USVI entry/exit requirements
 

Hi!

I'm heading down to St. Croix pretty soon and while I realize I do not need a passport (I am a US citizen), I have seen varying information about what I do need to enter/exit the USVI. Can I enter simply with a valid US driver's license? And if so, can I return back to the U.S. with the same? I'm especially interested to hear from people who may have traveled this way recently. Thanks for any help!

We've been going to Croix for 15 years. It is a domestic flight going down to St. Croix from stateside airports, so you need some kind of ID to get through airport security at your point of origin, but nothing else, and there are no checks of any kind when you arrive in Croix. However, returning to the States is a different story. While you don't technically need a passport, you need to prove your citizenship to get through Immigration and Customs (even though it is a US territory and it is a domestic flight, Croix is a customs port of entry). The whole "port of entry thing is a pain for the people who live on Croix, who have to fill out Customs forms every time they mail a package to the States. I have heard that some people have been able to get through Immigration with nothing but a drivers license and no questions asked, but we always carry our passports just in case.

Thanks, tejana. That is what I was afraid of. So if I don't have a (non-expired) passport, how do I get back into the U.S.?

I just looked, and travel.state.gov now has a clear chart that says that people returning to the US from a US territory don't need anything but a photo ID. You might be subject to a few additional questions, but you should be good to go. I haven't tried it, because we always just carry our passports, but I might try it next time just to see what happens.

Photo ID DL alone is not proof of citizenship if they get picky so back up Birth cert voters registration
SS# card any combo of those will be fine...

Ok, thanks tejana - I finally did find that chart at the U.S. Dept. of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...a_tw_2223.html). I was having a really hard time finding any USVI-specific info on that site before, but that chart is pretty clear! And as qwovadis suggests, perhaps a secondary form of ID is good for backup, "just in case".

nitro - if you have a birth certificate handy, it wouldn't hurt to toss it in your luggage. I just wish that the USVI would make up their minds, because they have been sending a muddled message to visitors for years. Although they have been pretty quick to tell everyone (and tell them loudly) that you don't need a passport to travel there, the fact that you are required to clear INS and Customs in order to get on a plane back to Miami has made it pretty confusing. Last year was the first time that I visited Puerto Rico, and I assumed they had the same rules as the USVI. I was very surprised to see that SJU is NOT a port of entry and there is no need to clear Customs or INS for a flight to the states, so all you have to do is show a photo ID at security just like any other domestic flight.

We've got another trip to Croix planned in a few months. I think I'll see what happens if I try to go through the INS check with just my drivers license (but how are you supposed to fill out the Customs entry form without a passport number?).

I would bring some form of proof of citizenship even if all you have is an expired passport.
Just to point out another thing to be aware of, when I left through NY on AA the people at the check in were not going to allow us to check in without a passport. They tried to get us to get out of line, but we go back and forth so many times a year we knew better, and we insisted they look into it further and I even brought up the requirements website on my phone to prove it was OK to go to the USVI without a passport. It took us a good half hour to get through,If they had had their way we would have missed our flight. Carry a printout of the State Dept Chart with you maybe since the people in the know, don't know.

You can go to St. Croix with a driver's license, but you can't get through immigration coming back from St. Croix with just a driver's license. You do need proof of citizenship. But it doesn't have to be a passport. This check (as well as customs) is done before boarding the plane, so on landing you neither go through Customs nor Immigration (which is why USVI flights can land at LGA).

"SS# card any combo of those will be fine..."

A SS card is not proof of citizenship, as one does not have to be a citizen to get that. A resident alien can have their status revoked so a SS card doesn't prove that you still have authorization to be in the US.

I hit reply too soon, I would like to share my experience with this. Years ago I was traveling to Canada with my former DH. I told him to bring a birth certificate but he insisted a driver's license and a SS card is proof of citizenship. When we returned to the US they gave him a bit of a hassle and explained that the SS card and DL are not sufficient proof of citizenship for the reasons I mentioned above. The US officials eventually relented, but it would have been a lot less trouble if he had just brought a birth certificate.

Entry requirements and other useful info can be found here:

http://www.destinationcaribbean.net/...=35&Itemid2=70

Proof of citizenship is an original birth certificate with raised seal plus a government-issued picture ID. But there are some single documents that will also suffice. You could use a so-called "enhanced" driver's license or a U.S. passport card.

A social security card means nothing and is not even one among many options for proving citizenship.

Hi,
Although it should work, an "enhanced" drivers licence is not good for air travel in and out of the carribean according to their website. I think it is mainly for crossing the Canadian and Mexican borders easier and cruise ships. Seems pretty lame though to have different standards for air travel, either it shows yoou are a citzen or it doesn't, shouldn't make a difference how you are travelling.

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/edl-main.htm
note where it says not for air travel after it says you can use it for...

How about for kids? My 6 year old's just expired and we are going to St John next June. I have time to get it renewed but since kids' passports aren't valid for a shorter period of time I was considering waiting until we actually need it.

If you are going to be in St. John there's a pretty good chance that you will want to visit the BVI, at least for the day, so it would be a good idea to have your passports with you anyway.

In case anyone wants an update on this post, we came back from St. Croix last week and just used our drivers licenses and had no problem. The ICE guy will ask you a couple of questions, but it doesn't take any longer than using a passport. (But if you are going to be on St. Thomas and St. John, I still say take the passport anyway because you will probably want to go to the BVI for a day.)

Hey Tejana! So you only used your ID/drivers license in order to come back to the U.S. ?
And what question did they ask ?

Yes, you only need a drivers license now. And, even better, they stopped using the Customs forms about six months ago! Even though you technically still clear Customs and Immigration, no forms and no hassles.

Hi Tejana!
Do I still need to fill out a i-94?
Im an F1 student traveling JFK to USVI and bak... any extra paperwork needed?