St. Thomas is an island that is a part of the US Virgin Islands. This island, found in the Caribbean, is where you will find the capital of the territory, Charlotte Amalie. St. Thomas, along with the other islands in the US Virgin Islands, is popular among American tourists because of its beaches and its rich history. Now if you’re planning to visit this destination, let us show you if you need a pass port to go to St. Thomas.
Now why is this destination so popular in the first place? The main reason for this, of course, is that it is located in the Caribbean. And if you know your beaches, you’ll know right away that the Caribbean has some of the best beaches anywhere in the world. That’s the reason why many tourists flock to St. Thomas every year especially those who love the beach, as well as water sports such as windsurfing and kite boarding.
Aside from that, St. Thomas also has a rich history behind it. This island is one of the first few islands discovered by Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century. Eventually, this became a Danish territory before being finally acquired by the United States in the first half of the 20th century.
Now, St. Thomas, being a part of the US Virgin Islands, is a US territory. Because of this, any US citizen who arrives at this destination from another US territory (such as the mainland, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.) does not need to present any passport. If this describes your situation, then you wouldn’t need to bring a passport with you when you visit St. Thomas.
However, you should know that before you leave St. Thomas, you will be required to present any document issued by the US government that will establish your citizenship. Again, this doesn’t necessarily have to be your US passport. Alternatively, you can present any of the following documents: your birth certificate, or any US government-issued ID such as your driver’s license.
But why do others say you need a new passport to go to St. Thomas even if you’re an American? It’s probably because of the confusion that stemmed from the creation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The WHTI specifies that you need a passport when traveling to WHTI areas. Since WHTI areas include the Caribbean, some people assumed that it also includes the US Virgin Islands. Again, because the Virgin Islands are US territories, you don’t need to present a passport to go there.
But you are of course free to bring your passport with you. For your convenience, you could just bring your passport card, rather than your passport book. Now what is a passport card? It’s a lightweight alternative to the passport book that you can bring when traveling by land or sea to WHTI areas. So if you want to travel light, the passport card can easily slip into your wallet.
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