TCI Travel Protocols (effective September 1st 2021)

Entry vaccepted COVID-19 vaccines in TCI

From 1st September 2021, all visitors to the TCI will need to meet the following entry requirements;

  • have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19
  • have been fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine: received the complete series or a combination of accepted mRNA or Adenovirus vector vaccines as outlined below AND;
    • have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to the day you enter TCI
    • Example: if your last dose was anytime on Thursday July 1st, then Friday July 16th would be the first day that you meet the 14-day condition
  • upload your proof of vaccination to the TCI Assured Portal TCI || Dashboard (turksandcaicostourism.com)
  • meet all other entry requirements (for example, pre-entry test)

Accepted COVID-19 vaccines in TCI

  • Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
  • Moderna (mRNA-1273, Spikevax)
  • AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
  • Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)

The list of accepted vaccines may expand in the future.

Accepted mixed COVID-19 vaccines

Mixing of accepted vaccines (in a two-dose series) is accepted for entry into TCI; once fourteen (14) days have passed since receiving the second dose.

Recovered from COVID-19 with one dose

If you have recovered from COVID-19, you still need a full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or combination of accepted vaccines. If you’ve only had one dose of an accepted vaccine other than Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), you don’t qualify for the fully vaccinated traveler entry requirement for visitors.

No exceptions for partially-vaccinated travelers

At this time, there are no exemptions for visitors who haven't received the full series of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines accepted by the TCI unless a medical exemption is provided by a licensed physician.

Dependents

Unvaccinated children under the age of 16 years who are accompanied by travelers who are fully vaccinated:

  • must follow all testing requirements (unless under the age of 10 years)

This applies to unvaccinated children under 16 years of age, who are accompanying a parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor who is a fully vaccinated traveler.

All unvaccinated children under the age of 16 years should be included as travelers in the submission to TCI Assured.

Traveling with unvaccinated dependent adults

Unvaccinated dependents age 18 or over, must follow all testing requirements and have proof of a medical exemption from a physician as specified, even when they are accompanied by parents or guardians who are fully vaccinated travelers.

Accepted medical exemptions from vaccination for visitors

Some persons may be exempted from vaccination against COVID-19 on medical grounds. This must be in the form of a signed and stamped certificate including the following information:

  • full name, gender and date of birth of the individual
  • registration number and contact details of a licensed healthcare professional in that jurisdiction
  • reason for medical exemption must be clearly stated/explained

Please note the Turks and Caicos Islands Government through the TCI Assured Portal reserves the right to accept or refuse medical exemptions and therefore can deny entry to the Turks and Caicos Islands on this basis.

Pre-entry test result requirements

All travelers 10 years of age or older, regardless of citizenship, must provide proof of a COVID-19 test result to enter TCI.

All travelers must provide one of the accepted types of tests including those who are fully vaccinated.

At this time, proof of having a vaccine will not replace a negative test result.

Travelers should keep proof of their test results for 14 days after their arrival into TCI.

Providing proof of your vaccination in TCI Assured Portal

In TCI Assured Portal, up to 72 hours before your travel, you must provide:

  • e-certificate/digital certificates
  • certification by Doctor or Government Entity
  • vaccination cards/certificates accepted by national authorities: e.g. EU, US, UK (i.e. CDC, NHS) a vaccination letter signed by a medical professional (physician or registered nurse) on official letterhead with contact details or Authorized Government Entity or printed record from an electronic vaccination database
  • the details of the first dose (date, country and vaccine you received)
  • the details of the second dose if one was required (i.e., for Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty, Moderna/Spikevax, and AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD vaccines)
  • a photo or PDF file of the record of each dose of the vaccination, such as receipts, cards, or confirmations:
    • if you received two doses and they are both recorded on a single card or PDF, upload that same image or file for dose 1 and again for dose 2
    • file formats accepted: PDF, PNG, JPEG or JPG
    • maximum file size for upload: each image upload has a 2 MB size limit
  • preferred file format: if you received a PDF file of your vaccination record, upload the PDF rather than an image, since the PDF is clearer and easier to read
  • these must be in English or a certified translation into English

Bring your original proof of vaccination with you while you travel for inspection.

RETURNING RESIDENTS

Fully Vaccinated in the Turks and Caicos Islands:

Upload TCI COVID-19 Vaccine E-Certificate when applying to the TCI Assured Portal. Pre-arrival test or quarantine on arrival are not required at this time.

Partially Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Resident:

All unvaccinated and partially vaccinated residents returning to the Turks and Caicos Islands must upload a negative COVID-19 Test to the TCI Assured Portal within 3 days of travel. On arrival, they will be required to quarantine themselves and their household for a period of seven days and undergo a mandatory test (that must be negative) prior to being released. Fully vaccinated residents are exempt from taking a COVID-19 test prior to reentering the country.

All returning residents, regardless of vaccination status are strongly advised to get tested for COVID-19 after arrival in the TCI.

Penalties for the submission of falsified test results or proof of vaccination;

Offence

  1. Any person who—
    • gives false information when completing the Travel Authorisation Form under regulation 4; or
    • otherwise contravenes the provisions of these Regulations (Turks And Caicos Islands Public And Environmental Health(Control Measures)(Covid-19)(Arriving Passengers Health Clearance) Regulations as amended commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of five thousand dollars or to a term of imprisonment for three months, or to both.