Travel Insurance Review

as-seen-on-header

  • Home
  • COVID
    • “Cancel For Any Reason” for COVID19
    • Travel Medical for COVID19
    • State Restrictions for COVID19
    • Airline Change/Cancellation Policies
  • Best Travel Insurance
  • Beginner’s Guide
  • Hurricane
  • Reviews
  • Tips & Advice
  • About
  • Podcast

Do I need a visa to travel to the Caribbean?

February 6, 2010 By Damian Tysdal

passport pages 22-23Perhaps you recently booked your airline tickets for that vacation in the Caribbean that you have been dreaming of for so long. You have made your hotel reservations, sketched out a preliminary itinerary, and even wisely purchased a travel insurance policy and travel medical insurance. When you have made such careful plans, don’t forget to ascertain the entry requirements for each of your destinations. This is especially important on a Caribbean vacation, during which a tourist could feasibly travel to two, three, or even four or more sovereign island nations or overseas territories controlled by various Western governments. Each of your several destinations could have distinct entry requirements and require different identifying documentation from you. Foremost on your mind should be the question of the travel visa. Do you need to obtain one for any of your Caribbean destinations, and if so, when and how do you obtain it?

Fortunately, with few exceptions, United States citizens do not need visas to travel to and from destinations in the Caribbean. However, exactly what documentation is needed, and under what circumstances, ultimately depends on where you are traveling in the Caribbean and for what purpose. Most governments in the Caribbean do not require visas of American tourists who plan to remain for a relatively short period of time, that is no more than thirty days, or, in some cases, no more than sixty or ninety days. However, visas may be required if the American traveler intends to remain on a longer-term basis for the purpose of working or attending school.

Some of the most popular Caribbean tourist destinations, specifically Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are territories of the United States. For American travelers, entering those territories does not differ greatly from crossing the over the border between one U.S. state and another. United States citizens may enter and leave Puerto Rico freely without presenting a visa and are not required to submit to immigration or customs screening. Similarly, a visa is not required of a U.S. citizen traveling to or from the U.S. Virgin Islands, which include Saint Croix, Saint John, and Saint Thomas. As long as an individual’s travel outside the U.S. mainland is restricted to U.S. territories, an American tourist need not even carry a passport. The only identification that an American is required to carry in order to travel between the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands is that which is generally required for air travel—an unexpired, government issued form of photo identification.

boatFurthermore, it is not necessary for an American to obtain a visa from the British authorities in order to visit the British Virgin Islands—an overseas territory of the United Kingdom that includes the islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke—for purposes of leisure and recreation. However, if you do plan to extend your trip from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the nearby British Virgin Islands, you will need to carry a passport or, if you are traveling by sea, a passport card. American tourists who enter the British Virgin Islands for short-term vacations are required only to present documentary proof of their citizenship. This requirement may be satisfied by presenting a passport but can also be met by presenting other forms of government-issued identification. However, all Americans who return to the United States after visiting non-U.S. territories in the Caribbean must present a passport upon re-entry. This requirement holds even if the traveler makes an intermediate stop in a U.S. territory, such as Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, immediately before returning to the United States.

The British territory of Anguilla does not require American tourists to present a visa. However, Americans must be carrying either a passport or other valid documentary proof of citizenship and identity. They must also be in possession of a return or continuing trip ticket. Americans departing from Grenada are required to pay an airport departure tax.

The British territories of Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos islands require American tourists to present passports and return or continuing trip tickets in order to enter but do not require visas. Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos islands also impose an airport departure tax.

Similarly, the Dutch territories of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles do not require visas of American tourists, although U.S. citizens must show passports as proof of identity and citizenship. The French territories that make up the French West Indies—Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin, and St. Barthelmy—also require passports but not visas from American tourists.

The island nations of Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, the Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, St. Kitt’s and Nevins, St. Lucia, St . Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago all require American citizens to present passports for entry but do not require visas for short-term tourist stays. Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Jamaica, and Haiti all require the presentation of a return or continuing trip ticket before granting entry. St. Kitt’s and Nevins imposes an airport departure tax, and the Dominican Republic, while it does not require the purchase of a visa, does require the purchase of a “tourist card,” available at the airport for $10.

Indeed, the only Caribbean nation or territory to require an American tourist to purchase a visa is Cuba. Regardless, Cuba presents an unusual dilemma for American travelers because it is against the law of the United States for individuals to visit Cuba without a special license. Licenses can be distributed to those with close family members in Cuba, and to journalists, academic researchers, and governmental officials and members of international governmental organization traveling to Cuba for the purpose of conducting business. It is the case, however, that many Americans persist in traveling to Cuba illegally, often by first traveling to Canada or another hospitable country that has not restricted the right to travel to Cuba. Those Americans, who do travel to Cuba, whether illegally or pursuant to a federally granted license, are required to not only present a passport but also obtain a visa from the Cuban government.

In summary, it is probably best to carry your passport with you on your Caribbean trip even if you do not plan to travel anywhere other than Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you get the opportunity to hop over to the British Virgin Isles, for instance, you will not want to decline it simply because you did not bring your passport. In addition, even though some Caribbean destinations will take other documentary proof of citizenship and identity in lieu of a passport, you are least likely to encounter a misunderstanding with border officials if you present your passport. Finally, because rules and regulations can change, it could be worthwhile, as a form of travel insurance, to double-check the websites for the Department of State and the U.S. consulates for your Caribbean destinations to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information concerning entry requirements.

Filed Under: Learning

About Damian Tysdal

Damian Tysdal is the founder of TravelInsuranceReview, and he believes travel insurance should be easier to understand. See more from Damian on Google+.

Click below to find the right travel insurance, with the best coverage, at the lowest price



Get a quote nowInstant prices from all companies


Get a quote nowInstant prices from all companies

About this website

My name is Damian, and I started this website in 2006 to help travelers understand travel insurance.

The site features company reviews, guides, articles, and many blog posts to help you better understand travel insurance and pick the right plan for your trip (assuming you actually need travel insurance).

I am also a licensed travel insurance agent, and you can get a quote and purchase through this site as well.

Get the Cheat Sheet

 Travel Insurance Review, Inc. BBB Business Review


ABOUT TRUST ONLINE
ustia

Popular Companies

  • Allianz Insurance
  • CSA Travel Insurance
  • Seven Corners Insurance
  • Travel Guard Insurance
  • Travel Insured
  • Travelex Insurance
  • TravelSafe Insurance

Learn about Travel Insurance

  • Beginner’s Guide
  • Coverage Guide
  • Tips and Advice
  • Company Reviews
  • Types of Plans
  • Types of Trips

Blog Article Categories

  • Learning
  • Types of Plans
  • Types of Trips
  • Coverage
  • General
  • In The News

Copyright © 2006-2019 Travel Insurance Review Inc. | XML Site Map<a title="XML Site Map"
Information on this Web site is provided for information purposes only. Any information obtained from this Web site should be reviewed with your Policy Certificate. Travel Insurance Review Inc. is not responsible for errors or consequences arising from your use of this information.