Promote:
Invest in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
A short guide for companies expanding into Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: the economy at a glance, the rules and steps to set up, and who can help, each with its source.
1. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at a glance
PopulationEstimate
99,924
The World Bank reports a population of 99,924 in 2025.
Source: World Bank WDI, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines population, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDPEstimate
US$1.26 billion
The World Bank reports GDP of US$1,255 million in 2025, at current prices.
Source: World Bank WDI, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines GDP, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP per personEstimate
US$12,562
The World Bank reports GDP per person of US$12,562 in 2025, at current prices.
Source: World Bank, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines per-person GDP, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Real GDP growthEstimate
3.4%
The World Bank reports real GDP growth of 3.4 percent in 2025.
Source: World Bank, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines GDP growth, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
InflationEstimate
0.9%
Inflation averaged 0.9 percent in 2025, an IMF estimate in the October 2026 World Economic Outlook.
Source: IMF, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines inflation, WEO October 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Foreign direct investment inflows
US$117.2 million
Inward foreign direct investment was US$117.2 million in 2025, UNCTAD reports, on an asset and liability basis.
Source: UNCTADstat, foreign direct investment flows and stock (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar.
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
2. Before you set up
The investment agency, any one-stop route, the sectors reserved for nationals and the zones, as the guide found them.
Invest Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the national investment promotion agency and also acts as the export development agency.
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
As of May 2026, Invest SVG's chairman described a digital single window for investors as planned, not as a service.
Source: One News SVG, Invest SVG chairman on reforms, May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of May 3, 2026
As of 2022, the WTO review reports foreign investment is largely unrestricted, with national treatment except for transactions that involve holding land.
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
As of 2022, the WTO review reports no free zones in operation, although the Export Free Zones Act, No. 15 of 1999, exists.
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
3. Steps to set up
The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.
Setting up in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Register the company with the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office.Commerce and Intellectual Property OfficeOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Customs and Excise Department, registration of importers and exporters (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
- Register with the Inland Revenue Department for a taxpayer ID number, and for value added tax once taxable sales reach the threshold.Inland Revenue DepartmentEC$300,000 of taxable sales in twelve months for value added taxOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Inland Revenue Department, frequently asked questions (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
- Register as an employer with National Insurance Services and submit contributions.National Insurance ServicesOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: National Insurance Services, home page, read October 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
- If you are a manufacturer, apply in writing to the Minister in charge of industry for approved enterprise status under the Fiscal Incentives Act.Minister in charge of industryOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Fiscal Incentives Act, Chapter 468, revised edition (opens in a new tab) · as of 2009
Show 3 more set-up steps
- Apply for work permits for foreign staff who are not OECS nationals.Prime Minister's OfficeAs of 2022: annual fee EC$960 for CARICOM nationals and EC$2,400 for others; permits up to six monthsOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
- Apply for a land-holding license if a non-OECS, non-CARICOM investor or an alien-controlled company will hold land.Prime Minister's OfficeAs of 2022: EC$2,500 non-refundable application feeOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2023
- Register with Customs as an importer and exporter if the project will clear goods.Customs & Excise DepartmentOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Customs and Excise Department, registration of importers and exporters (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
4. Organizations that help investors
Start with Invest SVG and Customs and Excise. Each card links to the organization’s own site.
Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets
Investment and business setup
- Get advice
Investment and export agency
Invest SVG
Invest Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Promotes investment in priority sectors and acts as the national export development agency, with training events and trade fair support.
- Meet requirements
Social security administrator
NIS
National Insurance Services
Takes employers' contribution statements through its eSubmit service and pays national insurance benefits.
Visit NIS (opens in a new tab)Source: National Insurance Services, home page, read October 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Show 1 more organization
- Find finance
Regional development bank
CDB
Caribbean Development Bank
Regional body
Finances development projects in its borrowing member countries and runs a vendor registry for suppliers to the bank.
Visit CDB (opens in a new tab)Source: Caribbean Development Bank, home page, read October 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Customs and tax
- Meet requirements
Customs authority
Customs and Excise
Customs & Excise Department
Clears export declarations on ASYCUDA World, registers importers and exporters, and publishes export procedures and customs legislation.
Visit Customs and Excise (opens in a new tab)Source: Customs and Excise Department, exportation of goods (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
- Meet requirements
Tax authority
Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue Department
Assesses and collects taxes, sets out rates and filing dates, and runs the eTax filing service.
Visit Inland Revenue (opens in a new tab)Source: Inland Revenue Department, list of taxes and rates (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Chambers and industry associations
- Get advice
Regional chambers association
CARICHAM
Regional body
Brings together national chambers of commerce, and its member list includes the chamber of industry and commerce for this country.
Visit CARICHAM (opens in a new tab)Source: CARICHAM, member chambers list (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
5. Worth knowing
Public debt and arrears
The IMF reports public debt of 113 percent of GDP in 2025 and says the country has been at high risk of debt distress since 2016.
What to do: Check payment terms and arrears risk before you supply a government body.
Source: IMF, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Article IV, July 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Climate and water
The IMF says repeated natural disasters sit behind the debt rise since 2019 and calls the country highly exposed to them.
What to do: Check your insurance cover and continuity measures for natural disasters before you commit.
Source: IMF, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Article IV, July 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Investment legislation
The 2023 WTO review reported a draft Investment Bill, and the Invest SVG chairman said on May 2, 2026 that an Investment Act is being prepared.
What to do: Ask Invest SVG which rules and incentives apply to your project before you commit capital.
Sources: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab); iWitness News, Invest SVG chairman on Investment Act, May 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Land ownership
As of 2022, non-OECS and non-CARICOM nationals and alien-controlled companies need a license to hold land, with a non-refundable application fee of EC$2,500.
What to do: Apply through a local lawyer and confirm current fees with the Prime Minister's Office.
Source: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
Show 1 more
Incentive law under review
The WTO review notes that the Fiscal Incentives Act still carries export-linked relief that the authorities planned to revise by 2024.
What to do: Confirm with Invest SVG which incentives are current before you rely on the Act.
Sources: WTO Trade Policy Review, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 2023 (opens in a new tab); Fiscal Incentives Act, Chapter 468, revised edition (opens in a new tab) · as of October 30, 2026
6. How Promote:Global helps
- Compare Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with other countriesSet Saint Vincent and the Grenadines beside other countries on investment momentum, fundamentals and trade access, before site, tax and legal work.
- Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
- Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.
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Promote:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.
Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of October 30, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.