Using a passport card in the Caribbean

February 9, 2014 4:23 PM

This spring, I'll be flying from the continental US to St. Thomas with my small kids to join my parents on their sailboat. I know that we don't need passports to fly into the US Virgin Islands, but that we would need them if we wanted to sail to the British Virgin Islands. My kids don't have passports yet. Because of the expense of a full passport, I am considering getting them passport cards instead. The government website suggests that this is one potential use case of the passport card, but I haven't read accounts of people doing it. I asked my parents what their fellow cruisers know, but didn't get much info. Have you done this? How was it?
posted by linettasky to Travel & Transportation around Virgin Islands (5 answers total)

From the googles:

Can you use the US Passport Card to go to the BVI

"Yes. Several of my friends who regularly travel to the BVI have one, and that's what they use."
posted by colin_l at 4:27 PM on February 9, 2014

I am a U.S. citizen. I visited the BVI last summer, traveling on the ferry to and from the USVI. I used my passport card. There were no issues whatsoever.
posted by athenasbanquet at 4:38 PM on February 9, 2014

Response by poster: Thanks. I just needed a bit of reassurance.
posted by linettasky at 4:49 PM on February 9, 2014

Think about whether you're likely to want to travel internationally with your kids anytime in the next 5 years, though (Canada? Mexico?), especially by air.

The passport card's not good for much. So it might save you money long term to just get the books now.
posted by leahwrenn at 5:13 PM on February 9, 2014 [2 favorites]

I use it almost daily down here in the VI. It isn't good for much elsewhere though, as leahwrenn said.
posted by karst at 5:27 PM on February 9, 2014