Visitors to the Virgin Islands are being reminded of the Environmental and Tourism Levy of $10.00 to be paid upon arrival at all ports of entry. The Levy became effective on September 1, 2017.

Funds generated will be used to protect the Territory’s environment; and will be applied towards activities related to environmental protection and improvement, minimising climate change, maintaining and developing tourism sites, and other tourism activities.

Upon arrival, the Immigration Officer stamps the visitor’s Entry and Departure (ED) card, then presents the stamped ED card to the Customs Officer who collects the money and issues an environmental and tourism levy ticket. Payments using cash and all major credit and debit cards will be accepted.

All visitors age three years and older are expected to pay the levy. The legislation makes provision for the following persons to be exempted:

1. residents and belongers;
2. non-residents two years or under;
3. officers of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court;
4. guests of the Government;
5. official representatives of the Government of any country/Territory;
6. persons accorded diplomatic privileges in accordance with the Diplomatic Privileges Ordinance; and
7. persons exempted by the Minister by Order published in the Gazette

Other exemptions include visitors arriving in the Virgin Islands on a second or subsequent occasion in the course of the same visit; persons in transit who on arrival do not leave the airport or dock; crew of vessels and cruise passengers arriving to the Territory via cruise lines.

Belongers residing outside of the Territory are not required to pay the levy but must provide the Immigration Officer with their Belongers Card or BVI passport as proof of their status.

The Environmental Protection and Tourism Improvement Fund Act, 2017 was passed on June 9 and subsequently gazetted on June 12, 2017. It states that all visitors arriving to the Territory via air or sea are required to pay the levy. An official announcement was made by the Government on July 14, 2017.