The Cayman Islands relaxed entry rules for vaccinated travelers and children on Thursday, eliminating testing and mask rules.
The Caribbean island, which only welcomes vaccinated travelers and unvaccinated visitors under 12, no longer requires pre or post-arrival COVID-19 testing, according to the Cayman Islands Government.
Previously, the Cayman Islands required visitors to get tested the day before their trip and then again several times after arriving.
All travelers to the Cayman Islands will still be required to apply before coming on the Travel Cayman Portal where they will receive a travel certificate. Vaccinated travelers must apply no less than 72 hours before their departure, while unvaccinated travelers — including children — must apply five days before their trip.
Visitors must also have a “suitable Medical and Travel Insurance, which you should ensure that COVID-19 is not an exclusion to the existing policies,” according to the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism.
The travel application does not apply to cruise travelers.
The island makes an exception to its vaccination rule by allowing unvaccinated travelers who own a local property or business to come.
While the Cayman Islands is dropping mandatory pre-arrival testing, the island does still recommend people get tested with rapid tests each day for the first seven days of their trip.
The island joins several other destinations in the Caribbean that have loosened or dropped COVID-19-related entry rules. Earlier this month, the Bahamas also eliminated all pre-arrival testing for vaccinated travelers, and the British Virgin Islands stopped requiring travelers to register on its BVI Gateway Travel Portal or show proof of travel insurance, regardless of their vaccination status. Saint Lucia has also eliminated testing for vaccinated travelers, while Grenada, Aruba, and Bonaire have taken it even further by eliminating all pandemic-related entry rules.
This month the United States also dropped pre-arrival testing rules, which in turn extends to its Caribbean territories’ Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she’s not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
