Useful Information
By Air
American Airlines runs daily flights from November to August from Miami to Terrence Lettsome Internationa Airport on Beef Island (attached to Tortola by a short bridge). US and Canadian visitors can alternately fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico and then take one of several commuter airline to Beef Island.
Most visitors from Europe and the UK come via Antigua and take one of a commuter flight from Antigua into Beef Island. Some European travelers fly from Paris to St. Maarten and then take a flight from St. Maarten to Beef Island.
By Sea
There is also the option of flying into St. Thomas in the neighboring US Virgin Islands and hopping onto one of several ferries with regular routes between St. Thomas and the BVI. Ferries from downtown Charlotte Amalie, or Red Hook on St Thomas’ East End run several times a day; they stop in either West End, Tortola, or Road Town (depending on the route, these trips can take around 25 minutes or an hour).
Within the BVI
A comprehensive ferry system links many of the islands within the BVI, including Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke. Several hotels and resorts on the outer islands use their own vessels to transport guests to their properties from docks at Trellis Bay on Beef Island (near the airport), Road Town, or Gun Creek on Virgin Gorda, among other locations.
Entry Requirements
It is important to arrive in the BVI with the right documents, although for most visitors. In the majority of cases, visitors will be granted entry for a maximum of four weeks. Visitors must show a round trip or an on-going ticket to gain entry and must have prior arranged accommodation for the duration of their stay.
A valid passport is required for all visitors to the BVI, including British, US and Canadian citizens. To stay longer than a month you will need to get special permission from the BVI Department of Immigration. Visitors from some countries may need a visa for entry (although not if you are from the US, Canada, UK and most countries in Europe). To check on entry requirements, or determine if you need a visa, please contact the BVI Tourist Board office: (284) 852-6020; or the BVI Department of Immigration Tel (284) 468-3701; both in Road Town.
Covid Entry requirements
As of July 15, 2022, there are no Covid testing requirements to enter the British Virgin Islands.
Cruising Permits, Fees and Departure Taxes
Cruising Permit Fees for home-based charters is $6.00 per person per day; the cruising fee for foreign based boats is $16 per person per day. A home-based charter boat is a boat operated in the Virgin Islands, generally maintained in the Virgin Islands and managed by a company or any other legal entity incorporated, registered or licensed in the Virgin Islands for a period of five (5) months or more in any 12-month period.
National Parks Mooring Buoys Permit: To Protect our reefs and underwater environment, boats are required to use the National Parks Trust’s moorings buoys, which have been installed at popular anchorages and diving areas. Permits can be purchased at the National Parks Trust Office on the second floor of the Mill Mall building on Wickhams Cay I in Road Town.
Departure tax of $15 is charged for each passenger leaving by air. There is also a $5 per person security tax. The departure tax for people leaving by sea is $15 for residents and $20 for visitors. Also, an Environmental and Tourism levy of $10 per person is collected on arrival in the BVI at all ports of entry.
Currency, Credit Cards and Banks
The BVI uses the US dollar as its official currency. Major credit cards including Visa and Mastercard are the most frequently accepted; American Express is only accepted in a limited number of establishments. A few of the smaller locally owned bars and restaurants though may only accept cash. If using a traveler’s check, don’t be surprised if you are charged an extra 10 cents; there is a 10 cent stamp duty on all bank checks and traveler checks. Traveler checks can be cashed at banks.
The primary retail banks in the BVI are: First Bank, VI; Banco Popular; Republic Bank; National Bank of the Virgin Islands and First Caribbean CIBC.
Medical Matters
You do not need an international vaccination certificate to enter the BVI. The health services include Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital in Road Town, which has surgical, emergency, X-Ray and Laboratory facilities. There are also several private medical clinics and laboratories, including B&F Medical Complex, Eureka Medical Clinic and Penn’s Medical Centre among others. There is a government clinic on Virgin Gorda.
Shopping Around
Shopping for crafts on Trellis Bay
Visitors generally come to the BVI for the sun, sea and sand, not a shopping experience. But one of the many delights of the BVI is that although it is not a shopping mecca, there are many great and unique items that will make a perfect memento of your stay, or the ideal gift to take back home to friends and family.
Fine jewelry, crafts and unique Caribbean style merchandise are among the treasures to be found throughout Road Town on Main Street, the Waterfront Road and Wickhams Cay. Several supermarkets offer an extensive range of fresh produce, meats, seafood and staple goods from the US, UK and the Caribbean. Road Town is the best place to provision if you are heading off on a yacht charter, or a self-catering villa, although small grocery stores can be found in communities throughout the BVI.
Crafts Aliveis a vibrant shopping area in Road Town housed in a series of colorful wooden buildings; here you can find an assortment of gift items including Caribbean tee-shirts, tropical clothing for men, women and children and local crafts and art. The Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park offers shopping for all visitors and BVI residents, not just cruise ship passengers. Clothing boutiques and international jewelry store chains can be found here. Road Town also has several pharmacies that sell prescription and over the counter medicines. Prescriptions generally need to be prescribed by a local doctor.
Picturesque Soper’s Hole Marina and Wharf on Frenchman’s Cay on Tortola’s West End has additional shopping and businesses including a dive shop, a Caribbean spice shop, ice cream store and a waterfront restaurant. Other boutiques and small grocery stores can be found throughout the territory including West End, Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, and Trellis Bay on Beef Island.
Elsewhere in the BVI: There are a number of fairly well-stocked grocery stores in Spanish Town, the main village on Virgin Gorda, as well as pharmacies and a few boutiques. You will also find a commissary and boutiques at Leverick Bay on the island’s northern end. Shopping in the smaller outer islands is a bit more limited. The grocery stores are small and sell basics, but a limited amount of fresh produce and meats. Jost Van Dyke, has several boutiques and small locally owned groceries, as does Anegada. Many of the outer island beach bars and hotels have shops stocked with tropical wear.
One of the many delights of the BVI is that although it is not a shopping mecca, there are many great and unique treasures that will be a perfect memento of your stay, or the ideal gift to take back home to friends and family.
Weather Report
The famous trade winds that blow in the equatorial regions include the British Virgin Islands. These famed winds were vital to early shipping and are also responsible for the cooling breezes that blow from the southeast much of the year, making the BVI’s climate pleasant, even in summer. The temperature range in the islands varies little more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit between winter and summer. Winter temperatures average 70 degrees in the evening and 80 degrees in the day; while summer temps run in the low 80s at night and low to mid 90s in the day.
What to Wear
Year-round warm weather makes packing easy. Shorts, tee shirts and other cool casual clothing and just one or two dressier outfits for a nice dinner out. Jackets are not required for men in most establishments. The only rule is do not wear a bathing suit or skimpy attire when anywhere other than the beach or pool.
Wedding Bells
Getting married in the BVI is growing in popularity. Couples have been married with the ceremony officiated by the BVI Registrar or a willing pastor on beaches and on yachts. To tie the knot you must apply for a marriage license; a three-day process. If you want to be married by the Registrar, book prior to your arrival by calling ahead of time: application for the ceremony must be made after the license has been granted. The Registrar will perform the ceremony in the office, although for an additional fee, plus transportation costs the Registrar will travel to the site of your choice (within reason). Several wedding planners are located in the BVI and some of the larger hotels and resorts will also assist with wedding arrangements. For complete requirements, fees and documentation for getting married in the BVI, contact the Registrar’s office at (284) 468-3701.
Religious Denominations
Most of the major denominations, as well as some smaller ones are represented in the BVI. Among the churches found here are Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness and Pentecostal Church of Christ.
A Word About Driving
“Think Left.” Driving in the BVI, like in the UK, is on the left, and the roads, for the most part, are narrow and windy. So, vigilance is required when on the road, especially if you are from the US or elsewhere in the right-hand side driving world.
A temporary driver’s license is not necessary for visitors if they are staying for 30 days or less and have a valid overseas driving license. Otherwise a temporary license is required and can be obtained from rental car company offices, or the Department of Motor Vehicles at Pockwood Pond on Tortola.
Purchasing Property
For those looking for a place in the sun, it’s possible to buy land to build on, or an existing home in the BVI, but a Non-Belonger Landholding License is required before ownership is conferred. A locally based lawyer is used in most cases to assist in the process. One of the several professional real estate companies based here in the BVI can provide additional information. You can also contact the Ministry of Natural Resources at (284) 468-3701.
Citizenship, Residency and Other Status
Visitors often hear the term “Belonger” and wonder what it means. Belongers are those who are native born British Virgin Islanders, but they are also outsiders who have had the status conferred on them through naturalization or applying through the Dept of Immigration. To apply for Belongership status, one must first apply for “Residency” and have lived here a minimum of 20 years. Property holders can apply for a special non-working residency status that needs to be renewed annually. If you are a non-citizen and working in the BVI you must apply through your prospective employer for a Work Permit which is obtained through the Department of Immigration.
