Good Morning, Good Morning! I hope that all of you had an absolutely fantastic holiday weekend! Today, I have some truly wonderful news for all of you domestic travelers out there. As of today, May 31, 2022, the USVI Travel Portal will no longer be a requirement for those of you traveling to the USVI from the states!
On the 25th of May, Governor Albert Bryan released an Executive Order declaring that the US Virgin Islands will transition into an “Open Door Phase” of the territory’s COVID-19 response. This next phase strikes all domestic travel restrictions, including the requirement of a COVID-19 test or Proof of Vaccination to be uploaded to the USVI Travel Portal prior to travel into the territory.
Now, as you can see from the above excerpt, this does not change any of the foreign travel policies, namely those policies applying to travel between the USVI and BVI. But, this, I’m sure, takes a bit of stress off of all of your shoulders prior to traveling to St. John or any of the US Virgin Islands.
The current protocol for traveling into the BVI is as follows:
Fully Vaccinated: Test within 48 hours of arrival or pay $50 to test upon arrival.
Unvaccinated: Test within five days of arrival and test upon arrival in the territory.
To enter the USVI from the BVI (or any other foreign port):
By Plane: Tests must be taken within 24 hours of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status.
By Boat: Tests must be taken within 5 days of travel and all travelers must be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination status.
The above information was taken from the BVI.gov Travel Requirements and the USVI Travel Portal, respectively. Any and all international travel DOES still require the completion of the BVI Gateway Travel Application Portal and/or the USVI Travel Portal.
And, while we are on that subject, private charter boats (with the exception of a few companies who have completed the ridiculous requirements being asked of foreign charter vessels by the BVI) are still not traveling into the BVI for day trips or overnight charters. Unfortunately, travel by air or ferry is the easiest, and most cost effective, way to visit our friends on our sister islands.
But, today, we focus on the positive! No more travel portal, no more anxiously awaiting a green code, no more scrambling for COVID tests before our travel days. Today, the USVI has its doors open for all domestic travelers without restriction. Woot! Have a great Tuesday everyone!
Well, hallelujah!
Just when we were getting the hang of it…lol. Really glad to hear the news. Just wish the BVIs would get their stuff together!
This makes me so happy No more angst. See you in February.
About time!! Have been delaying another trip to USVI until these test requirements ended!!
About time!! Have been delaying another trip to USVI until these test requirements ended!!
Great news indeed,especially since we will be there end of June! Thanks for the update!
I just emailed the USVI travel portal site this: “We are traveling to St John on 12 June. I just wanted to confirm based on this executive order that we no longer need to submit a Covid test or our Vax cards to your Portal in order to gain entry coming from the United States?”
And I got this response: there is going to mass confusion if they don’t get this fixed.
“Thank you for your interest in visiting the US Virgin Islands. Domestic travelers that are fully vaccinated are no longer required to submit a negative COVID test result in order to travel to the territory, but it is not required to be vaccinated to visit. Application should be submitted within 5 days of travel. All partially vaccinated and unvaccinated domestic travelers 5 years of age and older are required to take a COVID test within 5 days of travel. Once test results are received, each traveler is required to submit the results to the travel portal.”
Yes we are traveling August 20 to St Thomas and USVI and I find every where you look it is something different, So confusing so do we have to test or not?
The portal has not been updated as of 5/31 is this a problem
Timing couldn’t be better. We will arrive next Thursday. Thanks for the update.
George
Good news! My family and I will be traveling to St. John in late June through early July. Will we need proof of vaccinations and/or a negative test when we go to leave St. John/St. Thomas for Miami?
yay yay hiphop hurray! ive been waiting patiently praying for this release of a formidable procedure that i knew i absolutely could not deal with! thank you so grateful!
There is contradictory information on the USVI Travel Screening Portal page. On the left side it has the new “no longer required” information effective June 1, 2022. On the SAME page, on the right, it says that all domestic travelers 5 years of age and older definately have to use the Portal if entering the USVI by air or sea!
Still so confusing…..so which is it?!?!?
Has anyone visited since June 1? Are there no testing requirements and no vaccine requirements?
I am heading there on Saturday and the Portal page isn’t clear…
Yes we are traveling August 20 to St Thomas and USVI and I find every where you look it is something different, So confusing so do we have to test or not?