Grenada
Sep 15th 2010, 2:29 pm
#1
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Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Grenada
Posts: 5
Grenada
pgtips has asked me to describe the situation in Grenada.
British and Caricom (people who live in Caribbean countries that are part of the Caricom trade agreement) nationals do not need a visa to enter Grenada - it will be given on entry. British nationals get a maximum of 3 months and Caricom nationals get a maximum of 6 months. Both are free. After this time, one can apply for an extension which one has to pay. I do not know how much but I can find out if anyone wants to know.
You need to live here for 2 years before you can apply for residency. I understand that currently the Government is working on a 'card' which will carry an annual charge to allow expatriate property owners to come and go without a visa.
Expats can buy property in Grenada. One needs to apply to the Government for an Alien Landholding Licence which can take several months. If one purchases land only, one must start building on it within 2 years. This is a recent rule and am not sure if one can obtain an extension. A lawyer is definitely required for the purchase of property. Should anyone wish to get in contact with a lawyer, I can provide you with the name and contact details of a British trained local lawyer.
I *THINK* that if one comes to the island to invest in business here which will employ people that it is looked on favourably.
Generally speaking, the Grenadian people are friendly and welcoming and that starts at immigration control on entering the island. It is not unusual to hear the Immigration officer at the airport say "Welcome to Grenada and I hope you enjoy your stay here". They are warm, friendly, welcoming and accepting of foreigners.
The racial mix of the population consists of mainly people of African decent, mixed European and African decent, a few indians and a few Chinese. There is almost no racism (unlike Barbados) and you will find a mix of people at social and private functions.
The population in Grenada is about 100,000 which is very small so making a living is not very easy. Most business people have different small businesses that may or may not be related. For example, I know someone who manages properties, rents them out for the owners as holiday villas when the owners are not on the island (gets a cut of the rent) and also rents cars.
With the current world economy:
Crime is low here and it is extremely safe compared to Trinidad and Tobago or London. I have not heard of any gun crime. There is very little breaking and entering crime and I have never heard of any mugging. I have never heard of a car being stolen but am told it happens occasionally. I have heard of a car being broken into once in the last 1 1/2 years. The police tend to catch the criminals. There are still people here who leave there doors unlocked at night while sleeping or going out during the day. I don't and most Trini's (Trinidadians) do not - we tend to have bars on our windows as we are all paranoid having lived in Trinidad with the very high crime and murder rate.
Cost of Living:
Almost everything is imported into Grenada, so the cost of living is high. There is no petroleum produced on the island, therefore fuel is imported. Electricity is very expensive and it costs about EC$9.00 to run an air-con for one night. If you are building from scratch, it would be wise to put in solar.
Most building, completion materials and appliances imported into the island tend not to be of the best quality. Everything - including most stainless steel - rusts here. Solid brass for hinges for example is recommended. If you are building, it is better to plan it very carefully, do your homework and decide what and if you want to import some or all of your materials.
Local labour is very reasonable - cheap compared to the UK or the US.
Some British products are available, mainly from Waitrose! Imported food (which is just about everything) arrives weekly - on a Thursday which makes Friday the best day to shop! There is one supermarket aimed at the expatriate community which is clean. It is probably 1/3 of the size of say, a big Tesco. There is very little ready prepared meals (frozen) available in the supermarket.
Available fast food is KFC (what a suprise!!!), hamburgers, pizzas and roti - look up roti on 'You Tube' to find out about it. Roti here is not nearly as good as Trinidad or even London!
Things to do as a visitor:
Grenada offers a beach and sea type vacation. The beaches here are really stunning and the sea is clear and warm. Grand Anse is the most popular beach and is the largest. See images on Google. There is one public beach bar on Grand Anse called Garfield's. It is very small and very popular among the locals and some expatriates. The atmosphere is party type. Food can be ordered from the hotel next door. Garfield's closes at 7.00pm in consideration of the guests at the hotel next door.
Most people take a cooler with their drinks.
There is currently a grill being built on the beach which should be open soon.
There are some hotels on the beach. Grenada does not have any real upscale hotels but from what I have seen, what is available is adequate. There are also many villas available to rent and many have swimming pools.
Besides the usual beach thing to do and driving around the island, there is whale watching, river tubing, turtle watching (specific times of the year), sailing, fishing, scuba diving, golfing (9-hole only), snorkling at the underwater sculpture park (very unique), visiting really beautiful private gardens, hiking to the upper Concord Falls which I understand are very beautiful - there are other things to do too.
The life in Grenada is largely very peaceful but if you want action, it can easily be found too!! The traffic is very mild. The roads are narrow and winding as the terrain is very mountainous which affords breathtaking views.
There are expats here mostly British and European who have come here to retire or have holiday homes here. Some have come on holiday and fell in love with the island and stayed.
There is an American Medical and Vet University here which campus is really beautiful. It houses about 8,000 students from various parts of the world. This provides a living for many local people who own apartments to rent to the students. I have to say that the students do conduct themselves in a decent manner and have not heard of them causing an undue nuisance....the odd noisy party!
For me: I LOVE it! I am retired and I can wake up in the morning and put on a swimsuit with a decent coverup - light cotton dress. I can go to the supermarket, hardware and many places dressed like this...I would not go into a Government office or down town. There is a Garden Club and a Bridge Club (cards). I love going to the little out of the way eating places and I enjoy the local food. I love the sea!
It is not without it's frustrations - for me: my favourite shampoo is not available, nor are many foodstuffs to which I am accustomed. To me it is a small price to pay!
Should you wish more information, I will try to help.
British and Caricom (people who live in Caribbean countries that are part of the Caricom trade agreement) nationals do not need a visa to enter Grenada - it will be given on entry. British nationals get a maximum of 3 months and Caricom nationals get a maximum of 6 months. Both are free. After this time, one can apply for an extension which one has to pay. I do not know how much but I can find out if anyone wants to know.
You need to live here for 2 years before you can apply for residency. I understand that currently the Government is working on a 'card' which will carry an annual charge to allow expatriate property owners to come and go without a visa.
Expats can buy property in Grenada. One needs to apply to the Government for an Alien Landholding Licence which can take several months. If one purchases land only, one must start building on it within 2 years. This is a recent rule and am not sure if one can obtain an extension. A lawyer is definitely required for the purchase of property. Should anyone wish to get in contact with a lawyer, I can provide you with the name and contact details of a British trained local lawyer.
I *THINK* that if one comes to the island to invest in business here which will employ people that it is looked on favourably.
Generally speaking, the Grenadian people are friendly and welcoming and that starts at immigration control on entering the island. It is not unusual to hear the Immigration officer at the airport say "Welcome to Grenada and I hope you enjoy your stay here". They are warm, friendly, welcoming and accepting of foreigners.
The racial mix of the population consists of mainly people of African decent, mixed European and African decent, a few indians and a few Chinese. There is almost no racism (unlike Barbados) and you will find a mix of people at social and private functions.
The population in Grenada is about 100,000 which is very small so making a living is not very easy. Most business people have different small businesses that may or may not be related. For example, I know someone who manages properties, rents them out for the owners as holiday villas when the owners are not on the island (gets a cut of the rent) and also rents cars.
With the current world economy:
- Unemployment has risen as the hotels have had to lay off people and also the hardware shops.
- The building industry has almost collapsed as financing for planned projects - most of which were already started - dried up and work on them have all been stopped. The majority of expat contractors have therefore left the island.
- Many expat contractors bought property here so there is a glut on the market.
- The only type of business that is making more money or doing well in this climate are the marinas who put boats on the hard as they are not spending to sail at the moment.
Crime is low here and it is extremely safe compared to Trinidad and Tobago or London. I have not heard of any gun crime. There is very little breaking and entering crime and I have never heard of any mugging. I have never heard of a car being stolen but am told it happens occasionally. I have heard of a car being broken into once in the last 1 1/2 years. The police tend to catch the criminals. There are still people here who leave there doors unlocked at night while sleeping or going out during the day. I don't and most Trini's (Trinidadians) do not - we tend to have bars on our windows as we are all paranoid having lived in Trinidad with the very high crime and murder rate.
Cost of Living:
Almost everything is imported into Grenada, so the cost of living is high. There is no petroleum produced on the island, therefore fuel is imported. Electricity is very expensive and it costs about EC$9.00 to run an air-con for one night. If you are building from scratch, it would be wise to put in solar.
Most building, completion materials and appliances imported into the island tend not to be of the best quality. Everything - including most stainless steel - rusts here. Solid brass for hinges for example is recommended. If you are building, it is better to plan it very carefully, do your homework and decide what and if you want to import some or all of your materials.
Local labour is very reasonable - cheap compared to the UK or the US.
Some British products are available, mainly from Waitrose! Imported food (which is just about everything) arrives weekly - on a Thursday which makes Friday the best day to shop! There is one supermarket aimed at the expatriate community which is clean. It is probably 1/3 of the size of say, a big Tesco. There is very little ready prepared meals (frozen) available in the supermarket.
Available fast food is KFC (what a suprise!!!), hamburgers, pizzas and roti - look up roti on 'You Tube' to find out about it. Roti here is not nearly as good as Trinidad or even London!
Things to do as a visitor:
Grenada offers a beach and sea type vacation. The beaches here are really stunning and the sea is clear and warm. Grand Anse is the most popular beach and is the largest. See images on Google. There is one public beach bar on Grand Anse called Garfield's. It is very small and very popular among the locals and some expatriates. The atmosphere is party type. Food can be ordered from the hotel next door. Garfield's closes at 7.00pm in consideration of the guests at the hotel next door.
Most people take a cooler with their drinks.
There is currently a grill being built on the beach which should be open soon.
There are some hotels on the beach. Grenada does not have any real upscale hotels but from what I have seen, what is available is adequate. There are also many villas available to rent and many have swimming pools.
Besides the usual beach thing to do and driving around the island, there is whale watching, river tubing, turtle watching (specific times of the year), sailing, fishing, scuba diving, golfing (9-hole only), snorkling at the underwater sculpture park (very unique), visiting really beautiful private gardens, hiking to the upper Concord Falls which I understand are very beautiful - there are other things to do too.
The life in Grenada is largely very peaceful but if you want action, it can easily be found too!! The traffic is very mild. The roads are narrow and winding as the terrain is very mountainous which affords breathtaking views.
There are expats here mostly British and European who have come here to retire or have holiday homes here. Some have come on holiday and fell in love with the island and stayed.
There is an American Medical and Vet University here which campus is really beautiful. It houses about 8,000 students from various parts of the world. This provides a living for many local people who own apartments to rent to the students. I have to say that the students do conduct themselves in a decent manner and have not heard of them causing an undue nuisance....the odd noisy party!
For me: I LOVE it! I am retired and I can wake up in the morning and put on a swimsuit with a decent coverup - light cotton dress. I can go to the supermarket, hardware and many places dressed like this...I would not go into a Government office or down town. There is a Garden Club and a Bridge Club (cards). I love going to the little out of the way eating places and I enjoy the local food. I love the sea!
It is not without it's frustrations - for me: my favourite shampoo is not available, nor are many foodstuffs to which I am accustomed. To me it is a small price to pay!
Should you wish more information, I will try to help.
Sep 16th 2010, 9:04 pm
#2
...
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,165
Re: Grenada
pgtips has asked me to describe the situation in Grenada.
British and Caricom (people who live in Caribbean countries that are part of the Caricom trade agreement) nationals do not need a visa to enter Grenada - it will be given on entry. British nationals get a maximum of 3 months and Caricom nationals get a maximum of 6 months. Both are free. After this time, one can apply for an extension which one has to pay. I do not know how much but I can find out if anyone wants to know.
You need to live here for 2 years before you can apply for residency. I understand that currently the Government is working on a 'card' which will carry an annual charge to allow expatriate property owners to come and go without a visa.
Expats can buy property in Grenada. One needs to apply to the Government for an Alien Landholding Licence which can take several months. If one purchases land only, one must start building on it within 2 years. This is a recent rule and am not sure if one can obtain an extension. A lawyer is definitely required for the purchase of property. Should anyone wish to get in contact with a lawyer, I can provide you with the name and contact details of a British trained local lawyer.
I *THINK* that if one comes to the island to invest in business here which will employ people that it is looked on favourably.
Generally speaking, the Grenadian people are friendly and welcoming and that starts at immigration control on entering the island. It is not unusual to hear the Immigration officer at the airport say "Welcome to Grenada and I hope you enjoy your stay here". They are warm, friendly, welcoming and accepting of foreigners.
The racial mix of the population consists of mainly people of African decent, mixed European and African decent, a few indians and a few Chinese. There is almost no racism (unlike Barbados) and you will find a mix of people at social and private functions.
The population in Grenada is about 100,000 which is very small so making a living is not very easy. Most business people have different small businesses that may or may not be related. For example, I know someone who manages properties, rents them out for the owners as holiday villas when the owners are not on the island (gets a cut of the rent) and also rents cars.
With the current world economy:
Crime is low here and it is extremely safe compared to Trinidad and Tobago or London. I have not heard of any gun crime. There is very little breaking and entering crime and I have never heard of any mugging. I have never heard of a car being stolen but am told it happens occasionally. I have heard of a car being broken into once in the last 1 1/2 years. The police tend to catch the criminals. There are still people here who leave there doors unlocked at night while sleeping or going out during the day. I don't and most Trini's (Trinidadians) do not - we tend to have bars on our windows as we are all paranoid having lived in Trinidad with the very high crime and murder rate.
Cost of Living:
Almost everything is imported into Grenada, so the cost of living is high. There is no petroleum produced on the island, therefore fuel is imported. Electricity is very expensive and it costs about EC$9.00 to run an air-con for one night. If you are building from scratch, it would be wise to put in solar.
Most building, completion materials and appliances imported into the island tend not to be of the best quality. Everything - including most stainless steel - rusts here. Solid brass for hinges for example is recommended. If you are building, it is better to plan it very carefully, do your homework and decide what and if you want to import some or all of your materials.
Local labour is very reasonable - cheap compared to the UK or the US.
Some British products are available, mainly from Waitrose! Imported food (which is just about everything) arrives weekly - on a Thursday which makes Friday the best day to shop! There is one supermarket aimed at the expatriate community which is clean. It is probably 1/3 of the size of say, a big Tesco. There is very little ready prepared meals (frozen) available in the supermarket.
Available fast food is KFC (what a suprise!!!), hamburgers, pizzas and roti - look up roti on 'You Tube' to find out about it. Roti here is not nearly as good as Trinidad or even London!
Things to do as a visitor:
Grenada offers a beach and sea type vacation. The beaches here are really stunning and the sea is clear and warm. Grand Anse is the most popular beach and is the largest. See images on Google. There is one public beach bar on Grand Anse called Garfield's. It is very small and very popular among the locals and some expatriates. The atmosphere is party type. Food can be ordered from the hotel next door. Garfield's closes at 7.00pm in consideration of the guests at the hotel next door.
Most people take a cooler with their drinks.
There is currently a grill being built on the beach which should be open soon.
There are some hotels on the beach. Grenada does not have any real upscale hotels but from what I have seen, what is available is adequate. There are also many villas available to rent and many have swimming pools.
Besides the usual beach thing to do and driving around the island, there is whale watching, river tubing, turtle watching (specific times of the year), sailing, fishing, scuba diving, golfing (9-hole only), snorkling at the underwater sculpture park (very unique), visiting really beautiful private gardens, hiking to the upper Concord Falls which I understand are very beautiful - there are other things to do too.
The life in Grenada is largely very peaceful but if you want action, it can easily be found too!! The traffic is very mild. The roads are narrow and winding as the terrain is very mountainous which affords breathtaking views.
There are expats here mostly British and European who have come here to retire or have holiday homes here. Some have come on holiday and fell in love with the island and stayed.
There is an American Medical and Vet University here which campus is really beautiful. It houses about 8,000 students from various parts of the world. This provides a living for many local people who own apartments to rent to the students. I have to say that the students do conduct themselves in a decent manner and have not heard of them causing an undue nuisance....the odd noisy party!
For me: I LOVE it! I am retired and I can wake up in the morning and put on a swimsuit with a decent coverup - light cotton dress. I can go to the supermarket, hardware and many places dressed like this...I would not go into a Government office or down town. There is a Garden Club and a Bridge Club (cards). I love going to the little out of the way eating places and I enjoy the local food. I love the sea!
It is not without it's frustrations - for me: my favourite shampoo is not available, nor are many foodstuffs to which I am accustomed. To me it is a small price to pay!
Should you wish more information, I will try to help.
British and Caricom (people who live in Caribbean countries that are part of the Caricom trade agreement) nationals do not need a visa to enter Grenada - it will be given on entry. British nationals get a maximum of 3 months and Caricom nationals get a maximum of 6 months. Both are free. After this time, one can apply for an extension which one has to pay. I do not know how much but I can find out if anyone wants to know.
You need to live here for 2 years before you can apply for residency. I understand that currently the Government is working on a 'card' which will carry an annual charge to allow expatriate property owners to come and go without a visa.
Expats can buy property in Grenada. One needs to apply to the Government for an Alien Landholding Licence which can take several months. If one purchases land only, one must start building on it within 2 years. This is a recent rule and am not sure if one can obtain an extension. A lawyer is definitely required for the purchase of property. Should anyone wish to get in contact with a lawyer, I can provide you with the name and contact details of a British trained local lawyer.
I *THINK* that if one comes to the island to invest in business here which will employ people that it is looked on favourably.
Generally speaking, the Grenadian people are friendly and welcoming and that starts at immigration control on entering the island. It is not unusual to hear the Immigration officer at the airport say "Welcome to Grenada and I hope you enjoy your stay here". They are warm, friendly, welcoming and accepting of foreigners.
The racial mix of the population consists of mainly people of African decent, mixed European and African decent, a few indians and a few Chinese. There is almost no racism (unlike Barbados) and you will find a mix of people at social and private functions.
The population in Grenada is about 100,000 which is very small so making a living is not very easy. Most business people have different small businesses that may or may not be related. For example, I know someone who manages properties, rents them out for the owners as holiday villas when the owners are not on the island (gets a cut of the rent) and also rents cars.
With the current world economy:
- Unemployment has risen as the hotels have had to lay off people and also the hardware shops.
- The building industry has almost collapsed as financing for planned projects - most of which were already started - dried up and work on them have all been stopped. The majority of expat contractors have therefore left the island.
- Many expat contractors bought property here so there is a glut on the market.
- The only type of business that is making more money or doing well in this climate are the marinas who put boats on the hard as they are not spending to sail at the moment.
Crime is low here and it is extremely safe compared to Trinidad and Tobago or London. I have not heard of any gun crime. There is very little breaking and entering crime and I have never heard of any mugging. I have never heard of a car being stolen but am told it happens occasionally. I have heard of a car being broken into once in the last 1 1/2 years. The police tend to catch the criminals. There are still people here who leave there doors unlocked at night while sleeping or going out during the day. I don't and most Trini's (Trinidadians) do not - we tend to have bars on our windows as we are all paranoid having lived in Trinidad with the very high crime and murder rate.
Cost of Living:
Almost everything is imported into Grenada, so the cost of living is high. There is no petroleum produced on the island, therefore fuel is imported. Electricity is very expensive and it costs about EC$9.00 to run an air-con for one night. If you are building from scratch, it would be wise to put in solar.
Most building, completion materials and appliances imported into the island tend not to be of the best quality. Everything - including most stainless steel - rusts here. Solid brass for hinges for example is recommended. If you are building, it is better to plan it very carefully, do your homework and decide what and if you want to import some or all of your materials.
Local labour is very reasonable - cheap compared to the UK or the US.
Some British products are available, mainly from Waitrose! Imported food (which is just about everything) arrives weekly - on a Thursday which makes Friday the best day to shop! There is one supermarket aimed at the expatriate community which is clean. It is probably 1/3 of the size of say, a big Tesco. There is very little ready prepared meals (frozen) available in the supermarket.
Available fast food is KFC (what a suprise!!!), hamburgers, pizzas and roti - look up roti on 'You Tube' to find out about it. Roti here is not nearly as good as Trinidad or even London!
Things to do as a visitor:
Grenada offers a beach and sea type vacation. The beaches here are really stunning and the sea is clear and warm. Grand Anse is the most popular beach and is the largest. See images on Google. There is one public beach bar on Grand Anse called Garfield's. It is very small and very popular among the locals and some expatriates. The atmosphere is party type. Food can be ordered from the hotel next door. Garfield's closes at 7.00pm in consideration of the guests at the hotel next door.
Most people take a cooler with their drinks.
There is currently a grill being built on the beach which should be open soon.
There are some hotels on the beach. Grenada does not have any real upscale hotels but from what I have seen, what is available is adequate. There are also many villas available to rent and many have swimming pools.
Besides the usual beach thing to do and driving around the island, there is whale watching, river tubing, turtle watching (specific times of the year), sailing, fishing, scuba diving, golfing (9-hole only), snorkling at the underwater sculpture park (very unique), visiting really beautiful private gardens, hiking to the upper Concord Falls which I understand are very beautiful - there are other things to do too.
The life in Grenada is largely very peaceful but if you want action, it can easily be found too!! The traffic is very mild. The roads are narrow and winding as the terrain is very mountainous which affords breathtaking views.
There are expats here mostly British and European who have come here to retire or have holiday homes here. Some have come on holiday and fell in love with the island and stayed.
There is an American Medical and Vet University here which campus is really beautiful. It houses about 8,000 students from various parts of the world. This provides a living for many local people who own apartments to rent to the students. I have to say that the students do conduct themselves in a decent manner and have not heard of them causing an undue nuisance....the odd noisy party!
For me: I LOVE it! I am retired and I can wake up in the morning and put on a swimsuit with a decent coverup - light cotton dress. I can go to the supermarket, hardware and many places dressed like this...I would not go into a Government office or down town. There is a Garden Club and a Bridge Club (cards). I love going to the little out of the way eating places and I enjoy the local food. I love the sea!
It is not without it's frustrations - for me: my favourite shampoo is not available, nor are many foodstuffs to which I am accustomed. To me it is a small price to pay!
Should you wish more information, I will try to help.
