Getting There/ Settling In:
Getting There:
Several airlines serve the Islands, including the national airline Cayman Airways, American Airlines, USAIR, Northwest, Delta, Continental, Air Canada, British Airways, and Air Jamaica. The national carrier serves Miami, Houston, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Boston, Chicago; Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica; Havana, Cuba; and Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Direct links with other US gateways, such as Atlanta, New York and Charlotte, are provided by the US carriers serving the Islands.
British Airways operates a twice-weekly direct flight from London to Grand Cayman and return, and Air Canada operates once-weekly from Toronto.
A range of charter services are available from North America. There are also frequent charters from Cayman to Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and other nearby countries.
Most carriers world-wide have connecting flights. The frequency of flights may vary seasonally, so contact your travel agent for details.
There are no scheduled passenger services to the Islands by sea, though Grand Cayman is a popular port for cruise ship calls, mostly from the U.S. mainland, and it is possible to arrange stopover visits between successive cruises.
We recommended that you search several travel websites for flights to Cayman as the price can vary greatly. If you cannot find a reasonable flight, try searching for flights from your home country to Miami (MIA) and then go to the Cayman Airways website to price a separate direct flight from Miami to Cayman (GCM). Also, always compare the travel search website prices with the airlines directly on their own websites, you can often purchase the same flight directly for less. Select People recommend the following travel sites:
Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak.com, Lastminute.com, Orbitz.com
Settling In:
Nearly all accommodation comes fully furnished, and there is rarely any need to bring items of furniture with you. In fact, for couples and those arriving on their own, you should be able to bring everything you need with you in your suitcases.
What to bring
Work Clothing: Suit jackets are normally not worn in any office. The normal work attire is shirt, tie (although not always required), trousers and leather shoes for men, and blouse/ shirt, trousers/ skirt/ dress and closed toe shoes for women. Sandals are not considered appropriate in the office. Most accommodation will come with a washer and dryer, and there are numerous dry cleaning stores around the island.
Electrical Goods: Cayman runs on the same electricity system as the US and Canada - 110/115v with a 2-pin plug. If your appliances run on 220v and do not have a conversion switch to change over, you should buy what you need once you get to the islands. Generally speaking, appliances that produce heat (hairdryers, toasters, etc) will not work. Ipods, phone chargers, and some personal stereos should work as long as you bring a plug adapter. If you are planning to bring electrical items, and will require an adapter, purchase it before you arrive or at the airport.
Documentation: Bring your drivers license, a photocopy of your passport (in case you lose it), bank reference letters, copies of your bank statements for six months, car insurance "no claims" certificates, original copies of your academic qualifications, evidence of any professional memberships, and copies of your employment contract and immigration documentation.
What not to bring
It is best to leave the rest of your belongings at home, in storage. Ensure a friend or family member can gain access to them should you decide to stay in Cayman and wish to move more of your belongings over. You can organise shipment locally in Cayman.
Bringing Pets with you
The bureaucracy of bringing a pet with you to the Cayman Islands can be daunting, but it is relatively straightforward once you strictly follow the guidelines of the Department of Agriculture.
Click here to download the guidelines and forms
There is no quarantine in Cayman. Instead, you generally have to wait 6 months to bring your pet on-island, but this has been waived for many rabies-free countries such as the US, Canada and the UK.
One of the most difficult and expensive parts of moving your pet is the organisation of their transportation. Our staff can provide you with first-hand advice on how best to organise such things.
Tips and Advice
* Your ATM card from home should work in Cayman, but bring some US$ cash just in case. US dollars are accepted throughout the island. Do not bring UK pounds/ Sterling, as you will have to exchange these in the bank, incurring exchange rate charges. Your Credit Card (Visa/ Mastercard/ Amex) should also work in Cayman, but check with your bank in advance.
* If you have a CDMA or GSM 900/1800 phone, it should work in Cayman, but remember most phone providers block access for other networks on their phones. You can research this on the internet to obtain unblock codes, or you can most likely have it unblocked for CI$25 once you arrive here. If not, locally purchased mobile phones are very good value. It is recommend that you do not use your SIM card from home whilst in the Cayman Islands as the roaming charges will be very expensive.
* Before you depart, confirm whether you will need a travel visa for the UK or USA, as these are the most likely locations that you will have to travel to in order to get to Cayman.
* You should also thoroughly research the tax implications of moving to Cayman. Most nationalities can avail of a tax free salary in Cayman without incurring a tax bill back home, but you should confirm this with your local tax office before you accept a position. Canadian citizens, for example, must commit to disassociate themselves financially from Canada for two years, otherwise they will incur tax on their Cayman income.
* Ensure you have adequate medical cover for your first 30-60 days in Cayman. Although your employer is obliged to organise medical cover for you (although they are not obliged to pay for it), it can take a number of weeks to organise. You should also take out travel insurance, ideally for a year to cover your possible return home and any other trips you may take from Cayman. It is also generally better value to take out a year's travel insurance rather than separate insurance for each trip.
* Many employers provide their staff with temporary accommodation for the first 2 weeks. In general we do not recommend trying to secure permanent accommodation before you arrive as you will most likely be overcharged and will have to commit for a 12 month lease. Organise very short- term accommodation only, as it is best to familiarise yourself with the island before deciding on where you wish to live. You will have better access to property lettings once you are here, as most are only advertised locally (we recommend the Classifieds section of Friday's "Caymanian Compass", the national newsaper). Reasonable short term accommodation is available from Sunshine Suites or Comfort Suites.
* Upon arrival, you should immediately exchange your original driver's license for a local one. This will provide you with "local" identification which will prove invaluable when opening bank accounts, using your Debit and Credit cards, and availing of discounts for "locals".
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