Roadtown, Tortola - The Governor's Office on behalf of the Consular Directorate of the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office wishes to remind British nationals to ensure that their travel documents are in order.

Copies should be made of key documents, including passports, birth certificates, work permits and drivers' licenses, and stored in a safe place, separate from the originals. The original documents should be kept with you in waterproof bags or containers during any emergency situation, particularly in the event of an approaching hurricane or tropical storm now that we are in the hurricane season.

For those people who may wish to travel to the United States (US) either before, or immediately after a hurricane, it is essential that your documents are in order. It is extremely unlikely that anyone without appropriate documentation will be allowed to enter the US in any circumstances. Those who do plan to travel to the US should also be aware that the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) only operates for commercial flights and they should therefore also obtain a US visa if travelling on charter or private flights. Those nationals looking to travel under the VWP should also apply online for Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA).

British passport holders should note that the British High Commission in Barbados will no longer process passport renewals from August 3, 2009.  All British passports must be sent to the UK Passport Service Centre in Washington DC.  This will be the new passport production centre for the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the region.

The mailing address is: The UK Passport Service Centre for the Americas and Caribbean, British Embassy, 19 Observatory Circle, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.

British passport holders should note that they are able to renew their passports at a Passport Office in the UK providing the holder is in the UK at the time. Details of this service can be found at www.passport.gov.uk/passport_index.asp.

This change does not affect applications for British Overseas Territories Citizen passports, which will continue to be processed by the Civil Registry and Passport Office as before.

Those persons with passports expiring in the next six months should not send them away for renewal unless they have a second passport that could be used in the event of an emergency. US Immigration will accept a machine-readable British passport with at least one month's validity.

You can obtain more information, guidance and copies of application forms from the Civil Registry and Passport Office at telephone (468-3701 ext 3035/3036), Claire Hunter at the Governor's Office (Claire.Hunter@fco.gov.uk) or www.ukinusa.fco.gov.uk or www.ukinbarbados.fco.gov.uk

The Governor's Office would like to remind all other foreign nationals in the British Virgin Islands that the advice above also applies to them. If you have not already done so, you should consider registering with your nearest Consular mission. Further details can be found on your own government web pages.