Caribbean Entry Requirements 2026: Visas, eTAs, and Partial Travel to the US

Do you plan to travel to the Caribbean Islands in 2026? Visa policies, eTAs (electronic travel authorizations), passport validity rules, and international travel advisories are all different from destination to destination. Knowing the rules will help you plan a trouble-free trip.

This guide explains current travel requirements for Caribbean countries, including who requires a visa, passport validity requirements, and which destinations issue an eTA. It also explains what the US travel restrictions for Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica introduced, including who they apply to.

Key Takeaways

US passport holders can travel to most Caribbean countries without a visa for 3 to 6 months.

Some Caribbean islands require most non-citizens to complete an online immigration form before travel, including Barbados, Grenada, and St Lucia.

Citizens of OECS member states can move freely in other OECS countries for leisure or work.

The United States imposed a partial travel restriction on Antigua and Dominica, restricting the issuance of several non-immigrant visas.

Most Caribbean islands have a travel advisory of Level 1. Some carry higher advisory levels due to concerns around security, crime, or health, including Cuba, Guyana, and Haiti.

• On 1 January 2026, the United States partially restricted visas for citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica. The ban does not apply to current US visa holders, nor does it affect those traveling to Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica.
• Antigua and Barbuda introduced a visa waiver suspension on 27 May 2026, suspending visa free entry for individuals traveling from Africa due to health risks posed by recent virulent outbreaks.
• St Kitts and Nevis eTA – a new eTA system commenced on 26 May 2025. Non-Caribbean nationals cannot enter without either obtaining an eTA prior to travel.

British Overseas Territories

Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, The Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos comprise British Overseas Territories in the region. Generally, the entry rules align with UK immigration procedures, but an eTA is not required. Travelers can visit visa free for up to 30 days and must have a passport valid for the length of their stay. Caribbean passport holders from other Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) can move freely in Montserrat.

French West Indies

Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), and the French half of Saint Martin (Saint-Martin) are French Departments and Overseas Collectivities. Guadeloupe and Martinique maintain Schengen visa rules (though they are technically not in the Schengen Area), which is entry without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days. St. Barts and Saint Martin are not part of the EU, but maintain the same entry rules.

Dutch Caribbean

The Dutch Caribbean consists of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. Most people traveling from visa-exempt countries (including the US, UK, Canada, and the EU) can enter without a visa for 6 months.

US Territories

As US territories, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico have the same entry requirements as the mainland United States. US citizens traveling directly from the mainland or between US territories do not need a passport if they have another form of government-issued photo ID. Other nationals must obtain a US ESTA authorization prior to travel.

The Free Movement of Persons Agreement of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) allows citizens of participating member states to reside and work indefinitely in another OECS country without a work permit or long-term visa.

This advantage applies even to those who have lawfully obtained a passport through the citizenship programs offered by Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and St Kitts and Nevis. This offers more mobility and the option to travel without a passport to Caribbean countries for business and other activities.

Regional travel is also made easier by allowing citizens, including those who obtain Caribbean citizenship by investment, to travel between participating countries with only a government-issued photo ID, in accordance with local immigration procedures at the border. Aside from the reduced travel burden, citizens qualifying under this arrangement have the right to work, live, and seize opportunities in every full member state of the OECS, making it one of the most important examples of regional integration among nationalities.

The United States enacted partial visa restrictions on citizens of Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica on 1 January 2026 (Presidential Proclamation 10998). The measures are not a blanket travel ban. The issuance of new B1/B2 visitor visas have been partially suspended, as well as F, M, and J visas for student and exchange visitors. Importantly, the restrictions do not rescind existing US visa holders from traveling to the United States, nor do they restrict travel to Antigua or Dominica.

Antiguans and Barbudans and Dominicans who held valid US visas prior to 1 January 2026 can still travel to the US with those visas unchanged. Along with the restriction, both countries were added to the United States Visa Bond Program. At least some new visitor visa applicants under this program may be required to post a bond of $5,000 to $15,000 (which is refundable) in order to receive the visa. The bond requirement only comes into play in very limited circumstances and does not impact current visa holders or all applicants.

Travel insurance isn’t a strict requirement to travel to most Caribbean countries; however, it is a travel addition that is strongly recommended for visitors to the Caribbean due to potentially high out-of-pocket medical expenses, the limited infrastructure of the Caribbean healthcare system, especially in remote areas, and the possibility of trip disruptions due to hurricanes and other natural disasters.

As a condition of entry to Cuba, all international visitors have been required to have travel insurance with medical coverage since 1 May 2010. Travelers arriving without adequate coverage may have to purchase a policy from Asistur, Cuba’s government-owned insurance provider, before being allowed into the country. This requirement is not contained in the country’s immigration law but is issued at the ministerial level by the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR) and enforced by immigration authorities.

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The United States Department of State issues travel advisories for all countries to assess the safety for foreign visitors. The advisories assess several risk factors, including terrorist violence, organized crime, healthcare, civil unrest, and other emergencies that can jeopardize travelers’ security.

The US State Department separates travel advisories into four risk tiers, with “1” being the lowest risk and “4” indicating the greatest concern for safety.

• Level 1: Exercise normal precautions
• Level 1 with risk: Exercise normal precautions with higher security risk
• Level 2: Exercise increased caution
• Level 2: Exercise increased caution with higher security risk areas
• Level 3: Reconsider travel
• Level 3 with risk: Reconsider travel with higher security risk areas to avoid
• Level 4: Do not travel

The risk indicators used in the US Department of State travel advisories identify targeted risks to travelers. Each letter stands for a specific concern and describes why a country has been issued its travel advisory level:

• Crime (C)
• Terrorism(T)
• Unrest (U)
• Health (H)
• Natural disaster (N)
• Terrorism(T)
• Time-limited event (E)
• Kidnapping or hostage-taking (K)
• Wrongful detention (D)
• Other (O)

There can be many risk indicators for a given location, so travelers can understand the types of risks at hand and make better, data-driven decisions before their trip.

Most countries in the Caribbean are assigned a “Level 1: Exercise normal precautions” travel advisory, making Caribbean tourism generally safe for travelers. The following destinations in the Caribbean have been issued a travel warning higher than Level 1:

Drug trafficking and violent crime are the primary risks in several Caribbean countries that carry Level 2 or Level 3 advisories. These concerns rarely affect tourists staying in secure Caribbean hotel compounds and tourist areas. Haiti’s Level 4 travel advisory from the US State Department sets it apart from much of the Caribbean due to severe concerns over civil unrest, violent crime, collapsed infrastructure, and a heightened risk of sexual assault.