Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
327-6700. Check with your travel agent or look in the travel
section of your newspaper.
Getting Ready
Entry Requirements
Entry requirements have tightened. Your proof
of identity will be checked before you board your
initial flight. A current passport is the easiest op-
tion. You can also travel on an expired passport,
but only if the expiration date is less than five years old.
Other accepted documents include an original birth certifi-
cate (with a raised seal) or a voter's registration card plus a
government-issued photo ID. Having these documents will
speed your departure from the islands as well. Nationals of
countries other than the US require the same documents as
to enter a US mainland port. The same documents are re-
quired to visit the nearby BVI.
US Customs
Customs regulations are a boon to the island's shopkeepers
and to you. Here's why: they provide for $1,200 worth of
duty-free exemptions, rather than the $600 limit elsewhere
in the Caribbean. Purchases can be mailed home and are in-
cluded in your exemption. Gifts valued under $100 can be
mailed daily without affecting your exemption (this is lim-
ited to one daily). Adults (over 21) can return with five fifths
of alcoholic beverages. A sixth is permitted if it is produced
on the island (e.g. rum). Island products, (straw bags, per-
fume, jewelry) are totally exempt from duty. Should you ex-
ceed the $1,200 limit, your purchases are dutiable at a flat
rate of 5%, rather than the 10% applied elsewhere.
Five cartons of cigarettes and 100 cigars can also be brought
back by US residents. Combine this with the islands'
