DO I NEED A VISA FOR BERMUDA?
My husband and I are planning a holiday in Bermuda in March. We have booked tickets from Joburg to New York from where we plan to fly to Bermuda. We are both South African citizens with US visas that are valid for another seven or eight years. I cannot seem to find a concrete answer on whether our current visa will allow us entry into Bermuda. Some websites say yes, others say no. — Fiona Katergarakis
Bermuda is a self-governing British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly 1 000km southeast of the US mainland at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and an easy twohour flight from New York.
The island has its own constitution and government but the United Kingdom is responsible for its defence and foreign relations.
After exploring the matter of whether you need a visa or not to visit Bermuda, you have my sympathies — there is a lot of conflicting information out there, not helped by the fact that it is often impossible to determine how recently some sources were updated.
The official line from the government of Bermuda’s own website (gov.bm) is that “Bermuda entry visas and visa waivers will no longer be required for tourist and business visitors and work permit holders”. This rule came into effect in 2014. However, you do require a multiple re-entry visa for the US, UK or Canada, the three countries from which flights operate to Bermuda.
As you already hold valid US visas — which you present to immigration officials on arrival in Bermuda — you are able to comply with the territory’s entry requirements.
For the benefit of other readers, the UK, US or Canadian multiple re-entry visa must be valid for 45 days after the end of your stay, and We can help with your destination dilemmas, visa puzzles and itinerary ideas. E-mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za your passport also needs to be valid for at least 45 days after the last day of your travel to the islands. If either your passport or visa is not valid for 45 days beyond the last day of your trip, you will be denied entry to Bermuda. Naturally, you must also hold a valid return — or onward — air ticket.
Some websites also claim that you must book accommodation before arrival. While I couldn’t find any official confirmation of that, it makes sense to do so anyway.