St. Lucia Airport Guide: Tips for Travelling to UVF or SLU

Hewanorra International Airport (St. Lucia’s Major Airport)

Hewanorra international airport is St. Lucia’s major airport serving international flights from many countries around the globe. The St. Lucia Airport Code for Hewanorra international airport is UVF. It is the larger of the two airports in St. Lucia. You will find the Hewanorra  International Airport in the town of View Fort, which is one of the largest towns in the south of St. Lucia. It will take you approximately 1 and 1/2 hours driving to the capital city of Castries in the north when you travel using the main road on the east coast of St. Lucia. If you go via the west coast road from the Hewanorra International Airport to the north of St. Lucia, the trip will be a lot longer.

George FL Charles Airport

George FL Charles airport is St. Lucia’s smaller airport which serves regional flights around the Caribbean.  The St. Lucia Airport Code for George FL Charles Airport is SLU. George FL Charles airport is in St. Lucia’s capital city – Castries between the John Compton highway and the shoc beach. George FL Charles airport not only facilities passenger flights from around the Caribbean, but also serves cargo flights within the Caribbean region. If you’re traveling to the north of St. Lucia from the George FL Charles airport, it will take you approximately 20 minutes by ground shuttle.  Most of St. Lucia’s large hotels and tourist accommodations are in the North of St. Lucia. The north of the island also has many tourist hotspots.

 

Which Airport do you Fly into for St. Lucia?

If you’re flying to St. Lucia on an international flight, you will most likely arrive at the Hewanorra International Airport since it serves mostly to international passenger flights.  But visitors coming into St. Lucia from the Caribbean region will arrive at George FL Charles Airport since it accommodates only regional aircraft.

 

Airlines that Operate Passenger Flights to Hewanorra International Airport (UVF)

Many international passenger flights fly into you Hewanorra International Airport on a daily basis. Airlines provide flights into UVF include:

• Air Canada
• Air Canada Rouge
• American Airlines
• British Airways
• Delta Air Lines
• JetBlue Airways
• Sunwing Airlines
• Thomas Cook Airlines
• TUI Airways
• United Airlines
• Virgin Atlantic
• WestJet

Direct Passenger Flights to Hewanorra International Airport (UVF)

Some of the International Airlines that serve direct flights to St. Lucia include:

• American Airlines (JFK, MIA)
• Jet Blue (JFK)
• Delta (ATL)
• US Airways (CLT)
• British Airways (LGW)
• Virgin Atlantic (LGW)
• Air Canada (YYZ)
• Sunwing (YYZ)
• Air Transat (YYZ)
• West Jet (YYZ)

 

Airlines that Operate Passenger Flights at George FL Charles Airport (SLU)

Regional airlines that serve the travel to the George FL Charles Airport from around the Caribbean region include:

• Air Antilles
• Air Caraïbes
• Caribbean Airlines
• Inter Caribbean Airways
• LIAT

 

St. Lucia Passport & Visa Requirements

Passports

Passports are a mandatory requirement for entering St. Lucia. Your passport must also be valid for a minimum of 6 months from your date of departure from st. Lucia. When you arrive in St. Lucia, the immigration department will grant you a period of stay. Visitors who desire to stay in St. Lucia longer, will need to apply for an extension from the St. Lucia immigration office and pay an attached fee. It is against the law for visitors to overstay the period granted by the immigration department. Apart from your passport, there may be other travel documents required depending on your nationality and reasons for visiting St. Lucia.

St. Lucia Visa

A St. Lucia visa is not required to travel to St. Lucia by citizens of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, United States and countries that fall under the European Union.

Visitors from visa exempt countries are allowed to stay in St. Lucia without a visa for a maximum of 6 weeks. Visitors who require a more extended stay will need to apply for an extension from the St. Lucia immigration department.

Before entering St. Lucia, visitors from some non-exempt countries are allowed to obtain a visa when they arrive in St. Lucia from immigration at the airport.  You should confirm with the St. Lucia immigration department if you nationality qualifies for this arrangement before you travel.

A single entry vacation visa will cost you USD 47. A multiple entry vacation visa will cost you USD 70. 

A single entry visa is valid for up to 3 months and will allow you a single entry into St. Lucia within the three month period. A multiple entry visa is valid for one year and will allow you to enter St. Lucia multiple times within the one year period.

Do Green Card Holders need a Visa for St. Lucia?

Holding a US green card will not automatically exempt you from St. Lucia’s visa requirement. The visa requirement to enter St. Lucia depends on whether you are a citizen of a visa-exempt Nation. UK, US, Canada, and citizens of the EU do not require a visa for entering St. Lucia. Visitors from non-visa-exempt countries who have a green card will still be required to obtain a visa to enter St. Lucia.

Do Cruise Passengers require a Passport for St. Lucia?

If you’re traveling to St. Lucia on a cruise that starts and ends in your country, you would not be required to go with a passport and visa. However, if for any reason you need to get off the cruise due to an emergency, you will need a valid passport to return to your country of origin. If you do not have a visa or passport in such case, you will face difficulty in returning to your country. Airlines require that you have a valid passport for travel so, although it is not needed we strongly recommend that if you’re traveling on a cruise that you also carry your passport.

 

Do I need Vaccinations for St. Lucia?

Some vaccines are recommended before you travel to St. Lucia. Vaccines recommended by the CDC and WHO for St. Lucia include:

• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Rabies
• Influenza

 

St. Lucia Airport Taxes and Extra Charges

Do You Have to Pay Departure Tax in St. Lucia?

If you’re departing St. Lucia via air travel, your departure tax is already in the cost of your ticket. St. Lucia Airport departure tax is included in the pricing of all tickets of passengers that are over 12 years old. If you’re departing St. Lucia via sea travel, however, the St. Lucia departure tax will cost you EC $33 which converts into USD 13. You will need to pay this at the time and place of your departure.

The St. Lucia Airport Development Charge

St. Lucia airport arrivals will incur an additional charge of USD 35 on each ticket. This extra charge is called the St. Lucia airport development charge. This charge went into effect on May 1, 2011.

 

Your Safety and St. Lucia Airport Security Checks

To make your travel experience to St. Lucia incident free, we recommend that you take necessary measures to safeguard yourself.  If you’re departing St. Lucia, it is highly recommended that you get to the airport at 2 hours before your flight leaves the island. This will allow St. Lucia Airport security to conduct all required baggage screenings and security checks properly.

At any of the St. Lucia airports, the following things should also be kept in mind to ensure your safety and peace of mind. You should ensure that your passport and other travel documents I kept in your possession in a safe location at all times.

If you have an e-ticket, you should ensure that you already have it printed along with your confirmation page before you leave your accommodation to go to the airport.

To make it easier for you to go through the security checks, you should avoid wearing anything that includes a lot of metal to prevent challenges going through the metal detector. When you get to the metal detector, be sure to remove all your keys, coins, all electronic devices and any other metal items that you may have in your possession.  You will be provided with a plastic bin to place these objects during these airport security checks.

When it’s time to conduct security checks, only passengers four the departing flight will be allowed up to the security checkpoint. To avoid any complications at security checkpoint if you have a child a senior or someone who has special needs, you should find out if there are any specific requirements for these individuals during departure security checks.

 

Requirements for Carry-On Bags and Luggage at St. Lucia Airports

St. Lucia airports have restrictions in place for carry-on luggage. It is essential that you adhere to these restrictions to avoid any issues when arriving or departing St. Lucia. Some of the carry-on luggage restrictions include a limit to the weight and the size of your bags. Passengers are allowed to bring only one bag of limited weight and size on the plane. These bags include laptop bags, side bags, backpacks and other types of hand luggage.

Passengers are not allowed to bring sharp objects onto the plane which is strictly prohibited by the TSA. These objects include knives, blades and other similar objects.

If you’re taking gifts abroad to your family and friends, you should not wrap gifts since security personnel at the airport will need to examine those items. Any items that are not allowed on the plane will be confiscated if found in your possession. Thus you should contact the airport or the TSA to verify if you can take a particular item onto the aircraft. Additionally, any illegal substances that are found in your position will be confiscated.  If illegal substances are found in your possession, this may also result in your detainment.

 

St. Lucia Airport Car Rentals

There are numerous car rental companies in St. Lucia that provide car rental services at the airport. The requirements for renting a car differ from company to company so you should shop around to see which company offers you with the best options.

Some car rental companies may require that you are over the age of 25 to rent a car. Other car rental companies have set the minimum age requirement as 21 years of age. Car rental companies in St. Lucia also have a maximum age limit to rent a car. Additionally, some car rental companies require that you have as much as three years of driving experience to rent a vehicle.

The maximum age limit varies from company to company. For some companies, the maximum age limit is from 65. Others allow a higher maximum age limit.

Car rental companies at the St. Lucia airport also offer extras with their service such a mobile phone or a car seat if you are traveling with kids.

 

St. Lucia Airport Transfer & Taxi Services

Before you arrive in St. Lucia, you also have the option of pre-booking a St. Lucia airport transfer service. Prebooking is a convenient way to get from any of St. Lucia airports to your destination without the hassle of waiting on an available taxi after you’ve arrived. Finding a taxi can become a headache during heavy arrival times. Many of the airport taxi companies in St. Lucia provide various tiers of service depending on their clients’ needs.  St. Lucia taxi companies offer regular airport transfers, VIP Airport transfers, helicopter transfers and a service that they can tailor to your requirements.

The Airport taxi service in St. Lucia is a highly competitive industry.  So, if you’re looking to pre-book an airport transfer service, be sure to shop around for the best most reputable airport taxi services.  One of the best airport transfer services in St. Lucia that we can recommend is KSK Tours St. Lucia airport transfers. These companies offer a top-quality airport transfer service in St. Lucia.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to know about St. Lucia airports and traveling to St. Lucia? Submit your question in the comments section.

 

The information in this article will be updated given any change. We strongly recommend that confirm critical information that is unique to your travel arrangements with the necessary embassies before you travel.