Some people need a car in St Kitts for a day. Others need one for a semester, a posting or the length of a project. We rent for both.
Long stays are quoted individually rather than off a rate card. A month in January and a month in September are not the same thing on this island, and pretending otherwise would mean quoting you a worse number than we need to. Tell us when you arrive and how long you need the car, and we will come back to you with a figure.
Ask about a long stay on WhatsApp, or send us the dates and we will price it.
Who rents by the month in St Kitts
Students. The island’s veterinary and medical schools take new students three times a year, in January, May and September. The University of Medicine and Health Sciences houses none of its students on campus, and tells them that “for students choosing to live further from campus, it may be necessary to buy or lease a used car”. Camps sits half a mile from that campus. Frigate Bay is 5.6 miles. The schools run shuttles and there are taxis. Both run on somebody else’s schedule.
People moving here for work. A posting at a resort, a bank, a school or a government project usually starts months before anyone has sorted out a car. Importing one is slow and expensive. Renting bridges the gap, and for plenty of people it never stops being the easier answer.
Project teams. Construction, energy and infrastructure work brings people in for a season at a time. One vehicle for the site lead, or for whoever on the crew needs one, for as long as the job runs.
Residents between cars. Yours is in the shop, or sold, or waiting at the port. A month is a long time to be asking friends for lifts.
When a long rental makes sense
Your car is off the road. Written off, waiting on a part, or still sitting at the port. A month of lifts and taxis adds up faster than most people expect it to.
You are new here and not ready to buy. Importing a car takes time and money. Buying one in a hurry is how people end up with somebody else’s problem.
You are here for a fixed stretch. A semester, a contract, a build. You need a car for exactly that long and not a day longer.
You would rather not own one at all. Nothing to service, nothing to sell at the end, and you hand the keys back when you are done.
How it works
- Tell us your arrival date, roughly how long you need the car, and where you want to collect it.
- We check what is free across that period and quote you.
- If it suits you, we hold the car. You collect it at Port Zante, RLB Airport or our Basseterre office.
Your driving permit on a long stay
Every visitor who drives here needs a local temporary permit. Almost everyone buys the three month one, which costs EC$62.50, about US$24.
Fewer people know there is a one year version. The Inland Revenue Department’s own fee schedule lists a visitor’s licence at EC$62.50 for three months and EC$125.00 for one year, around US$46. Both are issued at the Inland Revenue Department and by authorised car rental agencies.
So if you are here for a semester or longer, the one year permit costs less than buying the three month one twice, and you stop having to think about it. Bring a valid licence from home and two pieces of identification including your passport. Company ID is not accepted.
For the full process, read our guide to the temporary driving permit in St Kitts.
What you get
All our cars are automatic with air conditioning. You can collect at Port Zante cruise port, RLB International Airport or our office in Basseterre at Greenlands, and there is no charge for any of those.
Our published daily rate starts at US$65. Long stays are quoted separately.
If you are heading to Nevis, our cars can go on the car ferry. Tell us when you book so we can arrange it.
Extending, swapping and finishing early
Semesters move. Projects overrun. If you need the car for longer, tell us as early as you can and we will do what we can, though we cannot promise a car we have already promised to somebody else.
If your plans shorten, talk to us rather than guessing.
Questions about long-term rental
Do you publish a monthly rate?
No. We quote each long stay on its own, against the dates you actually need and what is free across them. Send us your dates and you will have a real number rather than a headline one.
Is a long rental cheaper than paying the daily rate every day?
Ask us with your dates. It depends on when you are here and how long for.
What happens if I stay longer than three months?
Your three month permit expires and you need another. The one year permit at EC$125 is usually the cheaper route for anyone staying a semester or more.
Can I take the car to Nevis?
Yes, on the car ferry, as long as you tell us when you book so we can arrange it.
How far ahead should I ask?
As early as you can, particularly for January, when the student intake and the cruise season land in the same month. September and May are usually easier.
Do you rent to companies for staff?
Yes. See corporate car rental in St Kitts.
Ask about a long stay
Send us your arrival date, how long you need the car and where you want to collect it, and we will quote you. Or message us on WhatsApp.