Just Landed in Antigua and Barbuda? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is good across populated areas of Antigua and 4G/LTE is the norm, though Barbuda and remote coasts can be patchy. A local prepaid SIM is far cheaper than roaming and easy to top up at any pharmacy, supermarket or corner shop, or in-app. Home broadband and fibre are available in most residential areas through Flow and APUA inet, but installation can take days to weeks, so lean on your mobile data bundle at first.

Typical cost: SIM XCD 25-50; monthly data bundles roughly XCD 60-120 depending on allowance; home broadband roughly XCD 150-300/month

The East Caribbean dollar is pegged to the US dollar at about 2.70 XCD to 1 USD, so conversions are predictable and stable across the whole Eastern Caribbean. Cards work in supermarkets, hotels, marinas and larger shops, but many small vendors, buses, markets and roadside stalls are strictly cash-only. Contactless is spreading slowly but is not something to rely on outside town.

Opening an account: Opening a local account at ACB (Antigua Commercial Bank), ECAB (Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank) or Republic Bank as a foreigner typically requires your passport, proof of local address, a bank reference and evidence of income or residency status. Expect several in-person visits, forms and slow processing measured in weeks, and note that some banks are cautious about non-residents, so ask about requirements before you queue.

Cash: Cash is king outside tourist zones. Keep a stash of small XCD notes for buses (a couple of dollars), markets, small shops and taxis, because drivers and vendors frequently cannot make change for large bills and will simply wave you off if you cannot pay exact.

Tipping: Restaurants often add a 10% service charge to the bill; check before adding more. If no charge is included, tipping around 10% is normal. Tip taxi drivers a couple of dollars, and hotel porters roughly USD 1-2 per bag.

There is no local address-registration scheme for new arrivals in Antigua and Barbuda, so you do not need to report to a town hall or police station after landing. Your entry is recorded by immigration at V.C. Bird International Airport when you are stamped in, and that stamp sets your permitted length of stay. Anything longer-term, a work permit, a residency permit, retirement status or citizenship-by-investment, is a separate application handled through the Immigration Department and relevant ministries, not a post-arrival address registration. If you overstay your entry stamp you must extend it in person before it lapses.

Where: Antigua and Barbuda Immigration Department, St. John's, for visa extensions and residency matters

Getting around means shared minibuses, private taxis, or your own car. The island is small so trips are short, but roads are rough, narrow and unlit at night, and driving is on the left. Public buses run set routes to and from the West Bus Station and East Bus Station in St. John's, cost only a couple of XCD, and stop running by early evening, so they suit daytime commuting but not nightlife. Most longer-term residents end up renting or buying a car for the freedom.

From the airport: V.C. Bird International Airport sits about 8 km east of St. John's, roughly 15-20 minutes by road. Fixed-rate taxis charge around USD 15-20 to the capital and USD 25-40 to south-coast resort areas such as English Harbour and Jolly Harbour; there is a posted rate chart, so agree the fare and currency before departing. To drive here you must buy a local temporary driving permit (around XCD 50-90) on top of your valid home licence, usually arranged through the car-hire company or at the police traffic office.

Most expats rent in the south and west near English Harbour, Falmouth and Jolly Harbour, or in the St. John's, Dickenson Bay and Hodges Bay areas to the north-west. The market runs largely on word of mouth, local agents and Facebook groups rather than big listing portals, so the best long-term deals are rarely the ones you first see advertised at resort prices. Viewing in person before committing is essential, both to check the property and to avoid deposit scams.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom long-term rental runs roughly USD 800-1,500/month (around XCD 2,150-4,050); furnished homes in prime coastal spots and gated marina communities go well above USD 2,000.

Deposit norm: Usually one to two months' rent as a security deposit plus the first month upfront. Utilities (especially electricity) are commonly billed separately and can be high, so clarify who pays for water, power and internet before you sign.

Mount St. John's Medical Centre on the outskirts of St. John's is the main public hospital and handles emergencies and most in-patient care, supplemented by a network of private clinics, GPs and pharmacies. Routine and urgent care is available and generally competent, but for complex surgery, specialist treatment or serious trauma many residents are stabilised and then flown abroad, often to the US, so comprehensive insurance with medical evacuation cover is not optional.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, walk in or call ahead to a private clinic or GP, which is faster than the public system and payable out of pocket or via insurance. For emergencies, go directly to Mount St. John's Medical Centre or dial 911 for an ambulance, bearing in mind ambulance response can be slow and driving yourself is sometimes quicker. Pharmacies in St. John's handle most prescriptions and minor ailments and can advise on local availability.

Insurance: Private international health insurance that explicitly covers Antigua and includes air ambulance and medical evacuation is strongly advised for every newcomer. There is no automatic public coverage for arrivals, out-of-pocket costs at private facilities add up quickly, and an evacuation flight without cover can run into tens of thousands of dollars.

• Greet people before getting to business; a warm 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' is expected before any request, and skipping it reads as rude.
• Dress modestly away from the beach; swimwear belongs on the sand and by the pool, not in shops, banks, offices or restaurants.
• Accept and match 'island time'; appointments, tradespeople and repairs often run late, so build in slack and stay patient rather than pushy.
• Support local vendors, markets and small businesses, agree prices politely up front, and haggle gently rather than aggressively.
• Be courteous on the road: drivers here often stop to let others in and give a friendly wave or short toot of thanks, and honking in anger is frowned upon.
• Take religion seriously as a social norm; church matters to many Antiguans and Sundays are quiet, so keep noise and business demands low.
• Ask before photographing people, especially at markets, festivals or in villages, and respect that not everyone wants to be a tourist's snapshot.

• Sunday and public holidays shut most shops, banks and services; stock up on Saturday because you may find little open.
• Roads are narrow, potholed and unlit and driving is on the left, so be cautious at night, around blind bends and when livestock or pedestrians appear.
• Hurricane season runs June to November; know your property's plan, keep supplies in and monitor official advisories.
• Everything runs slower than you expect, from bank paperwork to deliveries, so start any bureaucratic task early and chase politely.
• Electricity is expensive and outages happen; expect higher-than-usual power bills and keep a torch, power bank and some water for cuts.