For citizens of other Caribbean states, moving to Grenada can be far simpler than it is for people from outside the region, but the rules depend on which regional arrangement applies. Grenada belongs to two overlapping blocs. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Economic Union gives its members' citizens the right to live and work in each other's territory. The wider Caribbean Community, CARICOM, offers more limited rights through the CARICOM Single Market and Economy.
A Lucian, Vincentian or Dominican therefore stands in a very different position from a Jamaican, Trinidadian or Guyanese national, even though all are CARICOM citizens. And since October 2025 a small group of CARICOM states has gone further with full free movement, a group Grenada was not part of at launch. This guide sets out who gets what in Grenada and how to use those rights in practice.
OECS Economic Union nationals: the strongest rights
The Revised Treaty of Basseterre created the OECS Economic Union, a single economic space in which goods, services, capital and people move freely among its Protocol Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Under the free movement regime, citizens of these states can enter each other's territory, stay indefinitely and work without a work permit.
In practice, an OECS citizen arriving in Grenada and presenting their passport or other accepted proof of nationality should be granted an indefinite stay. The right to work without a permit extends to their spouses who are not OECS citizens, and dependants have rights connected with education and access to services. The OECS Commission has acknowledged that implementation of some elements, such as full access to social services, has not been uniform across member states, so details on the ground can vary.
The arrangement is reciprocal. Grenadians enjoy the same rights in the other Protocol Member States, which is why many families in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique have members working in Saint Lucia, Antigua or St Vincent and moving back and forth without permits. Because OECS rights rest on citizenship, people who hold only residence in an OECS state, without citizenship, do not benefit from them.
OECS citizens taking up employment should register with the National Insurance Scheme and the Inland Revenue Division like any other worker. Contributions made in one OECS state can count towards benefits under regional social security arrangements, which matters for people who work in several islands over a career.
Other CARICOM nationals: the CSME regimes
Entry and length of stay. Under a CARICOM decision, nationals of member states are generally to be granted a stay of up to six months on arrival, subject to the usual grounds for refusal. Immigration officers decide the actual period endorsed.
The skills regime. CARICOM nationals in approved categories can obtain a CARICOM Certificate of Recognition of Skills Qualification, commonly called a skills certificate. Categories include university graduates, media workers, sportspersons, artistes, musicians, nurses, teachers, artisans with recognised vocational qualifications and holders of associate degrees, among others. Holders can work without a work permit and do not pay the permit fee.
Establishment and services. Nationals setting up businesses or providing services under CSME rules can apply for rights of establishment and related permissions, usually through the relevant ministry.
Without a certificate. CARICOM nationals who do not fall within a skills category need a work permit like other foreign nationals, at the CARICOM fee rate, which under the 2015 schedule was EC$1,000 a year.
Using a CARICOM skills certificate in Grenada
Certificates are issued by the national authority of the holder's own country or, in some cases, by the receiving state. The general sequence is:
- Confirm that your qualification falls within an approved category and apply to the designated authority in your home country for the certificate.
- If you are already in Grenada, ask the Labour Department whether you can apply locally and what verification is needed.
- Travel to Grenada with the certificate, your passport and the original qualifications supporting it.
- At immigration, present the certificate. Holders are generally admitted for an initial period while the certificate is verified, after which an indefinite stay should be endorsed.
- Register with the National Insurance Scheme and Inland Revenue on taking up employment.
- Keep the certificate with your passport for future travel; it is evidence of your status.
Full free movement: where Grenada stands
On 1 October 2025, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines began full free movement among themselves under CARICOM's Enhanced Cooperation Protocol. Their nationals can enter, reside and work indefinitely in each other's territory without work or residency permits, and receive access to emergency and primary health care and public schooling. The protocol allows other member states to join later.
Grenada was not among the first group. That means the existing OECS and CSME arrangements described above continue to govern CARICOM nationals in Grenada. Because policy in this area is moving, check with the Immigration Department or the Ministry responsible for CARICOM affairs whether Grenada has since joined or announced plans to do so.
For Grenadians, the distinction works in reverse: as OECS citizens they can already live and work in Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and other OECS states, while in Barbados and Belize they rely on CSME rules unless and until Grenada joins the enhanced arrangement.
Health care, schools and social security
Regional rights extend beyond the right to enter and work. Children of OECS citizens living in Grenada can generally attend public schools, and regional nationals can use the public health system, starting with the network of district health centres and medical stations across the parishes and the General Hospital in St George's. Fees and eligibility for particular services can differ from those for Grenadian citizens, so ask the school or health facility directly.
Social security is coordinated across the region through the CARICOM Agreement on Social Security, which allows contributions paid in different member states to be combined when calculating entitlement to long-term benefits such as pensions. Anyone working in Grenada, regional national or not, should make sure they are registered with the National Insurance Scheme and keep records of contributions paid in other islands.
For families moving together, it is worth gathering birth and marriage certificates, school records and vaccination cards before leaving home. Replacing these documents from Grenada through a home-country registry can take months, and schools and clinics will usually ask for them at enrolment.
Practical points and pitfalls
Regional rights are generous, but they work best when backed by the right documents. Points to keep in mind:
- Carry proof of nationality. A valid passport is the most widely accepted evidence; birth certificates alone may not be enough at the airport.
- Check the endorsement. Confirm whether you have been granted an indefinite stay, six months or a shorter period, and keep a copy of the passport page.
- Spouses and children. Third-country spouses of OECS citizens should carry the marriage certificate and their own passport; rules for children and other dependants may require additional documents.
- Professional registration. Free movement does not override professional licensing. Nurses, doctors, lawyers and engineers must still register with the relevant Grenadian body.
- Haiti and The Bahamas. Not every CARICOM member participates fully in the free movement regimes, so nationals of some member states should check their position individually.
- Criminal records and security. Regional rights remain subject to public order, security and health grounds for refusal.
Frequently asked questions
Can OECS citizens live and work in Grenada without a permit?
Yes. Citizens of the OECS Economic Union member states, including Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and Montserrat, can stay indefinitely and work in Grenada without a work permit. Their third-country spouses also benefit from the right to work.
How long can a CARICOM national stay in Grenada?
Under a CARICOM decision, nationals of member states are generally granted up to six months on arrival, at the immigration officer's discretion. Holders of skills certificates and OECS citizens can obtain indefinite stay. Others wishing to remain longer apply to the Immigration Department or seek a work permit.
Is Grenada part of CARICOM full free movement?
Grenada was not among the four countries, Barbados, Belize, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, that launched full free movement on 1 October 2025 under the Enhanced Cooperation Protocol. Other states may join later, so check the latest position with Grenada's Immigration Department.
Do Jamaicans or Trinidadians need a work permit in Grenada?
They need a work permit unless they hold a CARICOM skills certificate in an approved category. Certificate holders can work without a permit and are exempt from the permit fee. Without one, the CARICOM work permit fee applies, which was EC$1,000 a year under the 2015 schedule.
What is a CARICOM skills certificate?
It is the Certificate of Recognition of Skills Qualification, issued under the CSME to nationals in approved categories such as graduates, nurses, teachers, artisans, musicians and media workers. Holders can live and work in participating member states, including Grenada, without a work permit after verification.
