Beautiful Islands You Can Go to Without a Passport.

Puerto Rico

The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico is one of the closest Caribbean islands to the mainland United States.

Virgin Islands

St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John make up the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Hawaii

Although they are far away from the mainland of the U.S., the Hawaiian Islands are the nation’s 50th state, and like any other state there is no need for a passport to come ashore if you are an American. 

Dry Tortugas

One way to get away to an island that is beautiful and does not require a passport is to drive to the Florida Keys. U.S. Highway 1 connects the Keys. From the sport fishing capital of Islamorada to the bars and historical sites of Key West, this place makes for a great vacation.

The Caribbean islands belong to which country?

British – Anguilla, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos, Caymans, British Virgins are all British Overseas Territories.

French- Guadeloupe and Martinique and St Barts, plus half of Saint Martin are French.

USA – Puerto Rico and US Virgins are USA.

Dutch – Half of Saint Martin, Saba, Statia, Bonaire, Aruba and Curacao are Dutch.

Danish – The US Virgins used to be Danish!

There are 13 independent countries on the Caribbean islands, plus 15 (or 16, if one counts the far away Bermuda) territories, who still belong to USA, France, UK or Netherlands. Plus a good number of small islands, belonging to nearby countries, like Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras

The Caribbean countries are:

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas,

Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Haiti
Jamaica
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Puerto Rico
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Kitts & Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent
Trinidad & Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands

There are also thousands of islands that are part of the island countries of the broadly defined Caribbean region. 

Which Caribbean Destinations That Do Not Require a Passport

U.S.-administered territories and commonwealths do not require U.S. citizens to possess a passport for entry. In the Caribbean, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands fall into this category. The U.S. Virgin Islands include St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. U.S. citizens must show valid government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license. All other nationalities require a passport for entry; some also require a U.S. visa.

The U.S. recognizes a special category of countries that border the United States. In addition to Canada and Mexico, these include more than 35 islands in the Caribbean and are classified under the category “contiguous territories and adjacent islands.

Travelers Arriving by Air

Travelers arriving via air need a passport for entry to all non-U.S.-administered destinations.

Travelers Arriving by Land and Sea

Special rules apply to travelers arriving by land and sea. While a passport continues to serve as a valid arrival document, U.S. citizens may also consider the less expensive Passport Card. The wallet-sized card allows cross-border land entry from the U.S. to Canada and Mexico, as well as at Caribbean port-of-entry seaports. The Passport Card cannot be used for air arrivals. 

Special Rules for Cruise Passengers

U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port in the U.S., then travel to Caribbean destinations defined by the government as “contiguous lands and adjacent islands,” and then return to the same U.S. port on the same ship, do not need a passport. Passengers need two forms of identification including a government-issued photo ID plus a document verifying U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

Some REFERENCE web links

• Caribbean Tourism Organization: Latest Statistics 2010
• Caribbean Tourism Organization: Home
• U.S. Department of State: Processing Times
• U.S. Department of State: San Juan Passport Agency
• Welcome to Puerto Rico: Tourist Information
• Frommer’s: Introduction to Puerto Rico
• U.S. Virgin Islands: About Our Islands
• Go Hawaii: Discover Hawaii