Turks and Caicos to Drop COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement

Starting April 1, the island will no longer require vaccination against COVID-19.

Starting Saturday, one of the final COVID-19 restrictions for travelers to the popular destination of Turks and Caicos will be lifted.

The 40-island archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean will no longer require vaccination against COVID-19 as an entry requirement, according to a recent advisory from the Ministry of Health and Human Services of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government. However, the advisory does strongly recommend that eligible travelers receive both the COVID-19 vaccine, and the flu vaccine, but neither will be a requirement for entry to the islands. The government provides current updates on travel advisories on their website.

“Taking into consideration where we are as a nation as it relates to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Cabinet at its meeting on 22nd March 2023, made the following decision in relation to the Arriving Passengers Regulations: Effective 1st April 2023 All visitors traveling to the Turks and Caicos Islands will NOT be required to show proof of the Covid-19 Vaccine.” the Minister of Health and Human Services Honourable Shaun D. Malcolm said in a statement.

The COVID-19 vaccine requirement was one of the last travel restrictions for the islands, The island no longer requires masks, and there are no capacity restrictions within tourism establishments or restaurants.

Turks and Caicos is a popular tourism destination, and a major port for passengers aboard cruise ships. 734,446 passengers visited Turks and Caicos aboard a cruise ship in 2022, which was a dramatic increase from the 26,573 passengers who visited the islands in 2021, according to government tourism data.

Turks and Caicos is a collection of 40 different islands spanning a surface area of 37 miles. The major islands where tourists visit include Providenciales, Grand Turk, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, and Salt Cay. The islands are home to popular resorts such as Beaches Turks and Caicos, The Ritz Carlton Turks and Caicos, and Aman’s Amanyara.

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