Saint Lucia High Commission in London: services, contact details and appointments

What is the Saint Lucia High Commission in London?

The Saint Lucia High Commission in London is the diplomatic mission of the Government of Saint Lucia to the United Kingdom. It handles relations between the two countries, consular help for Saint Lucians and visitors, and trade, investment and community work in Britain.

Because both countries belong to the Commonwealth, the embassy-style office of one member in another is called a High Commission rather than an embassy. The London office has four broad strands of work. The first is diplomatic relations, both bilateral, meaning directly between Saint Lucia and the United Kingdom, and multilateral, meaning through international bodies. The second is international economic relations. The third is consular services for individuals, and the fourth is community relations with Saint Lucians living in Britain. If you want the wider picture of how the island is governed, our government and politics guide sets out the institutions the High Commission answers to.

The mission is also accredited beyond the United Kingdom. It represents Saint Lucia to France, and to a handful of international organisations that are based in or reached from Europe: the World Trade Organization, the Bureau International des Expositions, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the Commonwealth of Nations. The head of mission at the time of writing is H.E. Hon. Anthony Severin, who holds the Saint Lucia Cross and the OBE. Office holders change, so check the current name with the High Commission itself before you address a formal letter.

Where is it, and how do you contact the office?

The High Commission is at 1 Collingham Gardens, Kensington, London SW5 0HW, a short walk from Earl's Court and Gloucester Road in west London. The main telephone number is +44 (0)20 7370 7123. Two email addresses are published for general and consular matters, hcslu@govt.lc and enquiries@stluciahcuk.org, and the office runs a separate address for event enquiries. For almost any question about a document, email first, because the staff will usually tell you which form you need and whether an appointment is required.

Please treat those details as your only trusted route in. The High Commission warns the public about fraudulent messages that imitate government offices, so be wary of any unexpected email, text or call that asks you to pay money, move a payment to a personal account or share passport photographs. If something looks wrong, ring the published number and check before you act. The same caution applies when you book flights, rent villas or hand over deposits for a trip, and our health, insurance and safety guide covers the sensible precautions for travellers.

When is the High Commission open, and do you need an appointment?

Office hours run from 9:30am to 5:30pm, Monday to Thursday, and from 9:30am to 5:00pm on Friday. Members of the public are seen by appointment only, and only on Monday to Wednesday between 10:00am and 2:00pm. That means a walk-in visit, even within office hours, is unlikely to get you anywhere, and a Thursday or Friday trip will not work for in-person business at all.

The office is closed on all UK bank holidays and on Saint Lucian public holidays. That second rule catches people out, because Saint Lucia has its own calendar, including Independence Day on 22 February, Carnival in July and Thanksgiving in October. Our national symbols and holidays page lists them, and it is worth glancing at before you plan a visit to Kensington. If a deadline is tight, such as a passport needed for a flight, ask about timing in your first email and allow generous time for courier delivery both ways.

What passport and visa help does the High Commission provide?

Passport services cover renewals, replacements and lost or stolen documents, together with emergency travel documents. An emergency document is valid only for travel to Saint Lucia, so it solves the problem of getting home but is not a substitute for a full passport. Applications are returned and sent by tracked courier rather than collected over the counter. The forms published include a regular passport application, a change of particulars form, a lost passport report and a statement of witness, and the right combination depends on your situation, so ask before you print anything.

The office also handles non-immigrant visas. A tourist visa is typically valid for up to 90 days, a business visa covers work-related visits, and a transit visa is short and cannot be extended. You complete the form, send it by tracked courier, and can book an appointment for guidance on your case. The published page does not say which nationalities need a visa, so please do not assume. Many British visitors travel visa-free for short stays, but rules change, so confirm your own position with the High Commission or the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, and read our visa and entry guide alongside our getting here guide before you book.

What are vital records, apostilles and other consular services?

The High Commission helps people in the UK request vital records such as birth and marriage certificates, but it does not process them. It acts as a go-between with the Civil Status Registry in Saint Lucia, where the records are held. Every application starts with an email saying what you want. For a birth certificate the office first collects the details needed for a search of the records, passes them to the registry, and then advises you on the next steps and cost. Marriage certificates and non-impediment to marriage certificates follow a similar pattern, and only people with a Saint Lucian birth record can ask for the latter through the London office. Other requests, such as a certificate of non-marital status or renunciation of citizenship, are handled by email enquiry.

Other consular services include notarisations, apostilles, rectifications, identity letters and help with the repatriation of human remains. For an apostille you send a cover letter with the original document. These services matter to families with ties to the island, for instance when a UK solicitor needs a Saint Lucian document for probate or a property sale, which links naturally to the guidance in our property investment guide. Always send originals only when you have been told to, and keep copies of everything.

Notarisations are available by appointment for documents such as citizenship applications, letters of authorisation, wills and powers of attorney. Rectifications of documents and identity letters are handled the same way, and the High Commission publishes a separate requirements document for the repatriation of human remains. Because every case differs, always describe what you need in an email first. Our vital records and marriage certificates guide goes through the certificate process in detail, and the directory of government departments and agencies explains who does what back on the island.

How does the High Commission support trade, investment and tourism?

The London office presents Saint Lucia as open for business, with particular emphasis on agriculture, tourism, renewable energy and technology. It works alongside the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, Invest Saint Lucia, Export Saint Lucia and the Citizenship by Investment Programme, and it is a useful first contact for UK firms exploring the market or for diaspora entrepreneurs looking for a route home. Our why invest guide and incentives and tax guide set out the island's case in more detail, and the economy of Saint Lucia page explains where the main sectors stand.

Tourism is the bridge between all of this and ordinary readers. The High Commission and the Tourism Authority both promote the island to British audiences, and Britain remains one of the main source markets for visitors. If your interest is a holiday rather than a business, start with our trip planning hub, then look at the best time to visit. For readers considering the investment route to citizenship, which is separate from the descent route handled in London, see our citizenship by investment guide.

What events and community work does the High Commission run?

A quieter part of the mission is community work. The office hosts and supports gatherings for Saint Lucians in Britain, from Independence anniversary receptions and services to a Prime Minister's town hall meeting and an International Women's Day event. Independence celebrations have included a gala for the 45th anniversary and a commemorative service in London, and in 2025 the anniversary was marked in Wales. Autumn 2026 brings celebrations of Creole heritage month and Black History Month, including an event at the National Windrush Museum on 17 October 2026, and a diaspora consultation on the National Development Plan for 2027 to 2041 and the Medium-Term Development Strategy for 2027 to 2031.

The events gallery shows how varied the work is. It records a UK premiere of the film Shantaye's World in November 2022, a Creole brunch hosted with Dominica in October 2021, the hosting of the London caucus of CARICOM High Commissioners in 2022, a university visit to Manchester in January 2023 and a visit to Chichester College for the Project Anse La Raye boot camp. It also lists a presentation for the Caribbean Elective Boot Camp winners in March 2024, a reception for the Governor General in 2025 and the arrival in London of the Olympic champion Julien Alfred for tourism ambassador duties. The gallery gives no further detail on programmes or speakers, so this guide does not either. The project's home village has its own page in our Anse La Raye guide.

These events say something useful to visitors too. They show how closely the island stays connected to its people overseas, and they are a window into Saint Lucian culture before you ever fly. Our page on Saint Lucians in the UK tells the story of the community in Britain, while our festivals and events guide explains the same traditions at home, and the citizenship by descent guide covers one of the High Commission's most requested services.

Questions travellers ask