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Grenada has one airport, located about 5 minutes from the
school's main campus.
Getting through the airport can be intimidating at first.
When you get off the plane, you will proceed to immigration,
where there will be quite a line if you arrive when most students
do. Families see the immigration officer together. Be sure
to bring the letter from the school stating your student will
be attending the University as well as your passports. Be
sure to fill out the arrival card given on the plane before
you reach the immigration officer. When you are asked where
you are staying, True Blue, Grand Anse, or L'anse Aux Epines
will do fine. Do not say you aren't sure yet or you will end
up in an office making a hotel reservation. From there you
will pick up your baggage and proceed to customs.
Getting through customs can sometimes be a problem, but here
are a few guidelines to make the process easier. There is
a red line, which is for when one has an item to declare,
and a green line, which is when one has nothing to declare.
If you go through the green line, and they find you have items
that can be charged duty, you will either have to go to the
end of the red line (which can be very long and slow) to be
reassessed and pay the duty, or it could be a greater penalty
depending on the customs officer. If you are bringing a computer,
you will have to declare it through customs, and you will
be required to pay a duty (tax) on 5% of the value. It helps
to have a receipt for the computer, even if it is one you
typed up at home. After you pay your duty you will get a receipt,
it is important to keep it to show the next time you bring
the computer through customs.
Customs may go through some of your bags. If they find electronics
you may be charged duty on these items. Again, it helps if
you have a receipt for it. Get a receipt for any duty paid
so if you travel with the item again you have proof of duty
already paid and you will not be charged again. Items that
look new or still have price tags will be charged a higher
duty; therefore, before you pack, remove tags and make sure
the items packed do not look new.There is no set duty on any
item, so be sure to smile and be polite and respectful. Customs
officials have a great deal of latitude in determining duty
fares and may increase the charges if you are rude, argumentative
or act like you are in a hurry. It is a good idea to arrive
in Grenada with enough cash to set up housekeeping, including
the phone deposit, and odds and ends you may need. Traveler's
checks are accepted, but credit cards are not always taken
(although they do take them at the grocery stores). Make sure
you have transportation from the airport. Taxis are always
willing to take you, just be sure they do not charge more
than $25 EC or $10 US during the day and $35EC at night. There
are plenty of taxis waiting outside the airport to take you
to your new home. There are public telephones available to
the left on the outside wall once you exit the customs department
as well. There is usually a greeting committee of SOs waiting
outside the airport to assist you, but to assure that you
are greeted, please let the SO public relations officer know
when your flight is scheduled to arrive (See email address
at end of survival guide.)
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