TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums US VI and Puerto Rico U.S. to require negative COVID-19 tests for international air passengers

Just saw this in BVI Alive: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...jTEOG9dU6hJX8Wg32v6IEZYeuNinniwfRzokCE5A

Anyone have additonal details? Wonder if it will apply to travelers from STT and SJU as they are technically the US?

Here is another article -- whether the USVI will be considered international is unknown -- sometimes we suffer that and sometimes we don't!

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to...al-visitors-11610472867?mod=hp_lead_pos2

Well Local...I suppose we wait and see. Looking at the flight load out of STT on any given day, let alone the weekends, there is no way the USVI could handle the required volume of tests on a daily basis. Just hoping I don't have to cancel yet another charter. Ah well.

I keep reading all the pages of what one has to do to enter the USVI and all I do is confuse myself.
Is there anyone that can break down the sequence of events to be able to enter the islands.

For example only - I want to book a cottage on Jan 31 for 10 days on St John,
Can anyone give me the timeline....
When can one safely book an airline ticket
When can one book the villa
etc....

Here is the sequence of events....
1.
2.
3.
4.

Any help would be appreciated. I do not want to by airline tickets or rent a villa only to find that we cannot meet the timeline.

thanks

There is nothing prohibiting you from booking your accomodations or airline flights. You can do that at any time (although you are cutting it close). If you wanted to book a jeep you needed to do that yesterday. I would call all the rental outfits on STJ tomorrow and see if one is still available for your dates.

You must have a negative COVID test taken up to 5 days before arrival, or a positive antibody test, and must register on the USVI travel portal to allow entry. https://usvitravelportal.com/

It is now unclear if you will be required to have a negative COVID test in order to be permitted to re-enter the US. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0112-negative-covid-19-air-passengers.html If you do, then you will have to obtain one in the USVI three days before departure.

Tom, I agree w MIDiver. Just need a negative COVID test within 72 hours of 5 days prior arrival, and uploaded an approved test on the USVI portal. OR, positive antibody test within 4 months. Must be a CLIA approved lab.

Not sure about return to mainland USA

jphart - did they change the pre-arrival test timeline? I thought it was 5 days prior to arrival.

You are right! I’ve corrected accordingly. Thanks for the correction.

I linked a listing to other countries in the Worldwide forum for other reference resources.

Here is the sequence of events....

1. Find an available cottage on St. John. If you can't, consider St. Thomas. We stayed on St. Thomas last February and were very pleasantly surprised. We really liked Sapphire Beach Resort.
2. Book your flights. Remember that most airlines are allowing changes to flights without a penalty.
3. Schedule COVID test for January 26th first thing in the morning.
4. Get COVID results and apply online for entry. Here is the website: https://usvitravelportal.com/

We did this in November and it was pretty painless.

Thanks for all the inputs
I think it is time to escape to warm air and blue water.

Tom--well, make sure this new BS doesn't apply to entries from either SJU or STT, which is not at all clear..

The Territories are exempt from the requirement.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/...O6Bt0TsCALfjql4D8hULoOmElreTIIrbBWdKF5r8

Its probably me, and I read thru it too fast, but where does it say that the USVI is exempt?

Thanks

Under Definitions -- almost the end of that section

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/...O6Bt0TsCALfjql4D8hULoOmElreTIIrbBWdKF5r8

Yeah, I missed that! I presume yopu mean the part where it says that
United States has the same meaning as "State" and "U.S. Territory" in ....

Thanks!

The USVI is a US territory, flying into the US from the USVI would be like flying from Fl to NY

And yet standing at STT boarding a flight to Miami I have to go thru a C&I check - something not required in any flight I have taken from FL to NY. Somehow the territories are sometimes viewed entirely differently than states - hence why people are trying to figure out if the testing requirement applies to USVI. Would not even ask if I was just thinking of flying to NY

C&I has nothing to do with COVIT.
Unless something has changed you don’t require a test.
I flew to the states a couple of weeks ago from St Thomas and a test wasn’t required.
BTW Flights from Puerto Rico to the states doesn’t require C&I

USVI tourism and Delta have confirmed that, at least at this point in time, passengers departing from the USVI back to the mainland are not subject to this new regulation.

This goes way back...

Q: We recently returned from a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Why did we have to go through Customs to board our return flight when we never left U.S. territory?

"What is seldom known is that the U.S. Virgin Islands is outside what is called 'Customs territory.' Since the acquisition of the Virgin Islands by the U.S. from Denmark [in 1916], by treaty, customs fees are assessed using local law.

When traveling to one of the U.S. insular possessions, such as the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa or Guam, you are required to clear Customs and Border Protection and are entitled to a $1,600 duty-free exemption, as long as you are there for 48 hours or more."

The duty-free allotment of $1,600 in the Virgin Islands is twice as much as nearby Caribbean countries. In other words, you may want to pack an extra bag for tax-free purchases the next time you head to this tropical paradise.

No duty free when travelling from FL to NY.

Not sure how this affects the STT Covid testing policy.

The third paragraph is incorrect you you don’t have to clear customs when entering the USVI.
You have to clear Customs when leaving the USVI for the USA due to the fact that USVI is a Freeport.