FAQ and Knowledge Base.

Use the request form on this page and choose the type of request, or call the main office on (758) 468-4217. Requests from the form are recorded and routed to the Administration team.

Approved forms, templates, policies and publications are in the Department’s document centre.

Open Forms and Resources

The Departments and Units page lists every unit with its responsibilities and contact details.

Open the unit directory

Use Book an appointment in the contact section of the Business Facilitation page, choose a weekday and morning or afternoon, and describe what you would like to discuss.

Book an appointment

Use List your business on the Local Business Directory page. The business must be registered in Saint Lucia; the Department reviews every request before the listing appears.

Open the directory

On the 4th Floor of the Heraldine Rock Building, Waterfront, Castries, within the Department of Commerce.

Importers must hold both a Tax Account Number and an Importer’s Number, or apply through a broker. At present, all applications must be submitted via brokers until the system is updated to accommodate individuals who prefer not to use a broker.

Those listed in Schedules 2, 3 and 4 of the External Trade (Restricted Imports) (Amendment) Order, S.I. No. 154 of 2025, and in Part 2 (Restricted Imports) of Schedule 3 to the Customs (Management and Control) Act, Chapter 15.05.

Applications submitted to the Department of Commerce are processed within 24 hours. Applications referred to the Fisheries or Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture may take longer, and incomplete applications may be delayed.

Common requirements include a commercial or supplier’s invoice, bill of sight, bill of lading, certificate of origin, health or CITES certificate, and meat certificate.

No. An import licence is free. A fee is paid to the Ministry of Agriculture for meat and fish applications.

Monitor your application through ASYCUDA or contact the relevant authority.

Apply to the Permanent Secretary, Department of Commerce. This applies to hotels and guest houses only.

All other liquor licences are issued by the Magistrate’s Court.

At the Customs & Excise Department in Castries or Vieux Fort.

The cost depends on the number of rooms. See the Liquor Licence Act for the breakdown by number and category of rooms.

One year.

Submit an expression of interest to the Director of Finance, Ministry of Finance.

Common requirements include a certificate of incorporation, trade licence or business registration where applicable; land register; architectural drawings; and documents showing the number of fuel pumps and petroleum products to be dispensed.

Yes. Fees are based on the number of fuel pumps at the licensed facility, according to the current fee schedule.

At the Accountant General’s Office in Castries or Vieux Fort. Keep your receipt; you must submit it as part of the process.

The licence is issued once you submit your payment receipt to the Department of Commerce. You will be notified when it is ready for collection.

One year.

A permit issued by the Import Monitoring Unit for controlled ozone-depleting substances and refrigerants. The Department of Sustainable Development is the authority that authorises their import, sale, distribution or use under environmental regulations.

Any individual or business importing, selling, distributing or using controlled ozone-depleting substances may need one.

Substances such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), refrigerants and other substances controlled under national legislation and international environmental agreements.

Submit your application with the required supporting documents to the Import Monitoring Unit.

Yes. A registration fee is paid to the Department of Sustainable Development before any substance is imported.

On the 4th Floor of the Heraldine Rock Building, Waterfront, Castries, within the Department of Commerce.

One or more persons may incorporate a company by signing and submitting the required documents in the prescribed form. Each person must be at least 18 years old, of sound mind as deemed by a registered medical practitioner in Saint Lucia, and not bankrupt.

The Department’s incorporation and post-incorporation services are free. You pay only the prescribed fees under the Companies Act to the Registry of Companies and Intellectual Property.

Provide:

• A valid passport
• A police certificate of character from your country of origin and/or last place of residence (minimum six months), plus a Saint Lucian certificate if you have lived here six months or more
• A bank reference letter from your country of origin and/or last place of residence
• Evidence of academic or professional qualifications
• A description of the proposed business (letter, business plan or proposal)
• A letter of recommendation from a recognised authority or person

The documents are sent to the CSME Focal Point at the Department, who interviews the applicant and determines eligibility.

1. Complete a Company Name Search Form at the SBDC and submit it to the Registry of Companies.
2. Bring the approved company name to the Centre with your National ID card.
3. SBDC staff complete an Intake Form and a Company Registration Information Form with basic details about your company.
4. Your information is forwarded to the Legal Officer, who will call to arrange an interview.
5. The Legal Officer prepares the documents, and you pay the prescribed Registry fees.

Use Book an appointment in the contact section of the Legal Services page. Choose a weekday and morning or afternoon, and add any documents you want the Legal Officer to see. The request goes straight to Legal Services.

Book an appointment

Business advice and mentoring, and help processing duty-free concessions, business plans, marketing plans, financial statements, business name registration and incorporation. It also offers entrepreneurial training, record-keeping help, help sourcing raw materials and equipment, interventions with other agencies, exhibitions, product development, standards compliance and advocacy for businesses, cooperatives and associations.

No. Regular services are free. Specialised workshops, courses or events may carry a fee.

Existing and prospective micro and small business owners, including school leavers, women, young people, unemployed and self-employed people, in manufacturing, services, construction, hospitality, agriculture and retail.

CARICOM residents need CSME Rights of Establishment (see Legal Services for the requirements). Non-CARICOM residents need a valid passport, a trade licence and a work permit.

Yes, free of charge. You develop the plan with guidance from your Business Development Officer, who will need a description and location of the business, pro forma invoices for items to be imported, the loan amount and terms, past performance for an existing business, and details such as competitors, planned promotion and jobs created or sustained.

4th Floor, Heraldine Rock Building, Waterfront, Castries.

Online through digiGov: create an account, request a name search, apply for registration, then submit the notarised statutory declaration and pay the Registry fee.

Full registration steps

1. Contact the SBDC by walk-in, telephone, email or letter.
2. Provide a valid Saint Lucia National ID, or a driver’s licence with passport.
3. Complete a client intake form describing your business and every service you may need.
4. Meet your assigned Business Development Officer, who schedules a meeting and develops a work plan with you.

Your business must be incorporated or registered in Saint Lucia first.

1. Write to the Permanent Secretary, stating the nature of your business, number of employees, sales level and the items to be imported.
2. Indicate the cost and customs duties of each item and its country of origin.
3. Include all your contact details in the letter.

A Business Development Officer is assigned and schedules a site visit once all documents are received. Follow-up compliance visits confirm that businesses granted concessions meet their conditions.

Registered SBDC clients can join the quarterly workshops for people considering starting a business. For advertised courses and workshops, complete the registration form; you will be notified when the course is ready to start, as dates may change with registration levels.

Use Book an appointment in the contact section of the SBDC page. Choose a weekday and morning or afternoon; the request goes straight to the SBDC.

Book an appointment

The Training and Events calendar lists upcoming SBDC workshops, programme sessions and Department events. Open an event to see its details, register online and add it to your calendar.

Open the events calendar

The Facility provides 100% grant financing: up to EC$10,000 for pre-venture enterprises and up to EC$15,000 for start-up and established enterprises. The minimum grant amount is EC$3,000.

Eligible MSMEs owned by Saint Lucian nationals aged 31 and older. The 2026 Facility guidelines set out the full eligibility criteria, funding limits and priority sectors.

Business equipment and tools; formalising and strengthening operations; productivity and efficiency improvements; competitiveness and market readiness; business expansion; and long-term sustainability.

The 2026 application pack is on the MSME Grant Facility page: the application form, the Facility guidelines, the verification checklist, a business plan template and a financial statement template.

Open the application pack

No. Saint Lucian citizens are not required to obtain a trade licence under the Trade Licence Act. CARICOM nationals are also generally exempt.

Yes. If your company is under “alien control” as defined by the Aliens (Licensing) Act No. 20 of 2002, a trade licence is required regardless of where the company is registered.

A company is under alien control if it is majority owned or controlled by persons who are not CARICOM nationals, as defined under the Aliens (Licensing) Act No. 20 of 2002.

It depends on the Board’s meeting schedule and the completeness of your application. The Board meets monthly, and applications must be submitted at least five working days before the meeting. Contact the Department for the current meeting schedule.

Operating without a licence when one is required violates the Trade Licence Act, Cap. 13.04 and may result in penalties. Make sure you are licensed before commencing operations.

All trade licences expire on 31 December of the year in which they are issued and must be renewed each year.

No. Section 3(3) of the Act prohibits any person from engaging in trade on behalf of a non-CARICOM national or a foreign-controlled company without the required authorisation.

Under Section 8(3) of the Act, Cabinet may reduce or waive the prescribed fee in the public interest. This is decided case by case and is not guaranteed.

Obtain updated compliance letters before submitting your renewal. Outdated documents will result in your application being deferred to the next Board meeting.

The annual fee of EC$1,000.00 is paid to the Accountant General of Saint Lucia after the Minister approves your application.

Yes. Declare any change in your scope of business on your Renewal Application Form, with a description of the change and any updated business documentation.

Only non-national individuals and companies that are majority foreign-owned (non-CARICOM controlled). Saint Lucian citizens are exempt and CARICOM nationals are generally exempt.

Trade licence guidance

Only companies formally incorporated and registered in Saint Lucia. Sole traders and unregistered businesses do not qualify, and non-CARICOM-owned businesses must also hold a valid trade licence.

No. Approved status is granted to companies, not individuals. Your business must be incorporated or registered in Saint Lucia before you apply.

Manufacturing companies and service-oriented enterprises registered in Saint Lucia. Some incentives, such as the corporate income tax waiver, apply to manufacturing companies only. The Department can advise on the concessions available to your sector.

No. Cabinet approval must be in place before importing any goods for which a concession is sought. Applicants who import in anticipation of approval do so at their own risk and must pay full applicable duties on those goods.

It varies with the completeness of the application and the complexity of the concessions sought. A fully complete application significantly reduces delays. Contact the Department for current processing timelines.

It will not be processed. All sections must be completed and all required supporting documents attached and current.

Yes, vehicles used in the approved operation may qualify for import duty and excise tax waivers. Specify make, model, year and engine capacity for each. Personal-use and management vehicles (cars and SUVs) do not qualify.

Yes. Include financial statements for the last three years and employment records for the last five years.

Construction must commence no later than 12 months from the date of approval, and production or service delivery no later than 18 months from the construction start date. Missing these statutory timelines may affect your approved status.

No. It is available to manufacturing companies only. Service companies may still qualify for import duty and excise tax waivers.

Yes. IRD, Department of Labour and NIC compliance letters must be valid at the time of submission. Outdated letters will result in the application being returned or deferred.

Download it from the Application documents list above. Printed copies are also available from the Department of Commerce.

Yes. The Commerce & Industry Unit welcomes pre-submission enquiries about eligibility, required documents and completing specific sections of the form.

Love Saint Lucia is Saint Lucia’s buy-local campaign supporting local products, services, jobs and national pride. Registered local businesses can apply to carry the logo on approved products, packaging and promotional material, with a letter expressing interest and a copy of the business certificate. Products and promotional material carrying the logo are reviewed by the Ministry first, and the logo must be used in its true form.

Sign up on the News and Events, Urgent Alerts, Training and Events or Import Monitoring page. Choose press releases, urgent notices, import-rule updates or events, then confirm from the email you receive. Every alert has a link to change your choices or unsubscribe.

Sign up for alerts

The Fees and Cost Estimator lists the published costs of registering a business name, incorporating, trade licences and import licensing, adds up the known amounts and names the fees set by other offices.

Open the cost estimator

Yes. The request form on each unit page accepts up to three PDF, Word, JPG or PNG files. Attached files are stored securely and can only be opened by Department staff.