Travel Information Trinidad and Tobago

European Union citizens do not need a visa to enter and stay up to 90 days in Trinidad & Tobago; a passport valid for at least another six months is required. Children’s passports are accepted if one parent/custody holder accompanies the child. Travelers should have an onward or return ticket. When leaving the country, an airport tax of currently 100.00 TTD (corresponding approx. 16 USD) is due. We urgently advise to check in at the airport approx. two hours prior to your flight’s departure in order to avoid being canceled due to possible overbooking.

Banking
Money can only be exchanged in authorized banks and hotels. At the moment of exchanging back to foreign currencies, there may be delays. Some ATMs allow cash withdrawals with credit cards and PIN codes. Traveler checks are recommended and should be issued in U.S. Dollars or British Pounds. Banks charge exchange fees.

Climate
Tropical climate, moderated by the trade winds coming from the northeast. The dry season lasts from November through May. The months between June and October are hottest; the possibility of daily rain showers must be considered.

Communications
Mail: Tobago’s main post office is on the Scarborough Market Square and open Mon - Fri from 08:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.. In smaller places, post offices often are closed during lunch time and also otherwise office hours should not be taken all too seriously. Airmail to Europe and North America takers approximately one week.
Telegrams: Good facilities in Port of Spain (Trinidad) are to be found on Independence Square and in Edward Street.
Telephone: Direct Distance Dialing. Mobile phones: digital and analogous networks, incompatible with GSM telephones. Dual band mobile phones are required to realize calls on the islands. Service provider is TSTT Cellnet (Tel: 800 CELL or 653 23 55; Fax: 625 5807). Mobile phones may be acquired locally including prepaid cards; TSTT Cellnet also offers a rental service. Incoming/outgoing calls are assured throughout the island of Trinidad, on Tobago mobile phones can be used only to a limited extent.
Fax: Available in most hotels.
Internet: Internet provider is TSTT Internet Services (www.tstt.net.tt). There are numerous internet cafés on both islands.

Currency
1 Trinidad &Tobago Dollar = 100 cents. Bank notes circulate in denominations of 100, 20, 10, 5 and 1 TT$; coins in the nominal value and denominations of 50, 25, 10 and 1 cents.
Credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa are accepted almost anywhere.

Customs
The import of weapons (including blank guns, diving and signal guns, CS Gas, pepper sprays, fixed-blade knives) is allowed only with special import permits. Likewise forbidden is the import and wearing (military) camouflage dresses.
The following articles may be brought into Trinidad & Tobago free of duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 227 g of tobacco (persons over age 18); 1,14 l wine or other alcoholic beverages (only open bottles) (persons over age 18); perfumes for personal use only; gift up to a maximum value of 200 US$.

Electric power
110 V, 60 Hz. U.S. adapters are advised.

Geography
Trinidad and its smaller sister island are located in the Southern Caribbean, in front of the coast of Venezuela. To the north of Trinidad, a mountain range rises, at the foothills of which Port of Spain, the country’s capital, is located. South of Port of Spain, the land declines toward the western coast. The Caroni Swamps host a bird protection, the home of the scarlet ibis. The northern and eastern coasts offer marvelous beaches. The plains at the heart of Trinidad are mainly used by agriculture. Trinidad & Tobago has a total surface of 5,128 km2. The country’s capital is Port of Spain, totaling 49,760 inhabitants, located on the island of Trinidad. The island capital of Tobago is Scarborough.

Government
Presidential republic (within the Commonwealth of Nations) since 1976. Political Constitution from 1976. Two-chamber parliament: House of Representatives with 36 elected deputies and Senate with 31 appointed members. Elections are held every five years. The country has been independent since 1962 (former British colony).

Holidays

01./ 02. 01. New Years Eve
22.02. Independence Day
Easter: Good Friday, Easter Sunday & Easter Monday
01.05. Labor Day
Whit Monday
07.06. Corpus Christi
05.08. Liberation Day
07.10. Harvest Festival
13.12. National Day
25./ 26.12. Christmas

Language

The country’s official language is English. Also French, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese and Creole (Patois) are spoken.

Photographing and Filming

Before taking photos of local people or their houses, ask for their permission. Although the inhabitants of most islands generally do not react as aggressively as e. g. Jamaicans, it is a matter of courtesy not to photograph or film unknown people unasked.

Population
Trinidad & Tobago is home to some 1.3m inhabitants. The population is strongly mixed: Some 43% of the islands‘ inhabitants are of African and 40% of Asian descent, mainly from India. The remaining 17% are of Chinese, European, Middle Eastern or mixed origins.

Shopping
Rum and Angostura, Calypso music, straw and sisal works, steel drums, summer clothing, leather bags, sandals, ceramics and wood carvings.

Time Zones
GMT – 4 hours. There is no daylight saving time in Trinidad & Tobago.

Tips
Most hotels and guest houses include 10% service surcharge, elsewhere 10-15% are customary.

Vaccination Requirements & Medical Care
Vaccines are not bindingly required to enter Trinidad & Tobago, save when coming from areas endemically affected by yellow fever, in which cases yellow fever vaccination must be evidenced. Currently evidence of vaccination is required for all persons entering the country from or via South America. For Trinidad & Tobago, we recommend prophylactic vaccination against Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Diphtheria. For longer stays we also recommend vaccination against Hepatitis B and Typhoid. Malaria does not occur on Trinidad & Tobago; the mosquito-borne infection of dengue fever, however, does relatively frequently. We recommend corresponding protection against mosquito bites, e. g. by means of mosquito nets or anti-mosquito sprays or liquids.
Travelers should be aware of hygiene measures when consuming fruits, vegetables and meat, as well as fish and sea food; they should not drink the country’s tab water.
Given the fact that medical and emergency care is insufficient all over the country, especially on Tobago, we urgently advise contracting an international health insurance including emergency repatriation, prior to traveling.