North and Central America and Caribbean

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• The hurricane season in the British VirginIslands normally runs from June to November. See the Natural Disasters section of this advice and tropical cyclones page of the FCO Website for more details.
  
  
• There is one confirmed human cases of A (H1N1) (Swine Flu) in the British Virgin Islands. You can check for updates on the number of cases and their location through the Department of Disaster Management. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase has been raised to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated swine flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website.
  
  
• The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is a British Overseas Territory. There is no formal British diplomatic or consular representation in the BVI and the local authorities deal with all requests for consular assistance. 7 British nationals required consular assistance in the British Virgin Islands in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (2 cases); hospitalisations (3 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (0 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (0 cases). See the General (Consular assistance) section of this travel advice gives you more information about this.
  
  
• The crime rate is low, but you should take sensible precautions against petty crime.
  
  
• You should ensure your safety at sea and on the roads.  See the Road and Sea Travel sections of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance  for more details.