The Caribbean nations are dependent territories of various countries. For example, Saint Barthelemy, St. Martin, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, belong to France. St. Maarten, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustathius, Bonaire, and Aruba are Netherlands territories. The British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Montserrat, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Anguilla belong to the UK, while the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are US territories. This means that each island has its own visa regulations and requirements.
That being said, though, if you are planning a trip that will not last more than three months (90 days) and have a return ticket, you will probably not need a visa to enter a Caribbean country if you hold a passport of the country whose territory the island you are visiting belongs to. Perhaps the only exception is Cuba, which requires a tourist visa to visit it, as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands which allow non-US visitors to apply for an ESTA through the US Visa Waiver Programme. You can check out this website for more details about ESTA requirements: Official ESTA Application Website, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov). You may also find the following website useful as it contains information about the US Visa Waiver Programme: Visa Waiver Program (state.gov).
However, it is best to visit the official government website, Department of Immigration, or tourist ports of the Caribbean island you would like to visit to see the exact visa requirements that apply to your country. Here is a website with all the official government websites of Caribbean countries: TRAVELOSOURCE.COM TRAVEL INFORMATION SIMPLIFIED. Simply click on the desired destination to get redirected to the relevant visa-related information.
Or you could verify whether your country is visa-exempt or not with the respective Consulate or Embassy of your destination country. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) website is another go-to online source for guidance if you are not clear about whether you need a visa to travel to the Caribbean. Simply head to this website: IATA - Personalised Passport, Visa & Health travel documentation advice (iatatravelcentre.com), then fill out the required details and click on CHECK. The same website will also provide information about health and passport requirements.
In general, almost all Caribbean countries have lifted the health requirements that were applicable due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, at the moment of this writing, some Caribbean destinations still have specific health-related entry requirements. Below is a list of these islands. However, kindly check the official government website of the intended Caribbean destination for updated information before you make any travel plans to it.
- Anguilla – You must apply for entry.
- Aruba – You will need to buy Aruba Visitors Insurance and also complete an Aruba ED card before you visit the country.
- Bahamas – You need to submit a Travel Health Visa Application.
- Barbados – You should complete the Online Immigration/Customs form before you visit the country (at least a day prior to your arrival).
- Curacao – The country requires visitors to fill out a digital immigration card before their arrival.
- Dominican Republic – You should fill out an E-Ticket form before your arrival.
- Montserrat – You need to fill out an Access Declaration Form before your arrival (at least 3 days prior to your visit).
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines – A Pre-Arrival Form must be completed by all travellers before travelling to the islands.
- Turks & Caicos – The islands require travellers to fill out an Authorisation form prior to their arrival.
- US Virgin Islands – Visitors need to fill out a USVI Travel Screening Form.
The majority of Caribbean destinations require a passport so that visitors can enter their territories. Most of the time, the passport has to be valid for at least 3-6 months after their visit. Besides a valid passport, among the most common documents needed to visit a Caribbean island are:
- Onward ticket (or return ticket, depending on the case).
- Proof that you can pay for your costs for the duration of your visit to the Caribbean destination (usually a bank statement with do).
- Proof of stay (could either be a hotel or villa reservation or a letter from the local family/individual to whom you are a guest).
- Some countries may allow you to enter their borders via any port of entry with an unexpired International Driver’s Licence or local driver’s licence (mainly applies to US residents visiting a US territory), Passport Card, or another secure document.
Transit travellers are usually allowed to remain within a Caribbean island’s port of entry for up to 24 hours without requiring a visa from them. The same applies to aeroplane and cruise ship crew.
Important note: Whether you are admitted to enter the intended Caribbean island or not solely depends on the discretion of the Immigration Officer. This is the case in the overwhelming majority of Caribbean islands. So, you might as well be forbidden to enter your vacation destination even if you are a valid passport holder or have a valid visa for that country if the Immigration Officer decides that you lack the needed documentation or have not abided by all pertaining regulations.
- According to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all US citizens and residents that have visited a Caribbean destination need to present their passports when returning to the US at US Customs.
- The same initiative dictates that adult American and Canadian citizens must present a US Passport Card, Trusted Traveler Card (Fast/Express, Sentri, or Nexus), US or Canadian passport, or a province or state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License, when returning to the US by land or sea from the Caribbean.
- Air travel does not accept Passport Cards or other documents other than the traveller’s passport. The only exception is children under 16 years old that can travel with proof of citizenship (i.e., a birth certificate).
- Visa extensions are possible in most cases by paying an extra fee after your visa has expired.
- Please ensure you apply for a visa (when required) at least a couple of months before your intended travel. Although the visa processing times are fairly short, it may take up to a month to get approval or a request to submit additional documents so that it is approved.
The Caribbean nations are dependent territories of various countries. For example, Saint Barthelemy, St. Martin, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, belong to France. St. Maarten, Curacao, Saba, St. Eustathius, Bonaire, and Aruba are Netherlands territories. The British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Montserrat, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and Anguilla belong to the UK, while the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are US territories. This means that each island has its own visa regulations and requirements.
That being said, though, if you are planning a trip that will not last more than three months (90 days) and have a return ticket, you will probably not need a visa to enter a Caribbean country if you hold a passport of the country whose territory the island you are visiting belongs to. Perhaps the only exception is Cuba, which requires a tourist visa to visit it, as well as Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands which allow non-US visitors to apply for an ESTA through the US Visa Waiver Programme. You can check out this website for more details about ESTA requirements: Official ESTA Application Website, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (dhs.gov). You may also find the following website useful as it contains information about the US Visa Waiver Programme: Visa Waiver Program (state.gov).
However, it is best to visit the official government website, Department of Immigration, or tourist ports of the Caribbean island you would like to visit to see the exact visa requirements that apply to your country. Here is a website with all the official government websites of Caribbean countries: TRAVELOSOURCE.COM TRAVEL INFORMATION SIMPLIFIED. Simply click on the desired destination to get redirected to the relevant visa-related information.
Or you could verify whether your country is visa-exempt or not with the respective Consulate or Embassy of your destination country. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) website is another go-to online source for guidance if you are not clear about whether you need a visa to travel to the Caribbean. Simply head to this website: IATA - Personalised Passport, Visa & Health travel documentation advice (iatatravelcentre.com), then fill out the required details and click on CHECK. The same website will also provide information about health and passport requirements.
In general, almost all Caribbean countries have lifted the health requirements that were applicable due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, at the moment of this writing, some Caribbean destinations still have specific health-related entry requirements. Below is a list of these islands. However, kindly check the official government website of the intended Caribbean destination for updated information before you make any travel plans to it.
- Anguilla – You must apply for entry.
- Aruba – You will need to buy Aruba Visitors Insurance and also complete an Aruba ED card before you visit the country.
- Bahamas – You need to submit a Travel Health Visa Application.
- Barbados – You should complete the Online Immigration/Customs form before you visit the country (at least a day prior to your arrival).
- Curacao – The country requires visitors to fill out a digital immigration card before their arrival.
- Dominican Republic – You should fill out an E-Ticket form before your arrival.
- Montserrat – You need to fill out an Access Declaration Form before your arrival (at least 3 days prior to your visit).
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines – A Pre-Arrival Form must be completed by all travellers before travelling to the islands.
- Turks & Caicos – The islands require travellers to fill out an Authorisation form prior to their arrival.
- US Virgin Islands – Visitors need to fill out a USVI Travel Screening Form.
The majority of Caribbean destinations require a passport so that visitors can enter their territories. Most of the time, the passport has to be valid for at least 3-6 months after their visit. Besides a valid passport, among the most common documents needed to visit a Caribbean island are:
- Onward ticket (or return ticket, depending on the case).
- Proof that you can pay for your costs for the duration of your visit to the Caribbean destination (usually a bank statement with do).
- Proof of stay (could either be a hotel or villa reservation or a letter from the local family/individual to whom you are a guest).
- Some countries may allow you to enter their borders via any port of entry with an unexpired International Driver’s Licence or local driver’s licence (mainly applies to US residents visiting a US territory), Passport Card, or another secure document.
Transit travellers are usually allowed to remain within a Caribbean island’s port of entry for up to 24 hours without requiring a visa from them. The same applies to aeroplane and cruise ship crew.
Important note: Whether you are admitted to enter the intended Caribbean island or not solely depends on the discretion of the Immigration Officer. This is the case in the overwhelming majority of Caribbean islands. So, you might as well be forbidden to enter your vacation destination even if you are a valid passport holder or have a valid visa for that country if the Immigration Officer decides that you lack the needed documentation or have not abided by all pertaining regulations.
- According to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all US citizens and residents that have visited a Caribbean destination need to present their passports when returning to the US at US Customs.
- The same initiative dictates that adult American and Canadian citizens must present a US Passport Card, Trusted Traveler Card (Fast/Express, Sentri, or Nexus), US or Canadian passport, or a province or state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License, when returning to the US by land or sea from the Caribbean.
- Air travel does not accept Passport Cards or other documents other than the traveller’s passport. The only exception is children under 16 years old that can travel with proof of citizenship (i.e., a birth certificate).
- Visa extensions are possible in most cases by paying an extra fee after your visa has expired.
- Please ensure you apply for a visa (when required) at least a couple of months before your intended travel. Although the visa processing times are fairly short, it may take up to a month to get approval or a request to submit additional documents so that it is approved.