St Kitts and Nevis launches eTA System, enhancing travel efficiency with facial recognition and 4.9 visitor rating

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew announced that the country’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) system was a great success, which also played a key role during one of the busiest travel times in recent history - the St Kitts Music Festival. PM Drew unveiled this information during his National Address on Tuesday, July 8.

Introduced on May 26, 2025, the digital border management system during the festival week from June 21 - 28, proved very valuable. A total of 7,711 passengers arrived in the Federation via air and an additional 364 by sea, which brought the total to 8,075 visitors in just a few days. This marks a 76% increase in arrivals compared to 2024, and a large jump from 2023 which only reported 4,429 passengers, highlighting the country’s rise as a preeminent tourism and entertainment destination.

PM Drew highlights the system’s role in improving traveler experience

PM Drew said, “This record-breaking performance during the festival is a powerful demonstration of how innovation and strategic planning are improving our visitor experience while strengthening national security. We are not only keeping pace with global standards – but we are also setting them.”

Also, during his national address, he described the new eTA system as a “revolution at our borders.” 

The Prime Minister further added, “In just 30 days, our new electronic border management system, including our Electronic Travel Authorization or eTA, processed over 21,000 applications with 98% approval efficiency, welcoming visitors from 106 nations while firmly denying entry to any high-risk individuals.”

Advanced biometric technology boosts border security

The introduction of the advanced biometric features into the infrastructure has made St Kitts and Nevis the first Caribbean country to deploy facial recognition at its airport. These recognition systems are called 'face lanes,' and have reduced average immigration wait times by almost 96% - from 50 seconds to just 3 per passenger. 

Moreover, visitors have rated their experience with this new system at 4.9 out of 5, which is a very clear indicator of high satisfaction. 

“This is national security and economic agility working hand in hand,” said PM Drew. 

New eTA system gets a 4.9 rating from visitors

In addition, more than 8,800 visitors listed “pleasure” as their reason for travel, confirming the Federation’s continued appeal as a leisure destination. In addition, in only the first month, the eTA system produced $107,525 in traveler fees which also saw over 8,800 visitors reporting “pleasure” as the purpose of their visit.

The Government of St Kitts and Nevis highlighted its commitment to the modernization of border control to enhance the travel experience while also increasing international interest in the twin island nation.