Useful Information
Jamestown from the anchorage
Pets are transported by sea on board the MOD supply ship from Southampton to Ascension Island and then brought on the MV Helena. The MV Helena can also carry pets via Cape Town. For further details and information please contact the SHG Veterinary Section.
The Veterinary Section provides care and treatment for all animals, which involves surgery and diagnostic work, laboratory testing (and post-mortems) as well as preventative health programmes. There is a weekly animal clinic and a monthly clinic for collecting worm and flea treatments.
A range of tinned and dried pet food is sold on the Island although limited, and it is advisable to bring supplies like beds, toys and accessories.
Dogs are to be licenced at the Post Office, costing £6.80 (neutered) or £31.00 (unneutered), annually.
SA Dog and Cat imports (pdf)
St Helena police officers
When taking leave away from the Island, it is sensible to seek a house sitter or to ask a colleague or neighbour to keep an eye on the property, as is common practice elsewhere.
For those in government housing, the HR Officer/Property Division Office should be kept informed of absences and provided with a contact address and telephone number.
Insurance is available from Solomon & Company for house contents. You may wish to bring a small safe for valuables and money.
St Pauls Cathedral
Other faiths represented include, Jehovah’s Witness, Baptist, Salvation Army, Seventh Day Adventist, The Rock Christian Fellowship, New Apostolic, Roman Catholic and Baha’i.
Information on their services, charges and terms and conditions can be found on their website. The television package includes movies, series, documentary and sports channels, BBC World News, and Sky News (Premium).
At some point in 2023, the Island’s digital link is set to be transformed with the connection of the Equiano fibre optic cable which will significantly increase internet speed.
Handsets must be unlocked to use local sim cards on the SURE network.
Internet packages:
Package | Monthly Fee | Data | Download | Upload | Included |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lite | £13.31 | 1,100MB | 1024kbps | 512kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, 1 email address |
Bronze | £20.23 | 2,250MB | 1024kbps | 512kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, 2 email addresses |
Silver | £40.51 | 5,000MB | 1536kbps | 512kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, 3 email addresses |
Silver+ | £54.34 | 7,100MB | 1536kbps | 512kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, 3 email addresses |
Gold | £82.00 | 14,250MB | 2048kbps | 768kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, priority repair, free WiFi modem *, 5 email addresses |
Gold+ | £160.06 | 31,000MB | 2048kbps | 768kbps | Anti-virus, anti-spam, priority repair, free WiFi modem *, 5 email addresses |
The current rates of income tax are; a £7,000 personal allowance per annum, thereafter 26% on the first £18,000 and 31% on the remainder
There may be opportunities for partners to be employed (at local rates). In occupations where there is a shortage of skills, such as teachers and nurses, employment may be possible, again at local rates.
There are many opportunities for voluntary work, for example, in schools, with people with disabilities and the elderly.
There is also a chance to become involved with one of the Island’s many non-government organisations, for example the St Helena National Trust, SHAPE or Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
It is advisable that those considering employment or volunteering, obtain criminal record clearance (Disclosure and Barring in the UK) preferably enhanced if expecting to work with vulnerable groups, prior to their arrival on island.
The Post Office, Jamestown
Mail from, and via the UK is brought on the flights between Ascension and St Helena, and on a quarterly call of the freight ship to Ascension. The ship also carries mail to/from Africa, although the security of mail passing through this route is questionable.
The flow of post can be erratic and sending/receiving for timely delivery involves forward planning.
Surface mail is considerably cheaper than airmail.
The post code for St Helena is STHL 1ZZ which should be added to your new address.
House-to-house mail delivery is not conducted on the Island, instead you’ll need to collect at the Post Office on Main Street. Alternatively, arrangements can be made for delivery to a shop/sub Post Office if you live outside of town. A limited number of PO boxes are also available at the Post Office.
There is a public bus service on the Island with a small number of routes connecting districts, however, services are limited and they vary considerably from area to area.
A copy of the bus schedule can be obtained from the Tourist Office, ([email protected]) or by downloading the Inside St Helena app.
There are a number of companies offering vehicle hire services. Vehicle hire charges are approximately £15 per day for a car and £20 per day for a 4×4, depending on length of hire.
Taxis are also available and there is a taxi stand on Market Street, Jamestown behind the Tourist Office. It is recommended that you agree a price before hiring as these can be expensive.
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |