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Puerto Rico Vacation Information
When considering a Caribbean Vacation, you should consider Puerto Rico as your destination. Since Puerto Rico is part of the United States, a passport is not necessary for United States citizens. We recommend that you always bring your passport when traveling to Puerto Rico. If for any other reason just in case you decide to visit one of the many foreign islands that are less than an hour away by plane. The U.S. Virgin Islands are also part of the United States and are only a 20 minute flight away but years away in culture.
Puerto Rico is officially a “self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States” which means that with very minor differences it’s like being in any part of the United States. American citizens do not need a passport to visit Puerto Rico and the only personal documents necessary to travel there are those required for any domestic flight, a government issued photo ID. The official currency is the US dollar and although Spanish is widely spoken, English is the official language. Puerto Rico inherited it’s Hispanic culture from 400 years of Spanish rule which ended when Spain ceded the island the United States in 1898. Puerto Ricans have held United States citizenship since 1917 but can also be Puerto Rican citizens under a law passed in 2006 but their United States citizenship supersedes their status as Puerto Ricans. The Puerto Rican Certificate of citizenship is not valid as a travel document and is largely symbolic.
The “Island of Enchantment” is home to 4 million people with more than a million living in the San Juan metropolitan area. San Juan’s Luis Munoz Marin (LMM) International Airport is the main gateway to Puerto Rico with nonstop flights from most large metropolitan areas of the mainland US. LMM is also the connecting point to flights destined to points further down the Caribbean. San Juan’s Cruise Port is also amongst the busiest in the world with many ships making their home port there year round.
So, have fun doing your research and consider a Puerto Rico Vacation. After all it’s America but foreign tropical, safe and fun.