06 PREPARING TO MOVE

Photos courtesy of Rebecca Davidson and Julie Corsetti

Preparing To Move

Everything you need to know about the process of moving: things to consider before signing a contract, what and what not to bring, duties and fees, the cost of living and shipping considerations.

Moving to Cayman - Gateways to Cayman 91 91

MOVING TO CAYMAN

Moving to Cayman may be an exciting, significant milestone in your life but there are a lot of details to consider before you arrive on the Island, move into your new home, unpack, start your job and then finally put your feet in the sand.

Gateways to Cayman Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts International Airport (ORIA) is located in George Town. Before the pandemic, it was a relatively busy airport with over 1.4 million passengers passing through it each year. There have been major improvements made to the airport and runway in the past few years, which will eventually allow the airport to accommodate up to 2.7 million passengers per year, as well as allow larger planes to land, therefore encouraging tourism from European countries.

The national carrier of the Cayman Islands is Cayman Airways. The main gateway to Cayman is Miami and in normal times, there were daily flights to Grand Cayman, as well as daily or weekly flights to Charlotte, Chicago, Havana, Jamaica, La Ceiba, Tampa, New York, and the Sister Islands. Other airlines that serviced Cayman were Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Caribbean Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United Airlines and WestJet. We hope these services resume as things return to normal. At the time of going to print, commercial travel to Cayman was expected to return in early 2022. To stay up to date with the latest travel restrictions in Cayman, visit www.exploregov.ky - Cost of Flights & Flying Time 91 - Moving to Cayman During COVID-19 92 - Special Services 92 - Relocation Services 92 - Time Zones 92 - Before Signing Your Contract 92 - Cayman Currency 93 - Weights, Measurements & Temperature 93 - Cost of Living Tables 94

The Process of Moving 95 - International Packers & Movers 95 - Cayman & Miami Freight Forwarders 96 - Shipping by Air 96 - Excess Baggage 96 - Shipping by Sea 97

Shipping Considerations - Import Duty - Customs Clearance 97 97 98

What to Bring & What Not To Bring 98

Cost of Flights The average cost of a return ticket from Miami is US$400, from New York US$500, and from London US$1,300-US$1,500. Costs will vary according to high or low season and due to flight availability as flight schedules return to normal following the pandemic.

Flying Time to Cayman The flying time from Miami to Grand Cayman is 1.5 hours. The flight from London is 10 hours (with 45 minutes on the tarmac in Nassau). Flying time from Toronto and New York is four hours.

Moving to Cayman During COVID-19 During the pandemic, and in an effort to protect the health of Cayman citizens, there were significant restrictions placed on arrivals to the Cayman Islands. These worked well to keep the Cayman Islands free of COVID-19 and allowed residents to live normal lives when on-Island.

In July 2021, the Cayman government outlined a five-phase reopening plan but at the time of going to print, the Government had put a pause on the re-opening plan until 2022 due to an outbreak of community transmission of COVID-19. Cayman had been expecting to move to phase five, in November 2021 which would have meant that fully vaccinated people and unvaccinated children under 12 years old would no longer need to quarantine on arrival in the Cayman Islands. Instead, for the remainder of 2021, quarantine for those vaccinated in Cayman or in the UK is seven days. Other travellers who have been vaccinated elsewhere will still be required to isolate for 10 days, and unvaccinated people must quarantine for 14 days. All travellers are required to wear a geotag device to ensure they do not breach quarantine rules.

Throughout 2021, the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) restricted flight volumes in order to manage the number of people entering the Islands. BA resumed its flights from London’s Heathrow Airport, via Nassau, three times a week in September 2021, however, aside from Cayman Airways, there were no other commercial airlines flying in and out of the Cayman Islands.

Special Services To ensure a stress-free arrival and departure to and from the Island, there are a few reliable companies that offer special services to help you. Taxis are readily available on arrival at the airport and you can find out more information on fares in the Transport chapter.

Email: info@cayluxe.com Offers exclusive Island tours and private transportation services in a Mercedes minivan.

Island Air Tel: (345) 949 5252 An aviation service for private and chartered aircraft including ground handling and a refuelling service.

Websters Tours Tel: (345) 945 1433 or www.websters.ky Offers full airport arrival and departure services as well as on-Island transfers and Island tours.

Relocation Services It is often useful to enlist the help of a relocation consultant. ‘Destination Services’, as it has come to be known, offers private and corporate clients unbiased assistance and invaluable insight into Island life.

Blue Point Consultants Ltd. Tel: (345) 525 0706 Email: info@bluepointproperty.com www.bluepointproperty.com They offer an employee relocation programme which focuses on finding a suitable property for the new resident, whether it be a rental or for purchase. Guided advice on location as well as information on key amenities, shopping, recreation, social groups, sports clubs, medical and banking facilities, vehicle purchasing and hire, typical living conditions and any special concerns. They are part of a global network of destination service providers, have 25 years living and working in Cayman, as well as fully qualified RICS surveyors so can offer experienced and professional advice on all property and relocation matters.

Mosaic Cayman George Town Tel: (345) 928 7940 Email: relocation@mosaiccayman.com www.mosaiccayman.com Their experienced staff provide personal and tailored assistance for individuals and families relocating to and from the Cayman Islands. Relocation packages include pre-arrival consultations, extensive home services, schooling and vehicle solutions, pet relocation, shipping services, and more. SEE AD OPPOSITE PAGE

Time Zones While the US employs daylight savings, the Cayman Islands, being nearer to the equator, has relatively equal periods of day and night year-round. There’s really only about an hour difference in daylight between 20th June and 20th December, so Cayman keeps the same time all year (-5 hours Coordinated Universal Time).

This means the Islands share Eastern Standard Time (EST = -5 UTC) with Miami and New York from November to March. However, when the US switches to daylight savings time in March, Cayman then shares Central Daylight Time (CDT = -6 UTC) with Chicago and Houston.

Before Signing Your Contract When planning your move to the Cayman Islands, you will need to know what to expect in terms of the cost and standard of living, as they may be very different from what you’re used to. Bear in mind that the cost of living in Cayman is high (see the ‘Cost of Living’ tables later in this chapter). Unless you are moving from an expensive city such as London or New York, you may discover that everything from groceries and electricity bills to maintaining a car and schooling your children will cost significantly more. In August 2021, Expatistan listed the Cayman Islands as the most expensive country in the world to live. Visit www. expatistan.com for more information.

The process of moving can be very costly. Before signing, find out what your employer will do to absorb or mitigate certain costs. Here are some questions that you may want to ask your new employer before you accept a job offer:

1) Cost of Shipping Will the company contribute towards transporting your personal items to Cayman? 2) Accommodation & Renting a Car Will the company provide you with a place to live and a rental car for your first month on the

Island? See the Finding a Home chapter for temporary accommodation options. 3) Cost of Setting Up Your Life in Cayman It is worth being completely aware of the costs of setting up a home in Cayman.

For example, you will have to buy a car and a year’s worth of car insurance and pay deposits on a house or apartment, including deposits on getting your electricity, water and telephone set up.

You will have to take a driving test and pay for a driver’s licence. For a couple without children we estimate this to be just under

CI$10,000, but for a couple with children we estimate it to be closer to CI$23,000, or even more if you don’t want the most basic of second hand cars. 4) The Cost of Living This will invariably depend on your standard of living but we advise that you design a budget before taking the leap to Cayman. Things to take into consideration are your salary, minus 5% pension and your portion of health insurance. Then factor in accommodation, utility bills (water, electricity, phone,

TV, internet), running a car (gas, licence and insurance), groceries, school fees, entertainment, activities, clothes, flights off the Island, savings, etc. 5) The Currency of Your Salary What currency will your salary be paid in? If you will be paid in US dollars, is it at the going rate?

For example, you might think US$60,000 is a fair salary for a qualified accountant, but it’s actually only CI$49,200 (when using the bank exchange rate of .82) and the cost of living is greater here than in the

US. Be aware that you will pay for almost everything in CI dollars, so if you are paid in US dollars, you are better off taking the money you need out of the bank in

CI dollars than paying for something at a store with US cash at a conversion rate of .80. On a salary of US$60,000 per year, you will save around CI$1,200 a year. 6) Health Insurance This is compulsory and it is essential that you ask whether your company will be covering more than 50% of the basic plan required by law. Premium health insurance coverage for an individual

will cost at least CI$500-CI$875 per month, double that for a couple and triple that for a family. Though the Law states you only need the basic plan, the premium plan should be considered for better coverage. A good employer will pay at least 50% of a premium plan, including half of the insurance cost of your family. However, this will still leave you with a monthly deduction of between CI$650-CI$1,250 per month (if you are on a premium family plan). 7) Vacation Time How many weeks of annual holiday does your contract provide for?

There is a disparity in Cayman between companies which offer only the US system of 10 working days per year and others which offer 3-4 weeks. Be sure to ask! 8) Can Your Children Join You? Unless you are guaranteed to earn a minimum of CI$3,500 per month, you will not be allowed to have your children join you in Cayman. See the

Immigration chapter for more information. 9) Divorce If you get divorced during the tenure of your stay, the non-working spouse will have to leave the Island or obtain a work permit, regardless of whether you have children. Your children can stay if they are listed as dependants on your work permit.

Cayman Currency The Cayman Islands Dollar (CI$) is pegged to the US Dollar and does not fluctuate. The exchange rate is CI$1= US$1.20. The cash exchange rate is CI$1 =US$1.25, which means that US$20 cash is worth CI$16. US Dollars are accepted everywhere. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted and there are many ATMs throughout the Island. Currency denominations are as follows: CI$1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 dollar bills.

Weights, Measures & Temperature Cayman uses the US system of miles for distances, mph for speed, inches for length and pounds for measuring weight. Petrol is sold by the Imperial gallon. For temperature, Fahrenheit (°F) and not Centigrade (°C) is used.