here and there.
Sometimes the sky takes on a turquoise blue as the sun radiates red hot in the sky.
There are differing criteria for living in this glorious place and the following list is not exhaustive.
• You are eligible to live in St Kitts if you marry one of its citizens
• You can reside in St Kitts if one of your parents or grandparents were born on the Island
• You can get a work permit (if an employer will sponsor you)
• You can reside if you are a returning national
• You can reside in St Kitts if you choose to take part in its Investment programme
• You can become a citizen after living in St Kitts for 14 years
If you are keen to reside in St Kitts & Nevis and don’t believe you fall into any of the above categories, don’t hesitate to contact St Kitts & Nevis Government who will direct you to the appropriate department and assess ways in which they can assist you.
Finally perhaps we should look at steps for living in paradise. Have you thoroughly checked your immigration status? If so, and you are eligible, do ensure that you receive the appropriate application pack, fill it out in good time, and wait for confirmation that your application has been approved. Are you a single person or do you have a family to take into consideration? As a single person it’s much easier to re-locate, as there are fewer aspects to take into account, however there are basic steps which need to be applied for everyone.
Property is perhaps one of the most important considerations when re-locating. Both the property you are in and the property you will move into. Are you selling the property in which you live or are you going to leave it rented for a period of time? Either way you will need a property consultant to work with you either in terms of managing the property while you move abroad or selling the property prior to you going abroad. Property is a viable financial investment and a good source of income if you are renting it.
Be careful however, sometimes the tenants you get can cause more trouble than it’s worth. Do you have any contacts on the Island? During previous visits have you bought a property or made contact with someone who is involved in renting apartments and houses? Perhaps you are one of the lucky few who already have a family home on the Island. Whatever your circumstances do ensure you check all the alternatives available to you.
When you receive approval to live in St Kitts you will be given a certain period of time to take up residency. This is a time for action and for making things concrete. I would suggest that on previous visits to the Island that you should open a small savings account, you can open other necessary accounts once you have re-located to the Island. Another important thing to take into consideration is the shipping of your household effects.
Are you planning to ship your things or put them in storage? Do contact customs to find out if you are eligible for any financial assistance as part of the re-location programme. You will also need to find a reputable shipping agent/company in the country you are leaving who will pack and ship your things, and if necessary find storage facilities in St Kitts should the need arise.
Other considerations are medical, educational, work and opening a business, as I’ve said previously the list is not exhaustive. You should also check what the criteria is for driving in St Kitts. As far as I am aware you will need to go to the police station and apply for a licence to drive in St Kitts, despite have a driving licence from the UK or other country of origin.
So is Utopia in any way flawed? Like anywhere else there is a downside, and I have expressed concern about what seems at times to be lack of regulation or consistency in terms of how some bills are applied. I also have concerns about a lack of privacy in some aspects of my life, but believe that these are glitches which will be resolved sooner hopefully rather than later.
Veronica Williams (1851 words) St Kitts & Nevis 15th June 2012
Veronica Williams is a graduate in English Literature and has a Masters Degree in Cultural Studies. She has taken early retirement from teaching and recently completed writing and publishing her autobiography. Veronica moved from the UK in 2010 and now lives in the Caribbean, where she is actively involved in writing articles for a variety of magazines. Additionally she writes educational resource materials.
Contact Information: v.ambris12@mail.com
Telephone No. 1-869 664 6438
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