Updated Feb. 8
Most Caribbean islands have reopened to international tourism, with protocols in place to protect visitors and residents against Covid-19.
Starting Jan. 26, all international passengers flying into the U.S. from the Caribbean will need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test received no more than 72 hours prior to boarding the flight to the U.S. Airlines will deny boarding to those passengers who do not produce a test result. Since the rule was announced many hotels in the Caribbean region have stepped up to offer their guests pre-travel testing; see our report.
In addition, the CDC recommends that travelers get tested again three to five days after arrival and stay home for seven days after travel.
Here are the latest developments across the region:
•Anguilla: U.S. travelers must apply through the visitor portal, www.ivisitanguilla.com and applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants must submit a negative Covid-19 test result obtained three to five days prior to arrival as well as proof of travel insurance that covers Covid-19-related treatment. All visitors will be given a PCR test on arrival. A second test will be administered on day 14 of their visit. Visitors must stay in place until a negative result is obtained, and they are then free to explore the island. For visitors staying at a pre-approved property for five days or less, the fee is $300 per individual traveler and $500 for a couple. Families pay $300 for the main applicant and $250 per additional family member. Stays of six days to 90 days are priced at $400 per individual, $600 per couple and, for families, $400 for the main applicant and $250 per additional family member. For stays of three months to 12 months, the fees are $2,000 for individuals and from $3,000 for a family of four. The fee covers two tests per person, surveillance and costs for the additional public health presence, cost of extended immigration time/entry and a digital work permit. Updated Feb. 8.
•Antigua and Barbuda: Open to U.S. travelers. U.S. travelers must complete the Traveler Accommodation form prior to travel, submit proof of a negative PCR test taken seven days before boarding, and quarantine upon arrival for 14 days or length of stay, whichever is shorter, in a certified accommodation (at least 30 properties are certified and more are being added). All residents and visitors are required to wear masks in public places. More information: www.visitantiguabarbuda.com/travel-advisory. Updated Oct. 27.
• Aruba: Open to U.S. visitors. All travelers are required to fill out an Embarkation/Disembarkation card between 72 and four hours prior to travel. Travelers residing in certain states (the list can be found at www.aruba.com/us/traveler-health-requirements) must take a PCR test within 72 hours before departure and upload the result at least 12 hours prior to their flight departure time for Aruba. All other U.S. visitors residing in states not on the list have the option of taking the PCR test at their own expense upon arrival at the airport in Aruba ($75) or can upload the negative test result from a test taken at within 72 hours at least 12 hours prior to departure. If they opt for a test upon arrival they must quarantine at their hotel until the test results are received. All visitors must purchase and pay for the Aruba Travel Insurance within 72 hours prior to departure; they can use their existing medical insurance to supplement the Aruba policy, but it cannot replace the Aruba Travel Insurance, which is $30 per person for those 15 and older, and $10 for those under 15. More information: visitaruba.com. Updated Nov. 17.
• Bahamas: Open to U.S. visitors. All travelers must submit a negative PCR test taken five days prior to arrival, submit a Bahamas Health Travel Visa and take a Covid-19 rapid antigen test on day five of their visit. Visitors must also complete a daily health questionnaire during their stay. Beginning Nov. 14, travelers must opt in to the mandatory health insurance plan when applying for the health visa at travel.gov.bs. Once the Covid test taken on Day 5 is returned with a negative result visitors can move beyond their accommodations. Visitors traveling to any of the 16 islands available to visitors must check the status of the island they want to visit, since conditions and instances of Covid can differ. More information: www.bahamas.com/travelupdates. Updated Nov. 3.
• Barbados: Open to U.S. visitors. All incoming U.S. travelers over the age of 5 years must complete the online Immigration and Customs form 24 hours prior to arrival in Barbados at travel form.gov.bb and submit proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival. U.S. travelers also have the option of in-home Covid testing through Stage Zero Life Sciences; the company will send a healthcare professional to draw nasal swabs, ship the samples to a lab and provide results within 48 hours, for $265 per person or $166 per person for a family of four. Visitors will be required to take a rapid antigen test upon arrival, quarantine for five nights at an approved hotel, villa or guesthouse and take a second PCR test during that time. If the test result is negative, travelers are free to move about, but a lockdown period in effect through Feb. 17 includes tighter curfew and closures of certain stores, bars and restaurants. More information: www.visitbarbados.org. Updated Feb. 2.
• Bermuda: Open to U.S. visitors. Travelers are required to complete the Bermuda Travel Authorization process online within 48 hours of departure. The fee is $75, which includes the cost of all Covid testing in Bermuda. Children nine and younger do not have to be tested at any point, and their Travel Authorization fee is $30. Visitors ages 10 and up must submit proof of a negative Covid test taken no more than five days before departure. Visitors must take a Covid test upon arrival and quarantine in hotel room until results are obtained (usually six to eight hours). Visitors are required to wear a Traveler Wristband for the first 14 days of their stay; the wristbands will be distributed during testing at arrival. Tests also are required on day 4, on day 8 and on day 14 of their trip at pop-up testing centers, with immediate results. More information: www.gotobermuda.com. Updated Dec. 22.
• Bonaire: Open to U.S. visitors. As there are no direct flights until February, U.S. travelers must exit in Curacao and follow Curacao’s entry protocols before connecting to Bonaire. In addition, Bonaire travelers must fill out an online health declaration form no earlier than 72 hours nor later than 48 hours prior to departure and show proof of a PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure. All travelers must have health insurance that covers the costs of medical care while on Bonaire, including care related to Covid-19. More inofmation: tourismbonaire.com. Updated Jan. 26.
• British Virgin Islands: Open to U.S. travelers. Travelers are required to register on the online BVI Gateway portal at bvigateway.bviaa.com at least 48 hours prior to departure to obtain the Traveller Authorization Certificate and submit proof of a negative PCR test taken within three days of departure and medical insurance that includes coverage for Covid-19. At the Welcome Center at the Terrance Lettsome airport, visitors will have a health screening, take a PCR test and download a contact tracing app. Approved transportation will shuttle visitors to certified accommodations, where they will quarantine for four days, take another PCR test and, if negative, be allowed to visit designated locations. Visitors will pay $175 per person for two PCR tests, a contact-tracing bracelet and the Covid monitoring app. If visitors need a test to exit the BVI, the government will charge $70 per test. More information: bvitourism.com. Updated Dec. 22.
• Cayman Islands: Not currently open to U.S. visitors. The borders continue to reopen in phases. When U.S. visitors are allowed to enter they must apply via Travel Cayman Portal at www.exploregov.ky/traveltime to receive pre-travel approval, produce proof of medical insurance that includes Covid-19 coverage, show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure, wear a Stay Safe Cayman monitoring wristband while in quarantine for 14 days and on day 15 be retested. Updated Jan. 15.
• Cuba: Open to U.S. visitors. All arriving passengers must submit a health declaration, produce a Cuba Tourist Card (available from the airlines) and produce a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to arrival and take another PCR test upon arrival, with results available within 24 hours. The test upon arrival is free. All incoming travelers must have travel insurance that covers Covid-19 during their stay. Visitors must quarantine in accommodations until results arrive and be PCR tested at their own expense on Day 5. American visitors are barred from strictly tourist vacations to the all-inclusive resorts on the north coast but can travel to Cuba under 12 specific categories, the most popular of which is Support for the Cuban People. All regulations are detailed at https://cu.embassy.gov/covid-19-information. Updated Dec. 28.
• Curacao: Open to U.S. visitors. Visitors must complete a Digital Immigration Card, fill out and upload a Passenger Locator Card within 48 hours of departure (carry a printed copy as proof upon arrival) and upload proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure (carry a printed copy, as well). Children six and under are exempt from the test requirement. Updated Jan. 15.
• Dominica: Open to U.S. visitors. Visitors must upload an online health questionnaire at least 24 hours prior to arrival; submit a negative PCR test result taken between 24 and 72 hours before arrival, and receive an email notification from Dominica of clearance to travel. Once on the ground in Dominica, visitors have a temperature check and undergo rapid test screening at no charge, with results available in 15 to 20 minutes. If test result is negative, guests go through immigration and customs and are transferred to a property that has been certified safe by the Environmental Health Department. and quarantine for five days. A PCR test ($40) will be administered on day five; if negative, the traveler is free to move about the island. All entry requirements are at http://domcovid19.dominica.gov.dm. Dominica has no nonstop flights from the U.S.; Visitors who transit in the following islands (Antigua, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia) to connect on a regional carrier to Dominica must follow the entry regulations of that island as well as adhere to the entry requirements for Dominica. Updated Jan. 18.
• Dominican Republic: Open to U.S. visitors. The Dominican Republic eliminated the entry requirement for proof of a negative Covid-19 test result on Sept.15. All travelers are still required to fill out a Traveler’s Health Affidavit. The forms can be accessed at https://eticket.migracion.gob.do. Travelers will get a temperature check upon arrival. In place of the test result is a rapid Breathalyzer-style test that will be performed on randomly selected travelers upon arrival. The test takes five minutes and detects if a traveler was exposed or infected within the last four hours. If positive, the traveler quarantines in a designated area within his hotel and is regularly tested until symptoms are gone. The rapid test is part of the government’s initiative called The Plan for the Responsible Recovery of Tourism and includes free health and travel insurance coverage through March 31 that covers hospitalization for coronavirus in the DR, telemedicine services, costs for extended hotel stays and airline ticket changes. The insurance is paid for by the DR. More information: godominicanrepublic.com. Updated Jan. 7.
• Grenada: Open to U.S. visitors. All pre-arrival documents must be entered digitally no later than 48 hours prior to the date of travel. The documents include a negative PCR test result from anyone aged 5 and over taken within 72 hours of travel; proof of a minimum five-day reservation from one of the Pure Safe travel accommodations of more than 60 hotels, inns, apartments and resorts; health declaration forms and waivers and download the Ronatrac mobile app for contact tracing. Visitors must quarantine at their hotel for the first four days of their visit; on day four visitors have the option to get a PCR test and, if negative, can then move about the island. All forms and information are at https://covid19.gov.gd. The list of approved safe accommodations is at puregrenada.com/travel. Updated Nov. 24.
• Guadeloupe: The borders are not currently open to U.S. visitors.
• Haiti: Open to U.S. visitors. Airlines are distributing a health declaration form to all passengers who must complete the form, present it to immigration authorities upon arrival and then retain the form while in Haiti. Temperature screenings are mandatory upon arrival; visitors must provide local address while in Haiti.
• Jamaica: Open to U.S. visitors. Arriving passengers are required to complete and submit the online Travel Authorization between two and five days prior to their planned arrival in Jamaica. Once travelers are approved, they receive a certificate that must be submitted during the airline check-in process. In addition, all travelers from the U.S. must get a negative Covid-19 or antigen test at a lab approved by the World Health Organization no more than 10 days prior to departure and provide the test results at check-in at the departure airport. Once on the island, visitors must remain in the Resilient Corridors on the north and south coasts and must stay at Covid-19 Protocol Compliant Approved accommodations, which are listed on the www.visitjamaica.com website. The Jamaica Cares program, which provides travel protection and emergency services for travelers, is mandatory for every non-Jamaican passport holder and costs $40 per person, payable at the time the Travel Authorization is approved. Updated Nov. 17.
• Martinique: Borders have not reopened to U.S. travelers.
• Monserrat: Borders have not reopened to U.S. travelers.
• Puerto Rico: Open to U.S. visitors. A negative Covid test, taken 72 hours prior to arriving, is required. Travelers are required to fill out a Travel Declaration Form through the Puerto Rico Health Department’s online portal at https://travelsafe.pr.gov and obtain an Airport Exit Confirmation number and QR code, which travelers will automatically receive when uploading proof of their negative Covid result to the portal. Without the test result, arriving visitors must quarantine for 14 days at their lodging or the length of the stay, whichever is shorter, or until negative test results are provided. Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, a negative Covid test is not required for Americans on the return flight. Updated Jan. 26.
• St. Barts: Closed to most U.S. visitors as per an order from the French government. Updated Feb. 2.
• St. Kitts and Nevis: Open to U.S. travelers. Visitors must complete the entry form at and submit a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival to knatravelform.kn. They must undergo a health screening at the airport on arrival, which includes a temperature check and a health questionnaire, and download the SKN Covid-19 contract tracing app (to be used for the first 14 days of travel). Visitors staying less than seven days must take a PCR test 72 hours before leaving the island ($150). Visitors must stay in one of the islands’ approved hotels for the first seven days, where they are free to move about the property, interact with other guests and take part in hotel activities. On Day 7 travelers are required to take a PCR test ($150); if negative, travelers can book select excursions and access select destination sites booked through the hotel’s tour desk. On Day 14, travelers must take another PCR test ($150); if negative, they can move freely around St. Kitts and Nevis. More information: www.stkittstourism.kn/travel-advisory-update and www.nevisisland.com. Updated Nov. 24.
• St. Lucia: Open to U.S. visitors. Travelers must provide proof of a negative Covid test done within five days of travel and must complete a pre-arrival registration form. They must also indicate which Covid-19-certified hotel they will be staying in. All passengers will be screened at the airport. Symptomatic passengers will be tested and then quarantined at their hotel until the result is received. If positive, they will be in isolation at one of two hospitals. Mask wearing is mandatory in public spaces. More information: www.stlucia.org/covid-19. Updated Feb. 8.
• St. Maarten/St. Martin: The Dutch side of the island is open to U.S. visitors; the French side is closing per a mandate from the French government. For visitors: A completed health declaration must be uploaded at stmaartenentry.com before departing; U.S. visitors must submit proof of a negative Covid test result taken within five days of arrival or a rapid test taken within 48 hours of departure. The St. Maarten SXM Protection Plan is mandatory health coverage for visitors. The plan covers hospital costs, ICU costs, doctor consultations, Covid-19 tests and, if necessary, medical evacuation. For those 15 and up, the cost is $30 for visits up to 180 days; it’s $10 for those under 15 years of age. Updated Feb. 2.
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Open to U.S. visitors. Travelers from the U.S. must complete a pre-arrival form, arrive with a negative Covid-19 test done no more than seven days prior to arrival, must be retested upon arrival in St. Vincent and quarantine for five days in a Tourism Authority-approved quarantine hotel at their own expense (must arrive with proof of a fully-paid reservation), must be retested on day four and day five of quarantine and continue to quarantine for nine to 16 days or until test result is negative. Forms and a list of approved accommodations for quarantine are found here.
• Turks and Caicos: Open to U.S. visitors. International travelers will be required to obtain certification using TCI Assured, an online portal at www.turksandcaicostourism.com. The portal will require travelers to submit the following information: a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within five days of travel; proof of medical/travel insurance that covers medical evacuation, costs related to quarantine, ambulance care or care at a local hospital; and a completed online health screening questionnaire. Once uploaded, the documents will be verified and a TCI Assured certification issued. The TCI Assured travel authorization must be presented at time of check-in.
• U.S. Virgin Islands: Open to U.S. visitors. Every U.S. traveler 5 and older is required to use the USVI travel portal and submit a negative Covid-19 test result received within five days of travel. Upon arrival travelers must submit the original test result and travel certification received from the portal. Travelers unable to produce the required test result are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine in their booked accommodations or until they a receive negative test result. Since the USVI is a U.S. territory, Americans returning from the islands do not have to produce proof of a Covid test as per the new CDC guidelines. More information: www.usviupdate.com. Updated Jan. 19.
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