Puerto Rico Travel Restrictions: Latest Advice, Entry Requirements for Tourists

Puerto Rico continues to be among the most accessible travel destinations for Americans in the time of COVID-19 as U.S. visitors don't need a passport or a negative coronavirus test result before returning home in order to experience the coveted Caribbean island. The destination has implemented enhanced health and safety protocols over the last year and continues to boast beautiful beaches, an array of nature and enchanting history and culture. Traveling to Puerto Rico will come with new challenges in 2021, but knowing what to expect will go a long way toward ensuring a positive experience in the U.S. territory.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Puerto Rico due to the ongoing pandemic, advising against travel to the island but offering guidance for those who decide to visit, including pre- and post-travel COVID-19 testing, wearing a face mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitizing.

Visitors to Puerto Rico must complete a Travel Declaration Form through the Puerto Rico Health Department's online portal at travelsafe.pr.gov and provide proof of a negative PCR molecular COVID-19 test result obtained no more than 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid quarantine. After uploading their test results to the portal, travelers will receive an Airport Exit Confirmation number and QR Code. The island isn't accepting rapid tests, noting that they can sometimes yield false results. Arriving passengers can also expect to be pre-screened via thermographic cameras that monitor temperatures and should anticipate enhanced protocols at baggage claim. Travelers arriving without a negative test result will be required to quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay, whichever is shorter, or until negative test results are provided digitally to the Puerto Rico Health Department. San Juan's Luis Munoz Marin International Airport offers on-site testing at a cost of $110. Fortunately, because Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, visitors are excluded from the CDC testing requirement for travelers returning to the U.S.

Puerto Rico continues to enforce elevated health and safety measures across the island, including social distancing, mandatory face-coverings in public areas and some restrictions on businesses such as limited capacities and enhanced standards of cleanliness to meet CDC and EPA guidelines. Puerto Rico's public beaches and natural reserves have reopened with social distancing guidelines while restaurants are operating at 30 percent capacity. Attractions like casinos, museums and even hotel pools are operating at 50 percent capacity while bars remain closed in an effort to slow the spread. Meanwhile, an island-wide curfew is in effect from midnight to 5 a.m.

Travelers can find plenty of cheap flights to Puerto Rico in the coming months, especially if flying on budget-friendly carriers such as Spirit and Southwest. Spirit is offering nonstop roundtrip flights between Washington, D.C. and San Juan for as little as $170 in March, based on Google Flight data, while Southwest is advertising nonstop roundtrip options between Fort Lauderdale and San Juan for as low as $160 roundtrip. There are also excellent deals to be had on hotel and resort stays. For example, Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve is offering savings of 15 percent on four-night stays and 20 percent off of five-night stays for bookings made by April 30, 2021, for travel through September 6, 2021.

Let an experienced travel advisor help you plan and book your Puerto Rico vacation in 2021. The right advisor-head to TravelSense.org to begin your search based on your destination and trip type-can save you time and stress of course, but also money. Advisors can help personalize your experience in Puerto Rico as well. In the time of COVID-19, a travel advisor can take the worry out of traveling outside of the mainland U.S. and help you protect your investment with the right travel insurance policy.