Published: September 3, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State French Caribbean Travel Advisories. This report covers the French Caribbean, served by the Barbados & Eastern Caribbean OSAC Chapter and the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown. OSAC Country Security Reports are available for these locations across the region:
- OSAC’s Eastern Caribbean Country Security Report covers Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
- OSAC’s Barbados Country Security Report is country-specific.
- OSAC Grenada Country Security Report is country-specific.
- OSAC’s Dutch Caribbean Country Security Report includes Dutch Sint Maarten and Dutch territories outside of the Eastern Caribbean.
Embassy Contact Information
U.S. Embassy in Barbados: Wildey Business Park, Wildey, St. Michael 14006
Tel 1-246-227-4399, Emergency 1-246-227-4000.
OSAC Country Chapter
The Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Chapter is active and meets semi-annually, with smaller breakout meetings focusing on other parts of the region.
Contact OSAC’s Americas team with any questions.
French Caribbean Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions in the French Caribbean, which includes Guadeloupe, Martinique, French St. Martin, and Saint Barthelemy.
Crime
Although the French Caribbean does not have official ratings for crime from the U.S. Department of State, travelers should consider the criminal environment similar to Bridgetown, which the U.S. Department of State has assessed as being a HIGH-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for the French Caribbean.
Regional police forces usually cooperate with U.S. counterparts. However, response time to law enforcement and security requests can at times be quite slow due to inadequate funding, lack of equipment and training, and staffing shortages. Criminals do not specifically target U.S. travelers visiting the French Caribbean. Tourism is a major contributor to regional economies. Those residing in the French Caribbean do not always enjoy the same level of police protection that regional governments provide to tourist areas.
There is also minimal risk of petty theft; while travelers should always exercise caution and guard their belongings, street crime targeting tourists is not common.
The crime emergency lines are as follows:
- Guadeloupe: 17 (Fire), 18 (Ambulance and Police)
- French St. Martin: (590-590) 87-88-33
- Martinique: 596596599000 (Non-Emergency), 15 (Ambulance), 18 (Fire), 17 (Police)
- Saint Barthélemy: 17
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for the French Caribbean.
Kidnapping is a rare phenomenon in the French Caribbean, consistently ranking near the bottom of reported crimes.
Terrorism
Although the French Caribbean does not have official ratings for terrorism from the U.S. Department of State, travelers should consider the terrorism environment similar to Bridgetown, which the U.S. Department of State has assessed as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for the Eastern Caribbean.
There is minimal risk from terrorism in the region. Though specific terrorism incident reporting from the French Caribbean remains relatively low, the region has several vulnerabilities that terrorist elements could exploit, such as porous borders, established narcotic and alien smuggling routes, and limited counter-terrorism capabilities. The exploitation of one of these vulnerabilities could have serious implications for U.S. organizations based in the Caribbean, and the Caribbean tourism trade in general.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
Although the French Caribbean does not have official ratings for unrest from the U.S. Department of State, travelers should consider the political unrest environment similar to Bridgetown, which the U.S. Department of State has assessed as being a LOW-threat location for unrest directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for the French Caribbean. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
The islands of the French Caribbean are peaceful and have experienced little political violence or revolution. As French territories, the political climates are stable, with little threat of political violence.
Protests & Demonstrations
While violent public protests and demonstrations are rare in the French Caribbean, there was a short period of civil unrest in French Saint Martin in December 2020. During this period, protest activity and roadblocks (as a result of water quality issues and the implementation of post-2017 hurricane rebuilding efforts) affected tourists in Saint Martin as well as adjacent Dutch Sint Maarten. Outside of this activity, very little civil unrest occurs throughout the islands. Most civil unrest is connected to labor issues, which are usually settled by union and government intervention.
In the summer of 2021, demonstrations occurred in St. Vincent, Antigua, Barbados, St. Martin, and Martinique over proposed COVID-19 prevention measures, including mask and vaccine mandates. While most of these demonstrations were peaceful, there were isolated instances that escalated into violence.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
U.S. travelers and organizations in the French Caribbean have not been the focus of terrorist actions, crime, or political violence based on their nationality. Peaceful protests are rare and do not target U.S. interests.
Law Enforcement
As French overseas territories, the police are administered at a municipal level within each territory. There are no serious law enforcement concerns.
Police Response
The level of professionalism and quality of service can vary from island to island, and the level of protection is directly proportional to an incident’s possible impact on the tourist trade. Areas tourists frequent command a more visible police presence.
Generally, uniformed police are adequate to have an influence on crime deterrence, but uniformed police response to alarms or emergency calls are sometimes below U.S. standard. Police performance and conduct varies from poor to acceptable in professionalism and training, and regional police organizations have definite resource/manpower limitations that inhibit their deterrence and response effectiveness. It is not uncommon to wait an hour or more for police response.
Any U.S. citizen detained or harassed by police or other security services should immediately contact American Citizen Services (ACS) at the U.S. Embassy in Barbados during business hours, or the U.S. Embassy duty officer during non-business hours or holidays.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in the French Caribbean, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for any island in the French Caribbean.
There are no serious concerns about arbitrary detention or official harassment in the French Caribbean.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity attacks frequently target public institutions, financial institutions and critical infrastructure. Many of the French Caribbean police forces are ill-equipped to prevent and investigate these types of attacks and intrusions. The governments of the Eastern Caribbean appear to be taking some steps to develop better investigative infrastructure for cyber incidents as evidenced by the 2017 opening of the Regional Security Systems Digital Forensic Laboratory, significantly enhancing their ability to investigate crimes with a digital nexus. Digital security remains a concern in the region, particularly with ATM fraud, credit card fraud and other cybercrimes.
Import/Export Restrictions
Firearms entry restrictions may exist. Contact the Embassy of France before you travel.
There are no restrictions on the import of satellite phones or personal medication. Imported medication should always be kept in its original packaging and should be accompanied by its original prescription.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
