COVID-19 Precautionary Measures in British Virgin Islands (12 June Update)

Can a resident enter the country?

• Yes

• Citizens and residents can enter.

Can a foreigner enter the country?

• Yes

• The British Virgin Islands have re-opened borders to international travellers.

Is a test certificate allowed?

• Yes

• Test certificates issued in other countries are accepted.

Test certificate required?

• Yes

• All travellers must have a certificate for a negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test undertaken within five days prior to arrival and submit this information on the BVI platform. Sampling must be nasopharyngeal. Sampling for children 5 to 9 years old can be oropharyngeal.

• Children under five years of age will only be tested if medically indicated.

• Vaccinated persons travelling to the BVI must present a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate issued within five days of travel and provide satisfactory evidence of being fully vaccinated.

• Effective 15 June partially vaccinated persons travelling to the BVI must present a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate issued within five days of travel and provide satisfactory evidence of being partially vaccinated.

Is a test required on arrival?

• Yes, with exceptions

• All arriving passengers must undergo an additional RT-PCR test upon arrival.

• Children under the age of 5 do not need to be tested on arrival.

• Fully vaccinated persons travelling from overseas will be subjected to an RT-PCR test upon arrival.

• Fully vaccinated persons who have been present in the British Virgin Islands for a period of fourteen consecutive days before a short trip to the USVI, St. Martin, or Puerto Rico not exceeding 24 hours are exempted from the COVID-19 test upon re-entering the BVI. Such travellers would be required to take a PCR test seven days after returning to the BVI.

• A charge of $175 per person will be collected from all passengers to cover the cost of in-Territory testing and the BVI Portal app.

• Permitted travellers from Brazil and India are subject to RT-PCR test on arrival, on day 7, and on day 14 of their mandatory quarantine period.

Insurance required?

• Yes, with exceptions

• All non-resident visitors to the British Virgin Islands must provide proof of medical travel insurance covering all COVID-19 expenses.

Vaccination required?

• No

• A vaccination for COVID-19 is not required for entry into the country.

• Vaccinated travellers may be provided exemptions from entry testing requirements and quarantine. To be considered “fully vaccinated”, the traveller must have received the complete course of an approved vaccine (AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccinations) at least two weeks before travel to the BVI.

• In the case of mixed groups consisting of a few vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, the entire group will be treated as unvaccinated and follow the required protocol.

• Travellers who are fully vaccinated will be charged $105 for the BVI Gateway Traveller Authorisation Certificate. Effective 15 June, fully vaccinated will be charged $35 for the BVI Gateway Traveller Authorisation Certificate.

Is quarantine required on arrival?

• Yes, with exceptions

• All unvaccinated travellers must enter a 7-day quarantine at a designated location at their own expense. They must undergo another RT-PCR test after the quarantine period, which will be scheduled through the mobile app. Those who test negative will be allowed to end quarantine. Those who test positive will continue their quarantine for at least 14 days.

• Travellers from Brazil and India are required to enter quarantine for 14 days**. Arriving passengers from Brazil and India are required to wear a tracking bracelet.

• Fully vaccinated travellers will be required to stay in quarantine until a negative result is received on the COVID-19 test-on-arrival. If the test on arrival returns a negative result, the fully vaccinated traveller will be immediately released from quarantine unless they have been in close contact with a positive case. This exemption from quarantine will not apply to travellers from India and Brazil.

• A fully vaccinated traveller who has been present in the British Virgin Islands for a period of more than fourteen consecutive days and travels to the USVI, St. Martin, or Puerto Rico for a trip not exceeding 24 hours is exempted from quarantine

• In the case of mixed groups consisting of a few vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers, the entire group will be treated as unvaccinated and follow the required protocol, which would necessitate a 7-day quarantine for all members.

• Travellers who are only partially vaccinated, i.e., they have received only one dose of the vaccine or their final vaccine dose was administered less than two weeks before arriving in the territory, will have to quarantine for up to four days and undertake another PCR test on Day 4.

• All arriving passengers will be issued with and required to wear a tracking bracelet for at least 8 days. Visitors must be able to cover quarantine expenses at any approved government facility.

• Based on the above restrictions, travellers must be prepared to spend a minimum of four days in quarantine and a maximum of 14 days in quarantine, unless exempted on meeting vaccination requirements.

Entry form required?

• Yes

• All arriving travellers must register online at the BVI Gateway Portal at least 48 hours prior to their arrival. Applications on the BVI Gateway portal must be completed at least 24 hours before the travel date and time. Each traveller, including children, must have completed an application to obtain a travel certificate for presentation to airline authorities.

Recommended Border App

• Yes

• All inbound travellers must subscribe to a contact-tracing app at their own cost. Additionally, the travellers will also need to wear a wristband monitoring device issued by the BVI authorities. The app can be found here

Airline restrictions

• Minimal

• International commercial flights have resumed.

• Domestic flight services have resumed.

Border restrictions

• Minimal

• The British Virgin Islands (BVI) re-opened borders to international travellers. Entry to the BVI is only permitted through the T B Lettsome International Airport.

• All travellers will need approval prior to entry. This can be obtained through the online BVI Portal. Travellers must begin their application no later than 48 hours before travel. All applicants in pending status, who have not completed their necessary requirements 24 hours prior to travelling, will be denied.

• Commercial ferries to and from the US Virgin Islands are suspended.

Curfew restrictions

• Minimal

• There is no curfew in effect.

Social restrictions

• Moderate

• Social distancing of 1.8 meters (six feet) must be maintained.

• Gatherings up to 200 persons are allowed. However, for faith-based services, graduation ceremonies, weddings, and funeral gatherings, up to 250 persons are allowed.

Internal travel restrictions

• Moderate

• Intra-island ferries are allowed to operate between 00:30 - 22:00 (local time).

• Seaports are open for inter-island and domestic travel. Ferry services between Tortola and its sister islands of Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Anegada are operating. Public taxi and bus services are allowed to operate.

Non-essential shops open?

• Yes

• All businesses are being allowed to resume services with strict social distancing protocols.

Restaurants open?

• Yes

• Restaurants are allowed to operate with social distancing measures.

Bars and cafes open?

• Yes

• Bars, nightclubs, and cafes are allowed to operate with social distancing measures.

Beaches and tourism sites open?

• Yes, with exceptions

• Beaches are now open from 05:00 to 17:00 (local time). Safe social distancing is required.

Places of worship open?

• Yes

• Places of worship are open with adherence to health restrictions.

Masks required in public?

• Yes

• The use of face masks is compulsory in public places.

Other

• All private schools, pre-schools, daycare centres, and colleges are allowed to provide in-person sessions.

The COVID-19 epidemic is constantly changing worldwide. Travel and border restrictions may change with little or no notice. Airlines may have their own requirements for testing, masking, and distancing. It is recommended that travellers carry a supply of face masks since the requirement can vary by location. It is recommended that travellers practice social distancing and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals and avoid crowded areas. Check with your airline, booking agent, or country's embassy for information on your specific travel plans.