USVI-On-Line

One of my traveling companions for our upcoming trip lost everything in a fire yesterday (if you live in or near Philly, you probably heard about it on the news). She's okay, no pets, so she just lost stuff.

Anyway, she now has her license and that's it. I've put together a list of resources for her to replace her birth certificate, SS Card and passport. We've got about seven weeks, so she should have time to get all of these things.

Provided she can't get her passport, can anyone remind me of the current status of entry requirements into the BVIs for a day trip? I seem to remember something about the passport requirement being lifted, but is that still in effect? I've seen conflicting info online.

Any other ideas to help her out and expedite this process?

TIA.

oh my that's awful. was it a high rise building? i recall seeing that on the news last night. glad your friend is unharmed!

I think it's still birth certificate until the end of the year, but I'm not positive. It said on Spirit's web site when I looked at those flights this morning. Let me try to find out for you.

You could call your U.S. Congressman's office and ask them if they can help you expedite the process with the State Department. They should have no problem with that; it used to be my job, and I helped people get replacement passports and such all the time.

Is going over to PITT and walking it through the National Passport Office a possibility?...I did it once in DC, but it was before 911..Or contact your Congressman or Rep and see if they can expedite it. Hope this helps
Boats

Here are the instructions for replacing a lost or stolen passport:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/us/us_848.html

Here is what the State Dept. says about travel to the BVIs. Looks like you do need a passport, or will soon.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: For information on travel to the British Virgin Islands, travelers should contact the BVI Department of Immigration at 1-284-494-3471. Visit the Embassy of the British Government web site at http://www.britainusa.com for the most current visa information.

All Americans traveling to and from the United States by air must have a passport. This requirement will be extended to sea travel, including ferry service, by the summer of 2008, except on cruises and other sea trips originating and ending in the United States. Until then, travelers returning from the British Virgin Islands by sea must have government-issued photo identification and a document showing their U.S. citizenship (for example, a birth certificate or certificate of nationalization). Further information on upcoming changes to U.S. passport policy can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html. We strongly encourage all American citizen travelers to apply for a U.S. passport well in advance of anticipated travel. American citizens can visit travel.state.gov or call 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778) for information on how to apply for their passports. The U.S. Department of State recommends traveling with a valid U.S. passport to avoid delays or misunderstandings. A lost or stolen passport is also easier to replace when outside of the United States than other evidence of citizenship.

Thanks guys. Looks like she's okay to get to the BVIs with a birth cert with raised seal and photo ID through the end of the year. I confirmed this with our charter company. I've already called her congressman's office and they said she has enough time at this point that they shouldn't have to intervene. She's got so much on her plate at this point (insurance claims, new living arrangements, work, replacing her clothes, etc) that I'm just trying to take off some of the burden.

Looks like she'll be okay provided the State of Minnesota (where she was born) comes through quickly with her birth cert.

To the person who asked, it was a 5 story apartment building near Philly.

She sure is going to need this vacay!

It just wasn't 5 stories...it was a huge complex and a very nice one at that.

Went to 8 alarms. The origin of the fire is unknown so far, but the builder was in the process of building even more buildings and that's where it started.

It was HUGE and it's amazing that nobody was killed. If it had been in the middle of the night, the outcome probably would of been horrible.

I feel sorry for the people who lost their pets in the fire.

I've never seen anyone check at Soggy Dollar, but I would surely have my passport just to be sure.

And when we came back to STJ, we had to stop at customs, and they sure did ask for it there.

Oh no! I feel so sorry for your friend. We live in the Philly burbs so I heard all about this fire on the radio this morning--it was massive. I hope everything comes together for her quickly and that she is re-settled soon. It's very nice of you to help her out. She will definitely be happy to get to STJ! Just wanted to let you know that she is in my thoughts.

OMG! I just saw about the fire on TV. It's amazing that no one got hurt.