Headed to the US Virgin Islands for spring break? They're US territories and you won't need a passport, but note that you will need id (like a driver's license) and you may be asked to produce a birth certificate (proving citizenship) if you don't have a passport (more details below). A reader recently wrote to say that she hadn't realized she needed to bring her birth certificate along on a trip to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands; Valora wrote, "I thought I was clear to travel to and from St Thomas with my driver's license. I got to the airport for my return flight and caught h*ll from the TSA agent for not having a passport or birth certificate."
Yeah, no, don't need h*ll from the TSA! While it's wonderfully true that St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John are US territories, meaning no passport is needed to travel to these Caribbean islands, the USVI is considered a "port of entry" -- and thus, you may be asked to prove you are a US citizen when you return to the mainland (as in with a birth certificate or, yeah, passport -- a passport, by itself, proves your citizenship; if you're traveling by sea, you can also use a PASS card). And remember that TSA agents sometimes have different interpretations of what the actual laws are... ask for a supervisor if you get given a hard time over your ID (back in the day when you could still cross the Mexican border with just a driver's license and birth certificate, I saw US residents given a very hard time for not having passports when re-entering the US -- those folks were fine with what ID they had, but government employees at borders and airports can be terrifically testy).
So: remember that you will need to prove who you are and may wish to be able to easily prove that you are a US citizen -- bring either one official government issued picture identification like a current driver's license or a photo ID card (which can be issued to non-drivers by your state's motor vehicles department), or two forms of non-photo identification (one needs to be state-issued), plus your birth certificate.... or (of course) a passport.
Learn more:
- Do I need a passport to go to the Caribbean?
- Complete list of US territories
- Ways to visit the Caribbean without a passport
- How to expedite a passport application yourself
- How to get your first passport
- How to check US passport application status
I just called NPIC and you DO need a passport if you are FLYING to St Thomas et al. I called because I am traveling in August and have I do need one, I don’t need one, over and over. Travelers Beware: If you don’t absolutely know for sure, contact NPIC or TSA, don’t rely on bloggers and wikis.
All states do not have raised seals on official birth certificates copies. California, for example, has a purple stamp along with the statement “the purple ink stamp indicates official copy” or something like that.
I contacted TSA via phone today 1/18/2010 and spoke to a very friendly lady named Linda. She assured me that as a US Territory travel to and from the US Virgin Islands requires only a government issued ID card such as a driver license or Military ID card. Passports will also be accepted but are not required for re-entry to the US as you never left. Travelers are NOT required to have a birth certificate in addition to acceptable ID.
So….one yes, one no and one not sure???!!!! Well, if I get there and they won’t allow me back in the US, guess I’ll just have to stay there!!!
Aww….getting stuck in a tropical paradise. Sign me up!!!
Yeah if i get stuck there, LoL i wouldn’t be bitch’n i’ll be like oh yeah, I live in paradise now. Well got to worry about hurricanes and your screw. I want to go to Atlantis but passports are freak’n expensive. If I want to go to paradise I would go to key west florida or hawaii
Kathleen – Your article is rather confusing. Either you do need a passport or you do not. Which is it exactly?
Sorry for the confusion of my once-lamely-edited post, folks! No, you do not need a passport to go to and from the USA to the USA, and the US Virgin Islands are territories of the USA. You do not need a passport to travel to or within the Virgin Islands if you stay within the US Virgin ISlands during that travel. You do, though, need ID and you may wish to have a birth certificate to prove citizenship. US Customs and Border Patrol explains… http://studenttravel.about.com/od/uspassports/f/Do-You-Need-A-Passport-To-Go-To-The-Usvi.htm
Virgin Ills oh Ya oho!
Still is confusing. You do not need a passport to fly there but you need one to fly back, it si like going from Detroit to Canada and not from Detroit to N.Y.
So let’s put the question differently: there is a customs point in USVI when try to board a plane to mainland US? If yes, that is not a domestic flight , it is an international flight and need a passport. What about a Canadian who flies from USVI to US, has him the passport stamped?
As a fairly experienced traveler I say bring a passport. Avoid hassle. Even if you don’t need it you’ll still be prepared just in case. Also one of those around the carriers for passports and money make it real easy to keep track of important documents and money and have it right on hand for those grumpy overworked TSA agents
Sorry I left out a word in my last advice. I meant around the neck holders. Sorry for the confusion