ST.
THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands, May 22, 2008 – As the State
Department begins to produce new passport cards, travelers
are reminded that no passport is required to travel to the
U.S. Virgin Islands. The cards are being issued by the
State Department as an alternative to the traditional
passport books in an effort to simplify travel for U.S.
citizens since more rigid travel requirements have come into
effect with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
“The new passport cards have caused a bit of
confusion in regards to what is required of U.S. citizens
when traveling to America’s Caribbean,” says Commissioner of
Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “The cards are meant to be a
simple and convenient alternative to the larger passport
books, but they are not required for travel to the
Territory. U.S. citizens do not need a passport of any kind
when visiting St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas from Puerto
Rico and the mainland U.S.”
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative passed by U.S.
Congress requires that travelers, including U.S. citizens
who travel via air to and from the Americas, the Caribbean
and Bermuda must travel with a passport in order to enter or
re-enter the United States. Being that the U.S. Virgin
Islands is a United States Territory, American citizens
traveling to or from the St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas
are considered not to have left the U.S., and thus do not
need to present a passport.
For information about the new passport cards, visit
http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html.
Additional information can be found on the State
Department’s travel website,
www.travel.state.gov, or by calling the U.S. National
Passport Information Center: 1-877-4USA-PPT; TDD/TTY:
1-888-874-7793.
For more information about the United States Virgin Islands,
visit usvitourism.vi. When traveling to the U.S. Virgin
Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of
domestic travel – including on-line check-in – making travel
to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United
States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not
require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto
Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S.
citizens are the same as for entering the United States from
any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is
required for all but U.S. citizens.
©2008 United States
Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
