Expert: Drew Wilmoth - 9/9/2007

Question
I am an Indian national but resding in the US on a work visa (no green card). I will be arriving in the cayman islands on a cruise ship. Do I need a Visa to enter the islands ? I read somewhere that if you are arriving on a cruise ship, you need not worry about Visas irrespective of nationality. Is this correct ?

Answer
Both the Cayman Islands Department of Immigration and the Tourism Department post identical guidelines for Indian nationals.  Citizens of India require a visa to enter the Cayman Islands.  

There is no mention of an exception for cruise ship arrivals, and Indian citizens are specifically mentioned among those nationalities which require a visa for in-transit entry to the Cayman Islands.  

Make your application for a Cayman Islands visa through the nearest British Embassy or Consulate with a visa section. Your present work visa in the United States should ease your application, but it does not exempt you from obtaining a visa.

Please also check with your cruise line.  If you do not have valid visas for each port of call, the cruise line may deny you boarding.  It is not usually possible to simply agree to stay on the ship in those countries for which you do not have a visa.