usvi-on-line
Passport Requirments part...?32???
Passport Requirments part...?32???
Sorry to throw a monkey wrench into the hypercombobulators...but i was doing a search to see if my forms of ID were acceptible since i don't have a passport or an original birth certificate (i have an official replica. I was worried that the official copy might not be acceptible...then i found this nugget:
"Traveling to and from U.S. Territories
U.S. Citizens traveling to and returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the U.S. territory and do not need to present a passport.
U.S. territories include:
*
American Samoa
*
Guam
*
Northern Mariana Islands
*
Puerto Rico
*
Swains Island
*
U.S. Virgin Islands....."
This is directly from DHS (department of homeland security) on thier "crossing borders" info page. So, can anyone confirm this...do they ask for your passport/birth cert. upon your return landing in the US??? I know I had heard they tightened this up and were requiring birth cert. or passport for re-entry, but this is saying the exact opposite. It sounds like we may just need our ID's...but all this searching as left me feeling as one forumite's signature says "it's like looking in your alphabet soup and finding a whole different language"
~sigh~
VayCay
"Traveling to and from U.S. Territories
U.S. Citizens traveling to and returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the U.S. territory and do not need to present a passport.
U.S. territories include:
*
American Samoa
*
Guam
*
Northern Mariana Islands
*
Puerto Rico
*
Swains Island
*
U.S. Virgin Islands....."
This is directly from DHS (department of homeland security) on thier "crossing borders" info page. So, can anyone confirm this...do they ask for your passport/birth cert. upon your return landing in the US??? I know I had heard they tightened this up and were requiring birth cert. or passport for re-entry, but this is saying the exact opposite. It sounds like we may just need our ID's...but all this searching as left me feeling as one forumite's signature says "it's like looking in your alphabet soup and finding a whole different language"
~sigh~
VayCay
The fumbling and bumbling of this issue by the State Dept. knows no end. This press release just came out from the USVI DOT - you do not need a passport, or a birth certificate, if you are a citizen. A picture ID of some kind is good then when you leave (remember you clear customs in the VI and not back on the mainland).
Here is the release with some links and phone numbers:
NO PASSPORT - OR PASSPORT CARDS - REQUIRED TO USVI!
~ Travelers are reminded that travel to America's Caribbean is as easy as ever ~
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_ca ... _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.
Here is the release with some links and phone numbers:
NO PASSPORT - OR PASSPORT CARDS - REQUIRED TO USVI!
~ Travelers are reminded that travel to America's Caribbean is as easy as ever ~
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_ca ... _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.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
My husband and I just returned from STJ last week with our 4 teenage kids. At customs, in STT, before our flight back, we were asked for picture ID's and birth certificates for our kids. My husband and I had passports. My older 2 have drivers licenses and the younger 2 have military ID's(dependant). They were all closely scrutinized. I don't now what kids without picture ID's were supposed to do. I hope they let the custom officers in STT in on this new policy.
That is a very interesting scenario with the teenagers. I only have little ones but they have had their passports since they were babies... I wonder what kind of shenanigans would have occurred if your teens did not have photo ID. I think the State Dept. really needs to clarify this mess once and for all.
From what I understand, they (customs, border patrol, etc.) actually can not deny someone who claims to be a US citizen entry. They don't want people to know this, but I hear that is the case.
From what I understand, they (customs, border patrol, etc.) actually can not deny someone who claims to be a US citizen entry. They don't want people to know this, but I hear that is the case.
Anthony for Virgin Islands On Line
When we were there last Dec. I over heard customs asking for birth cert. We had passports so no problem with us, I think you would be delayed if not having paperwork, but I have heard other people go through with just drivers license with no problem. I think there is a lot of confusion. You might want to print out the guidelines from the State Department web site and show it to them if they ask you for more. I think it is a lack of training by TSA and customs.
Bring a Birth Certificate - it's always asked for if you don't have a Passport (and I for one would not like to give a US Customs and Immigration officer in STT my pre-printed sheet of the "rules/requirements" I feel a little visit to the "room" coming on 
sorry Anthony)- if you don't have one with you they can and do (sometimes) take you into the "little room" 
Pia
sorry Anthony)- if you don't have one with you they can and do (sometimes) take you into the "little room" Pia
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snorkeloony
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:00 am
- Location: North Georgia
When my husband and I went through customs at St. Thomas airport a week or so ago (coming home to the USA), we showed our driver's licenses and were asked if we had our birth certificates. We said "no" and the customs officer seemed surprised. She asked us both where we were born, how long we stayed in St. John, and what we'd purchased during our trip. We chatted with her for a while, then she waved us through.
I didn't even know about the birth certificate issue; I thought I was reading the most up-to-date requirements, but apparently it's an issue of ongoing confusion. We'd contemplated bringing our passports "just in case." Perhaps we should have?
Kind of OT anecdote:
The only thing we bought in St. John was a book, and my husband joked that it was because we couldn't afford to buy anything else. That led to a discussion with the customs officer of how expensive it must be to live there. She told us that when her family vacationed on St. John, they bought all of their groceries at home in St. Thomas before they left, and were surprised at the price difference when they had to run and replenish supplies.
I've seen many "where to get cheaper groceries" threads on the forum, so I'm sure this has been discussed -- but that's the scoop we got from a St. Thomas citizen.
I should have asked a local about this before we left.Bring a Birth Certificate - it's always asked for if you don't have a Passport
I didn't even know about the birth certificate issue; I thought I was reading the most up-to-date requirements, but apparently it's an issue of ongoing confusion. We'd contemplated bringing our passports "just in case." Perhaps we should have?Kind of OT anecdote:
The only thing we bought in St. John was a book, and my husband joked that it was because we couldn't afford to buy anything else. That led to a discussion with the customs officer of how expensive it must be to live there. She told us that when her family vacationed on St. John, they bought all of their groceries at home in St. Thomas before they left, and were surprised at the price difference when they had to run and replenish supplies.
I've seen many "where to get cheaper groceries" threads on the forum, so I'm sure this has been discussed -- but that's the scoop we got from a St. Thomas citizen.
Last edited by snorkeloony on Tue May 27, 2008 12:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.