U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (May 26, 2022) - The U.S. Virgin Islands is transitioning to an “Open Door Phase” in an effort to continue to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents and visitors. Effective May 31, by Executive order of Governor Albert Bryan, all domestic travelers, defined as travelers who are U.S. citizens traveling from the U.S. mainland and other U.S. Territories, will no longer be required to complete the USVI Travel Screening Portal to travel to the islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.
Federal guidelines and restrictions will continue to apply to all international travelers including travelers from the British Virgin Islands. International travelers ages 18+, including travelers from the British Virgin Islands, traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands by air or sea must submit proof of vaccination and submit a negative antigen or NAAT (e.g., RT- PCR) COVID-19 test result in the travel portal within 24 hours if traveling by air or 5 days if traveling by Ferry to be cleared for travel into the Territory. Travelers ages 2-17 are exempt from the vaccine requirement.
All commercial ferry and private water taxi vessels leaving or entering the U.S. Virgin Islands territory are required to have no more than a maximum of 75% of occupants onboard the vessel, per the manufacturer specified weight and passenger capacity, in compliance with the maximum capacity certified by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“The health and well-being of our residents and visitors alike continue to be our biggest priority”, says Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of Tourism. “The Department of Tourism along with Governor Bryan’s Office and the Virgin Islands Department of Health, have worked together to closely monitor the COVID cases in the territory and strategically take steps that will ensure the health and safety of our residents and visitors. Our measures have proven successful and give us the confidence to continue to ease travel and testing requirements to the territory so that we can continue to safely welcome visitors”.
- Testing Requirements for Travel by Air –
- Non-U.S. citizens/non-U.S. immigrants: Tests must be taken within 24 hours of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status within USVI travel portal.
- U.S. citizens traveling from an international port: Tests must be taken within 24 hours of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status within USVI travel portal.
- Testing Requirements for Travel by Ferry –
- Non-U.S. citizens/non-U.S. immigrants: Tests must be taken within 5 days of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status within USVI travel portal.
- U.S. citizens traveling from an international port: Tests must be taken within 5 days of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status within USVI travel portal.
- Travelers aged 2-17 are exempt from the vaccine requirement.
- Note that vaccinations do not supersede testing requirements for international arrivals by air or sea, including for individuals traveling from the British Virgin Islands.
For the full list of COVID-19 testing requirements and exemptions, please visit: https://bit.ly/3qkop7j , https://bit.ly/3H0WlM2, and www.usviupdate.com
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Virgin Islands are an official U.S. territory in the Caribbean that consist of three individual islands – St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas. Perfect for leisure or business travel, the U.S. Virgin Islands are rich with culture, history, surrounded by breathtaking beaches. When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens can enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel as no passport is required for U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the United States. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are equivalent to entering the United States from any international country. Upon departure, a passport is required for non-U.S. citizens. For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Instagram (@visitusvi) and Twitter (@usvitourism), and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI).