Entry Requirements

All visitors, including those from the U.S. and the British Commonwealth countries, must have a valid return or ongoing plane ticket. All persons 12 years of age or older are charged a departure tax of CI$20. Tax is included in the airfare.

Passports

All U.S. citizens traveling to the Cayman Islands must carry a valid passport. Canadian and U.K. citizens are not required to carry a passport but need to provide proof of citizenship, such as an original birth certificate with a raised seal or a notarized copy of a birth certificate, and a valid government-issued photo ID. Citizens of all other nations need a passport for entry into the Cayman Islands. Travelers who carry passports must ensure their passport is valid for up to 6 months after the scheduled date of return to the home country.

Remember, if you are not a U.S. citizen and you are stopping in or traveling through the U.S., or a U.S. territory (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) before arriving in the Cayman Islands, you will need a passport and possibly a U.S. visa. For the most up-to-date information on obtaining transit visas for the U.S., consult http://travel.state.gov.

Visit www.frommers.com/planning for information on how to obtain a passport. For other information, please contact the following agencies.

For Residents of Australia -- Contact the Australian Passport Information Service at tel. 131-232, or visit the government website at www.passports.gov.au.

For Residents of Canada -- Contact the central Passport Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (tel. 800/567-6868; www.ppt.gc.ca).

For Residents of Ireland -- Contact the Passport Office, Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (tel. 01/671-1633; www.irlgov.ie/iveagh).

For Residents of New Zealand -- Contact the Passports Office at tel. 0800/225-050 in New Zealand or 04/474-8100, or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.

For Residents of the United Kingdom -- Visit your nearest passport office, major post office or travel agency, or contact the United Kingdom Passport Service at tel. 0870/521-0410, or search its website at wwwe.ukpa.gov.uk.

For Residents of the United States -- To find your regional passport office, either check the U.S. State Department website or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free number (tel. 877/487-2778) for automated information.

For a country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov.

Visas

Visas for the Cayman Islands are not required for U.S., Canadian, U.K., or E.U. citizens, as well as citizens of several countries in South America and the Middle East. Consult www.caymanislands.ky, or your nearest Cayman Islands tourist office, for a full list of nationalities that are required to carry a visa. To apply for a visa for the Cayman Islands, you must contact your nearest British Consulate or High Commission Office.

Customs

For answers to complicated questions about what you can and cannot bring into the Cayman Islands, contact Cayman Islands Customs (tel. 345/949-4573 or www.caymanislandscustoms.com).

What You Can Bring into the Cayman Islands -- Cayman Islands Customs authorities enforce strict regulations regarding temporary importing or exporting of firearms of any kind, spear guns, pole spears, Hawaiian slings, live plants, and plant cuttings. Raw fruits and vegetables are also restricted. Visitors age 18 or over are allowed to bring in -- duty-free -- 4 liters of wine or one case of beer; 1 liter of alcohol; and 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco.

What You Can Take Home from the Cayman Islands -- If you are thinking of bringing sea turtle products back home, first consult the website of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (www.cites.org). The Convention strictly prohibits the importation of sea turtle products into the countries that have signed the agreement. The U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are among the 171 countries that adhere to this convention. In addition, U.S. Customs prohibits the transshipment of turtle products through the United States, and any products discovered will be confiscated.

U.S. Citizens: Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for at least 48 hours are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, US$800 worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll be charged a flat rate of 4% duty on the next US$1,000 worth of purchases. Be sure to have your receipts handy. On mailed gifts, the duty-free limit is US$200. With some exceptions, you cannot bring fresh fruits and vegetables into the United States.

For specifics on what you can bring back, download the invaluable free pamphlet Know Before You Go online at www.cbp.gov (click on "Travel," and then on "Know Before You Go"), or contact U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667; www.cbp.gov), and request the pamphlet.

Canadian Citizens: Canada allows its citizens a C$750 exemption, and you're allowed to bring back duty-free one carton of cigarettes, one can of tobacco, 40 imperial ounces of liquor, and 50 cigars if you meet the minimum age requirements set by the province or territory where you enter Canada. In addition, you're allowed to mail gifts to Canada valued at less than C$60 each day, provided they're unsolicited and don't contain alcohol or tobacco (write on the package "Unsolicited gift, under C$60 value"). All valuables should be declared on the Y-38 form before departure from Canada, including serial numbers of valuables you already own, such as expensive foreign cameras. Note: The C$750 exemption can be used only once a year and only after an absence of 7 days. For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (tel. 800/461-9999 in Canada or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca).

U.K. Citizens: U.K. citizens have a Customs allowance of 200 cigarettes; 50 cigars; 250 grams of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of still table wine; 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% volume); 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine, or other liqueurs; 60 cubic centimeters (mL) of perfume; 250 cubic centimeters (mL) of toilet water; and £145 worth of all other goods, including gifts and souvenirs. People under 17 cannot have the tobacco or alcohol allowance. For more information, contact HM Customs & Excise at tel. 0845/010-9000 (from outside the U.K., 020/8929-0152), or consult the website at www.hmrc.gov.uk.

Australian Citizens: The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$900 or, for those under 18, A$450. Citizens over age 18 can bring back 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, and 2.25 liters of alcohol. If you're returning with valuables you already own, such as foreign-made cameras, you should file form B263. A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Citizens: The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 can bring back 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture of all three if their combined weight doesn't exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor. New Zealand currency does not carry import or export restrictions. Fill out a certificate of export, listing the valuables you are taking out of the country; that way, you can bring them back without paying duty. Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice No. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs, The Customhouse, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).

Medical Requirements

Unless you're arriving from an area known to be suffering from an epidemic (particularly cholera or yellow fever), inoculations or vaccinations are not required for entry into the Cayman Islands.