TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands travel through PR

So I have been made aware that PR has a 72 hour covid test, if we are just traveling through can we use our bvi test or do we have to have a different test? please help my travel friends are freaking out!

Just did this..... just tell the guard that you are connecting..... no issue....we didn't even wait on the line... someone told us to just go up to the front and show him your connecting flight info....

As mararoni said, you'll be fine in PR as a connecting passenger. Be forewarned that on your return, your airline from EIS may require you to complete the PR portal. InterCaribbean was doing that a few weeks ago. Not sure if it's just them or all airlines.

It was easy and our guests were able to do it on their phones right at the check-in counter but it's better to know in advance.

Cape Air did not require filling out the PR portal.... just had us sign something....

We are flying in on American Airlines to Puerto Rico and flying to Beef Island on one of the smaller carriers such as Seaborn Virgin Islands or others only listed as SAAB, Cessna, etc so those are obviously smaller carriers. Naturally, there is a change of terminal so how much time is needed between arrival into SJU and departure for EIS as we will be checking baggage?

If all flights are on one ticket, then an hour should be plenty. In business you can probably do it in less. If separate tickets, then maybe two hours, more on weekends. You will need to collect your baggage, check in again and go back through security.

If you know the airline they should be able to check your baggage through, you might have to go through TSA again unless they changed the system because AA is at one end of the airport smaller Caribbean flights are at the other which is about a 5 minute walk.

We are a party of 3 traveling down for a 10-day charter in June. We're booked on AA into SJU, and then Seaborne from SJU to Beef Island, EIS. I purchased the Seaborne tickets separately from the AA tickets because it was substantially less expensive to do it that way. Maybe this was a mistake. The connection time was 96 minutes between flights when I made the bookings, but due to a schedule change by AA, now it's only 70 minutes. Assuming the AA flight is on time, will 70 minutes be long enough to make the connection? If necessary, we can limit our luggage to just carry-on bags.

You should have time - make sure you are TSA precheck - the planes have been arriving early.

Yes, plenty of time with carry-ons.

Thanks very much for your replies GordaGuy and Jason! You've been very helpful.

Thanks so much for the information. To play it safe, we booked American Airlines through to EIS so that we don't have to retrieve our checked luggage and then go through security. One of the benefits of doing this is that Seaborne, Cape Air or whoever will allow whatever bag limits that AA allows. Because we are traveling Business, the baggage allowance is significantly more than the smaller carriers on the SJU-EIS portion would allow without paying additional fees. I don't want to start or end my trip with stress so this seemed like the best option since we are checking and not just going with carry on.

As you travel just remember it's a process - put on your patience attitude and all will be fine.

It's been some time since traveling to the states via SJU from BVI. Switched to STT ferries years ago because flight schedules less cumbersome (less stops) and fares cheaper. I am somewhat unsure (in these pandemic times) of the current environment at SJU regarding entry even if transiting through. Is there any enforcement of portal and/or Covid test requirements for entry into US when traveling from BVI? Thanks.

Returning to the US, everyone needs a test within 3 days regardless of entry thru USVI or PR. The PR portal is not required by the government if you are in-transit thru the airport but some airlines (InterCaribbean for sure) require the PR portal for check-in. I've heard of others that don't.

Jason, I thought the 3 day requirement was for flying into the US only. If returning to USVI via ferry, a test within 5 days is sufficient?

If you're staying in the USVI I guess 5 days would work. That's why I said "returning to the US".

This quote is from the CDC website. "Are US territories considered foreign countries for the purposes of this Order?
No, the Order to present a documentation of a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from COVID-19 does not apply to air passengers flying from a US territory to a US state.

US territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands."
Has anyone here been required to show a 3 day test when flying from PR or the USVI to the mainland? I will be down at the end of May, traveling via ferry to BVI and back. Just trying to figure at what day we need to be tested for our return.

In PR, the gate agent checks for the 3 day test results before boarding.

I don't think it will matter. The exit test process here asks for your departure date and they tell you what your test date will be.

You do not need a test to fly from USVI or PR to mainland. You do need a test to enter PR or USVI from BVI as STT or SJU will be your first port of entry. I have only transited through STT (by air). A test 3 days prior was required.

We needed the test to go from EIS to San Juan.... from SJ to JFK, none were needed... no one asked for anything.

We fly out at noon from EIS to SJU, on a Monday. It looks like the cutoff to get a test on Friday is noon...should we get the test on Saturday? Wondering about the 72 hours...

You don't get to pick your day. You follow the attached steps and health services tells you when to test.