If you are U.S. Citizens....you do not need a passport..........but you do need proof of citizenship....original birth certificate, etc.

If you do a search on this board you will find numerous messages related to this subject.

F.I.

To exit the USVI to return to the mainland you need a raised seal birth certificate and government-issued photo ID (i.e. State driver's license.)
Enjoy your visit - weather here is much better than that in Chicago!

Begging your pardon guys. All you need is an ID. I left St Thomas on Tuesday with my driver's license and returned as well yesterday with the same ID. No passport necessary!! No birth certificate. Now if you want to travel to the BVIs, then you need more that an ID.

Ron, you bahn here and everyone knows you so don't fluff off the rules as they be right now for the general tourist. Many visitors AREN'T asked to present the required documents but what's on the books is on the books and visitors need to know that. Come on now!

There have been many documented instances where a visitor has been run through the mill when their paperwork hasn't been in order. Cheers!

I tell people what is required - original birthcertificate and drivers license;I also tell them they may only be asked for the drivers license. But the TSA DOES have the right to require proof of citizenship.

Nowhere does it say such a thing. An American can show an ID. I told the officer that I forgot my passport at home. He told me that us okay, just show him my ID. The Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has gone to great lengths to tell that all you need is an ID. A birth certificate is accepted of course, to accompany an ID, but not required. A driver's license will do.
http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/index.shtm

I believe Ron is correct, technically. If you research the relevant Govt. sites it does get a little confusing. One thing is certain, all this confusion will end in June of 2009 when a passport will be required for all travel outside the US including it's territories such as the USVI. What I have gleaned from a review of the site Ron affords as well as the US Customs & Border site is that,

1) You only need a Govt. form ID, ie. drivers license, to leave and re- enter the US mainland provided you do not go outside it's territories.

2) You will need a Govt. Id and proof of Citizenship, raised seal Birth Cert., to re-enter the US and or it's Territories should you leave them, like going to the BVI from the USVI. You might get into the USVI with only a Govt. ID but if you leave to go to the BVI you may not get back in with out proof of citizenship, ie. raised seal birth cert.. Oh you'll eventually get back but there will likely be a significant delay.

Why worry. get a passport and be done with it. It's much easier than carrying around a raised seal copy of your birth cert. Which I would recommend you have along with your Govt. ID if you don't have a passport. I'm sure you have all heard of "Murphy". Well Murphy naps behind the counter at most if not all customs counters and it's best to let him sleep. Hassle free is the way to go. Best $100 you'll spend to assure problem free passages. Just my 2 cents.

Bob

Hillside:

Have we confused you, yet?

STT:

Since they got here it's obvious that they have a gov't issued photo I.D. Now all they need is proof of citizenship (original or duplicate original (raised seal), or Naturalization Papers).

Ron:

You're just lucky.......plus all the Custom's agents know you (lol).........

Also, in NJ (probably all states) you need to have a birth certificate to get a driver's license, so a photo driver's license "should" suffice for a birth certificate.....but the Custom's agent may not agree.

I have to agree with bobcside......it's best to get a passport......but it is NOT necessary for travel to the USVI.

F.I.

To set the record straight on the Passport issue...

Traveling from The US Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico and the Continental US you need the following.

US Citizens - must show proof of identity (state, local, government ID accepted) / a Passport is preferred but NOT REQUIRED

Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) - Must show (Green Card)

Any Other Immigration Status - Must show proof of their immigration status (passport and visa, asylum, etc...)

Hope this helps!!!

U.S. Gov't Employee:

Please define "proof of identity....state, local, Gov't I.D. accepted"...do you mean "proof of citizenship"? Does this mean driver's license, birth certificate, voters registration card? Does it need to have a photograph?

Driver's licenses do not provide proof of citizenship...only proof that you're licensed to drive a vehicle....in NJ some driver's licenses do not have a photo.

F.I.

Ronnie gets this right. You WILL be asked for passport or birth certificate. You are not required to have that, as long as you have not left the US Virgins while visiting.

The required proof of identity is a state issued photo id, just like for any other travel on airlines in the US. Those that are 18 and younger do not need id at all.

Now for the grey areas:

- Travel from the British Virgin Islands to the US Virgin Islands by sea for adult (19 and over) US Citizens requires proof of identity (state issued photo id) AND proof of citizenship (original or certified copy of birth certificate), or passport for adults. Children (18 and under) require proof of citizenship (original or certified copy of birth certificate), or passport per DHS http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/

- Trave from the BVIs to USVIs by air requires a passport

- The US Real ID Act specifies the requirements that states must meet in order for their ids to be valid for air travel. States have until January 1, 2010 to begin meeting these guidelines, as long as they have applied for an extension for the original May 11, 2008 deadline. Citizens must have Real ID compliant id cards by May 10, 2013. All states (I can't find a reference for USVI) have either received extensions after applying or received unsolicited extensions. This is a rather slippery requirement, keep an eye on changes. - http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1172767635686.shtm

Cheers, RickG

F.I. ,

Yes Ron is right. The state, local, or gov ID is for example - any photo identification such as a drivers license, voters ID, military ID. I know that the Customs Officers will tell you that you need a Birth Cert or Passport, but trust me on this one.

To help clarify Ron's interpretation on travel from the BVI by BOAT for US CITIZENS it is required to have a passport or birth cert with photo ID. After sometime next year only passports will be accepted. However, Travel by AIR from anywhere in the world a passport is required. Hope this helps.

I just traveled to the mainland and to test it, used only my driver's license from the U.S. Virgin Islands and had no problems!

now I know why I keep hearing from guests who say they read on some website that they need to bring their birth certificate (which of course they can't find) It's you. Geez! If somethings not an issue let's not make it one, please. Thanks.

Pattypan

The following is excerpted from this forum under "About USVI:"

The key phrase is in the last sentence of of the first answer, "...MUST BE PREPARED to show..." You may NOT be asked to show proof of citizenship but if you ARE asked and don't have it, be prepared to be delayed. I've personally heard first-hand of two visitors who were delayed for this reason on exiting the territory. Cheers!

Travel Documents
Q: Do I need to bring proof of nationality?
A: U.S. citizens are not required to have passports or proof of citizenship when ENTERING the U.S. Virgin Islands from a U.S. airport. All arrivals to the U.S. Virgin Islands from foreign airports are required to show proof of citizenship and pass through customs. All persons leaving the U.S. Virgin Islands, whether American citizens or not, must be prepared to show proof of citizenship upon leaving the islands to return to the mainland.

Q: Do I need a passport? Driver's license alone sufficient? Birth certificate?
A: Accepted documents for Proof of Citizenship for Americans: 1. A passport issued under competent authority, 2. An Alien Registration Card (this applies to United States of America permanent residents only) 3. A certified copy of a birth certificate and government issued photo identification like a driver's license 4. A Certificate of Naturalization, issued by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service.

But STT, this is something written by someone on this forum as they perceive it, not the US Government where it clearly states contrary. A raised seal birth certificate can be made today by anyone with a good computer.They can even be made to look old. Seals are easy to make as well. As pattypan says, let's not make an issue of something that's not one!

Ron - so how do you account for the two visitors that I heard from in the last six months who WERE delayed because they were asked for proof of citizenship and didn't have anything with them to verify and were told by Immigration authorities at STT airport that they need to carry such proof? One party missed their flight, the other managed to get on at the last minute. Maybe the immigration personnel collectively got out of bed on the wrong side? I don't know. If Islander is giving misinformation on this site then maybe someone should tell him/her? Cheers!

You clearly state that they didn't have anything on them. No ID, no entry. Can you blame them?

You''re missing the point, Ron. They DID have driver's licenses but did NOT have proof of citizenship (i.e. passport or birth certificate.) They were allowed entry of course but it was on the way out that they were asked for proof of citizenship which they did not bring with them. Two separate people, two separate dates, about two months apart and neither of them had taken a trip to the BVI, just vacationing on STT. Cheers!