Living Abroad

Trinidad Reference Guide

Whether or not this is your first time away from your country, you are probably thinking about the different aspects of living in a new culture. Most grantees find that they must make some adjustments, since many things are new or unfamiliar. The process you will go through may be difficult, but it is also exciting and contributes to your personal enrichment and understanding of other ways of life.

Adapting to another culture may be frustrating at times, but there are people at your host university and at LASPAU who are able to help. Temporary problems should not discourage you. A growing familiarity with the new culture and with the resources available to you will greatly increase your enjoyment of your surroundings. You can read more about the process of cross-cultural adjustment by downloading this document in PDF format.

Immigration

It is critical that you obtain the appropriate immigration documents for yourself and your family prior to entering Trinidad and Tobago. You should contact the nearest Embassy or High Commission to find out about what documents you will need to enter Trinidad and Tobago.

Health Care

If included in your contract, LASPAU will automatically enroll you in the Virginia Surety insurance plan once you become a LASPAU-administered grantee, unless you inform us that you have alternative coverage. The Virginia Surety insurance plan, provided at no cost to you, is only for you and does not include any of your dependents. Please click here for more information on the Virginia Surety insurance plan, as well as on how to obtain coverage for your dependents.

Education and Culture

The following are useful links to information on education and culture in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Center for Global Education provides a formal description of the higher education system in Trinidad and Tobago.
The "About Trinidad and Tobago" section of the Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago website provides general information about the economy, education, and government of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Lonely Planet website also provides useful information about the history, culture, climate and cost of living of Trinidad and Tobago.

Employment

If you or your dependents would like to work while in Trinidad and Tobago, you must be certain that both your program sponsor and the government of Trinidad and Tobago will allow you do so:

To verify whether your program sponsor will allow you to work, please contact your LASPAU program advisor or coordinator.
To verify whether the government of Trinidad and Tobago will allow you to work, please talk to your international student advisor at your host institution.

If you work or receive grant funding in Trinidad and Tobago, you may be expected to pay taxes. Please consult with the international student advisor at your host institution or the appropriate government agency in Trinidad and Tobago.

Housing and Your Mailing Address

Local newspapers, websites such as expatriates.com, sublet.com or viviun.com, and your host university's international office can often serve as excellent resources when searching for off-campus or on-campus housing. Local real estate agents may also be able to assist you in your search.

Make sure your mailbox at your home, dormitory, or residence hall indicates your full name (first and all surnames), since some postal carriers in Trinidad and Tobago may not be accustomed to multiple surnames.

You must register your address with the proper authorities in Trinidad and Tobago. The international advisor at your host institution should be able to give you further information.

The Trinidad and Tobago Post Office may provide a mail redirection service if you move while in Trinidad and Tobago. There is sometimes a small fee for the forwarding service. Click here for a list of post office phone numbers in Trinidad and Tobago.

Shipping

When preparing to leave, you will probably find that you need to send some of your belongings home using an international shipping service. Check with the international student office at your host institution to see if they have any information about reliable shipping companies or call your local post office (numbers above).

Please note that the external websites listed above are not maintained by LASPAU and LASPAU is not responsible for any of their contents. Please let us know if you find other online resources that might be helpful to international students in Trinidad and Tobago.

Last revised: May 30, 2006