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As New WHTI Rules Change,
The U.S. Virgin Islands,
America's Caribbean,
Not
Affected
When the new land and sea phase of the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) by the Homeland Security and
State Department goes into effect on January 31,
2008, U.S. citizens are reminded that they are
exempt from needing a passport for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands St.
Croix, St. John and St.
Thomas.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative passed by U.S. Congress
requires that travelers, including U.S. citizens who travel via air, land or sea to
and from the Americas,
the Caribbean and Bermuda must travel with a passport in order to enter
or re-enter the
United States.
But since the
U.S. Virgin Islands is a United States Territory, American citizens
traveling to or from St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas are considered
not to have left the U.S., and thus do not need to present a passport. United States
citizens can visit the State Departments travel website,
www.travel.state.gov.
When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the
conveniences of domestic travel -- including on-line check-in -- making
travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever!
Click
here
for more detailed information.
©2008 United States
Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
Customs Information
U.S.
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service maintains an office in St. Croix and is happy to
assist visitors by answering any immigration questions. Their telephone
number: (340) 778-6559. At the airport, their number is (340) 778-1419.
When you leave St. Croix by air, give yourself at least an hour and a
half at the airport to go through customs and immigration checkpoints.
At the airline counter you will be required to show photo identification
for security purposes and check your bags.
Before passing through Customs you
have the opportunity to shop in the airport's gift shop and/or get a
bite to eat at the small local restaurant located in the lobby. This is
your last chance to try some local food before you return home!
After visiting the airport lobby,
fill in the Customs Declaration form you were given at check-in and
proceed to Customs. Present your declaration form, along with your
passport, to a Customs Inspector. You then collect your bags from the
luggage carousel and pass through Immigration where you present your
identification and Customs Declaration form. Be prepared to have all
your bags checked thoroughly, inside and out.
Once past Customs and the airport
screening area there are new gates with comfortable chairs and a small
snack bar which serves light snacks, soft drinks, beer and cocktails.
Duty Free Allowances
There are no customs duties on most
merchandise, and there are no local luxury or sales taxes. U.S. citizens
are allowed a duty-free shopping quota of $1,600.00. Additionally, an
unlimited number of gift packages, worth $100 or less, may be mailed to
family and friends. Citizens may also bring back up to five cartons of
duty-free cigarettes and five fifths of US liquor duty-free. An extra
fifth can be taken if it is an U.S. Virgin Islands product such as
Cruzan Rum.
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