Cayman Islands border reopening update | Divetech

FAQ:

If I am not vaccinated, can I travel to the Cayman Islands?

Under phase 4, only the following persons may travel here if they are unvaccinated: Caymanian citizens, permanent residents, work permit holders, or those who have close ties to the country. This would be persons who own local properties and businesses, or who are a spouse, civil partner, parent, step-parent, child, grandchild, step-child, or grandparent of a Caymanian or resident)

What if I cannot have my vaccine securely verified?

Provided your country of origin has a 1-jab community vaccination rate of at 60% or greater, you can apply to Travel Cayman for a "travel request." This means that your vaccination record must be reviewed by a staff member from Travel Cayman, and manually approved. As of this writing, we've been hearing about significant delays on this process, so if you cannot have your vaccine securely verified, we recommend as much time as possible before your trip to apply.

Also keep in mind, just because your state does not have a vaccine registry, does not not mean it cannot be verified. Many healthcare providers use systems that allow for verification. Please visit our blog post here for more information.

Can these plans change?

Yes. It is very important to note that the Cayman Islands Government can change these plans on very short notice, due to a number of factors, including the rates of community transmitted COVID19 cases, and hospitalizations. It is completely possible that Cayman can roll back into previous phases of reopening.

Cayman Islands border reopening information

As announced February 17, 2022 by the Cayman Islands Government, the following amendments will come into effect on Friday, February 18:

Securely verified travelers are no longer required to do on-island testing on Days 2,5 and 7.
Vaccinated travelers are no longer required to test prior to travel to the Sister Islands.
Gathering limits will be increased to 500 persons indoors and 1,000 persons outdoors.

Please note that pre-arrival testing (the day before departure) is still required for all travelers aged 5 and over.

The Cayman Islands officially entered Phase 5 of the reopening plan on Jan. 20, 2022, which means children aged 11 and younger are permitted to travel to the Cayman Islands regardless of the child’s vaccination status, provided they are traveling with a verified, fully vaccinated adult.

On this page is instructions on how to apply to travel to the Cayman Islands, instructions on what is required on your arrival and during your stay, and current flight information as the airlines have published it.

When traveling to the Cayman Islands, quarantine is not required for:

Securely verifiable fully vaccinated travellers.
Non-securely verifiable fully vaccinated travellers who travel from a country with vaccination rates that are 60% or higher for the first dose of the vaccine and where those travellers spent at least 14 days prior to the date of travel.
Caymanians/Permanent Residents who were fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine (locally or overseas).

Updated February 17, 2022

Flight info as of January 22, 2022

The following is announcements from various airlines in regards to re-establishing or expanding on their airline routes to and from Owen Roberts International Airport in Georgetown, with various hubs in the United States and Canada.

The fine print

The above procedures are required by law. If not completed, there will be a penalty of $300 KYD/$360 USD.

Self-administered lateral flow tests are not acceptable for the purpose of complying with the required testing for incoming travelers. For the purpose of complying with legal requirements the lateral flow testing of travelers must be certified by a Registered Health Care Provider in the Cayman Islands.

The day 10 test is the final test required for a traveller that has tested negative for all three tests, however, further testing may be required by Public Health should the traveller:

develop COVID-19 symptoms, or
become a primary contact to a COVID-19 positive case.

Contact us

If there is a question that is not answered here, kindly contact us and we will get back to you right away. Emails and text messages are answered in 1 business day or less.

Testing locations

Securely verified vaccinated travelers

CIG has updated their webpage covering who may be considered securely verified, and added a frequently asked questions section. Please visit it here:

https://www.exploregov.ky/faqs/securely-verified-vaccine-faqs

Lateral Flow Test Process

Upon arrival you will be provided with a card which will serve as a record of required lateral flow testing.
On days 2, 5, and 7 of your stay, you must attend one the healthcare provider locations listed below in order to be tested. Arrival counts as day 0. Where a visitor is departing in a shorter period of time, they can either chose to take a PCR test on day 5, or take both a PCR and lateral flow test on day 2. All tests will be done at the visitors expense. Each test is $25 (KYD) dollars.
Upon departure from the Cayman Islands, you must present your record of required lateral flow antigen testing, including the health care providers signature and official stamp for all test dates.

Children aged four years and under will not require testing. Those between the ages of 5-11 years will be required to undergo the same testing requirements as adults.

Where a traveler has a positive LFT COVID-19 test

If a traveller returns a positive LFT test, the medical facility alerts Public Health, and the person is then required to take a confirmatory PCR test at one of three locations on island.

Once the test has been confirmed, COVID-positive vaccinated individuals must isolate for six days and get a PCR test on day 7.

In accordance with general Public Health guidance, any person with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 disease should contact their local healthcare provider or the Flu Hotline to seek advice on the best next steps. The Flu Hotline can be reached on 1-800-534-8600 or 925-6327, 947-3077, or email flu@hsa.ky.

The Travel Cayman application process

All applicants will go to https://www.exploregov.ky/travelcayman and read the current Government instructions. On this page is a link to apply to Travel Cayman.
If you have not already done so, please create an account, and answer all of the questions. You'll need to complete the questions and process for each person traveling in your party.
If you have a securely verifiable vaccine - that is one with a QR code, then you'll be submitting a travel declaration. The process takes about 5 minutes to complete, and you'll be able to download a certificate for travel immediately. You can scan the code using your computer's camera, or you can upload the QR code directly to the website.
If your vaccine is not securely verifiable, you'll be submitting a travel request. The website's questions will guide you through the process. You'll need to upload a copy of your vaccine to the website, along with your flight information. The request then requires manual approval before your travel certificate is issued. Currently we are being told there is a backlog in this process, so we encourage travelers to apply as soon as they are able. Read our blog post here for more information on applying.

The process to travel to the Cayman Islands

Travelers exempt from quarantine can complete a travel declaration or travel request through the Travel Cayman portal.
All incoming travelers will require a negative lateral flow test administered by a certified health professional within 24 hours of your flight.
Upon arrival in the Cayman Islands, travelers exempt from quarantine are to undergo a lateral flow test on Days 2, 5, and 7 (3 tests in total) at the traveler's expense. Please note this is a change from the previous requirement of final testing on day 10.

More specific instructions are outlined below. These are subject to change at any time by the Cayman Islands Government.