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Turks & Caicos · Complete Island Study · Updated 5 October 2026

The TCI Insider Atlas

The Turks and Caicos, from people who live here: a visitor guide, a residents guide, every business in the guide and 35 Atlas studies, in one search. Or pick where you are starting from below. Questions about buying, selling or moving here go straight to Drew Scrymgeour at Sold by Drew.

Browse the Atlas series
CurrencyUSD only
VisaUS/UK/CA, none
Time zoneEST (New York)
DrivingLeft (UK rules)
EmergencyDial 911
Power120v, US plugs
Property taxNone annual

Four ways in

Pick where you are starting from

Visiting

Before you land, where to eat, the beaches, diving, getting around and where to stay.

Open the visitor guide
Running a business

Lawyers, architects and builders, banking and government, and your own page in the guide.

Open the business guide

Quick answers

The questions people ask first

Short, factual answers to the most common questions about the Turks and Caicos. Each one is covered in more depth in the guides.

Do I need a visa to visit the Turks and Caicos?No. US, UK, Canadian and EU passport holders do not need a visa for tourism.
What currency is used in the Turks and Caicos?The US dollar, and it is the only accepted currency. Cards are widely accepted on Providenciales.
Which side of the road do you drive on?The left, under UK rules, although most vehicles are left-hand drive.
What is the emergency number?911.
Is there Uber or Lyft?No app-based ride-hailing operates here. Licensed taxis, private car services and VIP transfers are widely available and booked by phone, WhatsApp or through your hotel. Most taxis take cash only.
How are taxis charged?Per person at government-regulated rates, not per vehicle, and most drivers take cash only. Confirm the total fare for everyone before you set off.
What does a hire car cost?Economy cars start at around $60 to $80 per day all in. SUVs, 4x4s and Jeeps are typically $120 to $200 or more per day.
What time zone is the Turks and Caicos in?Eastern Time, the same as New York, with daylight saving.
What are the plugs and voltage?120 volts with US-style plugs, so US devices work without an adaptor.
Is the tap water safe to drink?Yes. Bottled water is also widely available, with TC Crystal the main local brand.
How much should I tip?Where a 10% service charge appears on the bill, many servers and restaurants still expect a gratuity on top of it. Where no service charge appears, 15 to 20% is the norm. Practice varies from place to place, so check what has been added and tip as you see fit.
Is there a tax added at resort restaurants?The 12% government tax is added everywhere. Many places, resorts especially, also add a 10% service charge, taking the total to 22% on top of menu prices. It varies, so check the menu or the bill.
Can foreigners buy property in the Turks and Caicos?Yes. There are no restrictions on foreign ownership, and title is registered under a British-based land registry system.
What taxes apply when buying property?A one-time stamp duty on purchase, tiered by price and island: 6.5% to 10% on Providenciales and lower on the outer islands. There is no annual property tax, no income tax and no capital gains tax.
Are the beaches private?No. Every beach is public below the high water mark, and no resort can legally restrict access to the sand and sea.

All 281 questions, answered

How to read the Atlas

Open to everyone

Visitor essentials, emergency numbers, the healthcare directory, government contacts, beaches, diving and dining stay fully visible. Nobody should have to sign up to find a doctor.

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Most of this page is open. A handful of figures are blurred as a sample of what the Atlases hold. One email opens them here, and on every Atlas on tciinsider.com.

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Property, living and moving sections carry an Ask Drew prompt. It drafts a message you can edit, then send by WhatsApp or email, straight to Drew.

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More from the Atlas series

Every Atlas, one registration

35 Atlas studies so far. Each one is a single-subject study of the Turks and Caicos, and the series keeps growing. Register once, free, and every one of them opens on this device, whichever Atlas you start from.

Not yet registered. One free sign-up opens every Atlas.

Area studies

Long Bay, Homesite Edition AtlasLong Bay Hills land, with a close study of homesites of half an acre and under.Free with registrationOpen to youlongbayatlas-homesiteedition.tciinsider.com Long Bay, Beachfront Edition AtlasLong Bay beachfront land set in the context of every other Long Bay Hills listing.Free with registrationOpen to youlongbayatlas-beachfrontedition.tciinsider.com Turtle Tail, Waterfront Edition AtlasWaterfront land around Juba Salina and the Turtle Tail peninsula.Free with registrationOpen to youturtletailatlas-waterfrontedition.tciinsider.com Leeward, Waterfront Edition AtlasBeachfront and canalfront land across Leeward, within the whole Leeward market.Free with registrationOpen to youleewardatlas-waterfrontedition.tciinsider.com Chalk Sound AtlasBeachfront, oceanfront and waterfront land at Chalk Sound and Sapodilla Bay.Free with registrationOpen to youchalksound-atlas-waterfront.tciinsider.com Cooper Jack AtlasCanalfront and waterfront land at Cooper Jack.Free with registrationOpen to youcooperjack-atlas-waterfront.tciinsider.com Thompson Cove AtlasBeachfront and canal land at Thompson Cove.Free with registrationOpen to youthompsoncove-atlas-waterfront.tciinsider.com Blue Mountain AtlasBeachfront and waterfront land at Blue Mountain.Free with registrationOpen to youbluemountain-atlas.tciinsider.com Grand Turk, Waterfront Edition AtlasBeachfront, oceanfront, waterfront and salina land on the capital island.Free with registrationOpen to yougrandturk-atlas-waterfrontedition.tciinsider.com

Island life

The Resort AtlasEvery resort on Providenciales, open and in the pipeline, and the residences you can buy into.Free with registrationOpen to youtheresortatlas.tciinsider.com The Restaurant AtlasThe whole restaurant market, led by cuisine, the dishes diners praise and location.Free with registrationOpen to youtherestaurantatlas.tciinsider.com Low Season Schedule AtlasWhich restaurants open and close through the quiet months, from the list compiled by Shannon Myers of SharkBite.Free with registrationOpen to yousilly-season-schedule.tciinsider.com The Dive AtlasEvery dive site from Provo to the outer islands and the Grand Turk wall, produced with Dive Provo.Free with registrationOpen to youthediveatlas.tciinsider.com The Air Access AtlasScheduled flight routes into the Turks and Caicos.Free with registrationOpen to youflightroutes.tciinsider.com The Taxi and VIP Transport AtlasTaxi and VIP car services island by island, including Grand Turk zone fares and operators on North, Middle and South Caicos and Salt Cay.Free with registrationOpen to youthetaxiatlas.tciinsider.com The Charter AtlasBoat charters for fishing, tours, wakeboarding, jet skis and jet cars, with the full operator roll.Free with registrationOpen to youthecharteratlas.tciinsider.com The Kite and Wake AtlasKiteboarding and wakeboarding: kite schools, wing foiling, wake boats and eFoil.Free with registrationOpen to youkiteandwakeatlas.tciinsider.com The Nightlife AtlasCasinos, clubs and bars across the islands.Free with registrationOpen to youthenightlifeatlas.tciinsider.com The Private Chef and Catering AtlasPrivate chefs and caterers, and what each one actually offers.Free with registrationOpen to youthechefatlas.tciinsider.com The Flower AtlasEvery flower of the Turks and Caicos, the native and endemic species and the resort garden palette.Free with registrationOpen to youthefloweratlas.tciinsider.com The Spa AtlasResort spas, day spas, therapists who come to your villa and the island retreats, with published prices.Free with registrationOpen to youthespaatlas.tciinsider.com

Contact

Talk to Drew

TCI Insider is a Thrive product. Updates, feedback, business listings and websites go to Thrive. Buying, selling and moving go to Drew's real estate desk. Pick a topic and a message is drafted for you to edit before it goes anywhere.

Real estate

Drew Scrymgeour

Sold by Drew · in the islands since 1989

+1 649 333 3332call or WhatsApp

TCI Insider and websites

Thrive

Websites, tools and marketing for Turks and Caicos businesses

For business owners

Your business, your page in the guide

TCI Insider is a Thrive product. Every business in the guide is listed free and has its own page. A featured page is a new kind of website: it sits inside the guide people already use, it is built for Google and AI search, and it is kept up to date for you.

Source data and methodology

TCI Insider is a Thrive product, built and published by Drew Scrymgeour at Thrive (thrive.tc), and written with people who live in the islands. Updates and feedback: drew@thrive.tc. Businesses, schools, practices and firms were verified at the time of writing and are cross-referenced with community reports, but hours, prices and staff change, so call ahead before you rely on any single detail.

Activity prices and cost of living ranges are approximate estimates drawn from community reports and operator websites, and move with the season. Resort rates in the Where to stay section come from Where When How and are credited there. Development details come from published project information and will change as projects progress. Property figures across the Atlas series come from Turks and Caicos MLS exports; each Atlas carries its own methodology note.

Corrections log. 21 September 2026: removed an incomplete sentence on South Bank sales that was missing its figure. Reported corrections are listed here with their date.

To see any blurred figure, register your email for free. Registration is recognised on every tciinsider.com Atlas, and your details go to Drew Scrymgeour at Thrive only. See the privacy notice. Spotted something out of date? , or email drew@thrive.tc.