Citizens of the United States planning to go to St. Thomas in the future often wonder if they need to bring a passport in order to enter the country.

In reality, St. Thomas is considered part of the US Virgin Islands and it is an American territory. So the rules and regulations about passports for this particular location might be different than the rules when visiting other parts of the Caribbean and the British Virgin Islands.

With that said, we will go over the legalities of whether or not you need a passport to enter into St. Thomas while on vacation.

Do US Citizens Need a Passport to go to St. Thomas?

As we mentioned earlier, St. Thomas is actually a United States territory, just like Puerto Rico, and part of the US Virgin Islands. Since this is the case, it is no longer necessary for United States citizens to bring a passport with them when they visit the island.

But you could potentially run into problems depending on the way that you are traveling outside of the US. If you are traveling to St. Thomas on an airplane, and you plan to travel home the same way, you will need to provide a valid US passport to security when attempting to reenter the United States. It’s very similar to traveling to Jamaica, in that regard.

If you do not have a passport with you, you will have a difficult time getting back into the country. So it’s always best to bring a passport with you no matter what even if you’re traveling to a location that does not require one.

Is There Any Way to Travel to St. Thomas That Doesn’t Require a Passport?

Yes, you could travel to St. Thomas on a cruise ship. As long as you enter and exit the United States from the same port, you’ll legally be allowed back into the country with acceptable ID other than a passport.

We still recommend bringing a valid passport with you anyway because you never know what could happen.

Other pages about St. Thomas USVI:

About 

Tim Schmidt is an Entrepreneur who helps companies grow their online business. A firm believer in creating great content, he founded AllWorld.com to empower world travelers. You can also find his work published at the Huffington Post, Social Media Today, and many other online journals. His latest claim to fame is having his footage of feeding giant crocodiles in Costa Rica featured on Animal Planet. Visit his official site to learn more about him.