The Office of the Lieutenant Governor accomplished another milestone in its goal of improving the level of customer service that it offers to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands by opening the Frederiksted Passport Office.  The Frederiksted Passport Office was officially opened for business on February 16, 2010 and welcomed its first customers that same day.

Lieutenant Governor was joined by Ms. Ivette Rodriguez, Customer Service Manager for the Miami Passport Agency for the festive event.  Both hailed the opening of the passport office as a opportunity to make passport products more accessible to a larger segment of the community.  “I am hopeful that this new office makes it easier to residents of the Frederiksted area to apply for passports and to be in compliance with travel regulations that went into effect late last year,” said Lt. Governor Francis.
 
Ms. Rodriguez spoke extensively about the passport card, a passport product which was introduced in 2008.  The passport card is an alternative to the full passport for land and sea travel between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.  State Department regulations that went into effect last year require that U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry must have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the U.S. Government.  Persons traveling by air outside of the U.S. must also have a passport in order to enter or re-enter the country. 

The opening of the Frederiksted Passport Office now gives the territory a total of four passport acceptance facilities.  The Frederiksted Office, which is located at #1 Lagoon Street, adjacent to the Legislature complex, can be contacted at 772-0158.  The territory’s other passport offices can be contacted at the following numbers:

Christiansted, St. Croix  773-6449
St. Thomas   774-4024
St. John    776-6737

Passport information is also available on the Office of the Lt. Governor’s website at www.ltg.gov.vi.