Effective September 2016, all nationals with a UK, Canadian, or US visa do not need a BVI visa to enter the country, provided their passport has a six-month validity or use before travelling to the British Virgin Islands and that they visit the country for tourism or business-related matters. In this case, you can remain in the country for up to six months.

All other nationals require a visa to enter the British Virgin Islands.

If you are a transit passenger, kindly confirm whether you need to have a transit visa for any of your connections (your connecting flights overseas). Some countries along your trip to the British Virgin Islands may need you to have a transit visa to enter and exit them.

Before you head to the Civil Registry & Passport Office to submit your Visa application, you need to have the following documents in hand (the original documents are required):

• Your valid passport.
• The completed British Virgin Islands Visa Application Form (you can find it here: APPLICATION FOR BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND VISA (gov.vg) ).
• Two recent photographs of you (passport size) on a cream grey, or white background.
• Any other visa-relevant document that might be requested if the need arises for additional documentation while the Civil Registry & Passport Office reviews your application (see below for a list).
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Note that if you have documents written in a language other than English, you must also attach a certified English translation. Furthermore, these documents must be legalised and notarised by your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Some of the additional documents that will most likely be required from you from the British Virgin Islands immigration authorities (so that you can be granted access to the country for up to 90 days) are:

• A valid passport with a blank page (besides it being valid for at least 180 days beyond the date of country exit).
• Some kind of proof of return and onward flights.
• All the documents needed for the next destination (applies to transit passengers stopping at the BVI to get to another flight or ship to reach their final destination).
• A support letter or another document that shows proof of travel purpose (could also be conference registration, business cover, and more).
• A bank statement or another proof of sufficient funds to cover your costs for the duration of your intended stay.

Note: Before you book your flight tickets, please check with the airline and confirm with them that you won’t be excluded from boarding for not having a visa.

First, you will need to submit your visa application at the Civil Registry & Passport Office (in person – unfortunately, there is no online way to apply as of now), which accepts visa applications on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then, your application will be screened to ensure all the required documents are in order. The third step requires you to sign the VISA log and pay the relevant non-refundable visa fee ($25 application fee + $150 Visa fee) so that your application is forwarded for review and the final decision, which is finalised and announced to you in the same week (always on a Friday). Then, you sign out the logbook and collect your passport.

Note: If you are not in a region that enables you to visit a Consulate, High Commission, or British Embassy to apply for a visa, you need to contact the British Virgin Islands Passport Office for guidance by calling them on 284 468-3036 or emailing them at infocris@gov.vg.

According to a statement issued in 2012, holders of a Taiwanese passport are no longer required to issue a BVI visa to visit the country, as long as their stay will not exceed six months. They can enter the country under these circumstances either as a tourist, student visitor, business traveller, or family visitor. The usual visa requirements apply for all other categories, though. This decision has been reached after the cooperation between the British Virgin Islands and Taiwan as a means to explore cultural and economic opportunities between these two.

In case you need to stay longer than the duration provided by your visa, the British Virgin Islands immigration authorities may issue you with an entry stamp with a 30-day duration the moment you arrive in the country. Plus, you might be granted an extra 30 days (added extension to the 30 days already given to you in the above way).

However, for extensions up to 180 days, it is solely in the discretion of the Chief Immigration Officer to approve your request or reject it. Before they make a decision, they will often ask you to show proof of support (that you have enough money to cover your costs for the entire length of your stay), as well as your plans to exit the country at the end of your visit and evidence of accommodation (i.e., hotel reservations or the address of the person that will be having you in their home as a guest).

Note: Although a British Virgin Islands visa (if you are not a visa-exempt national) cannot be issued online and the only way is to apply for it in person by walking towards the nearest British Embassy, Consulate, or High Commission, this is not the case with your Travel Certificate Application or Trip Registration, which can be done completely online. Depending on the country from which you will be travelling to the BVI, you may need to complete an online form or your country’s Department of State, as is the case with USA travellers.