travel information

Visas

No passport needed for US travelers. Since Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, American citizens and permanent residents don’t need a passport to travel to the Island. However, you must always travel with a valid ID, such as a drivers license or a state ID card.

While US citizens and permanent residents and citizens from an additional 41 countries can visit Puerto Rico without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program for 90 days, citizens from over 140 countries located between Africa, Asia, Oceania and the majority of Latin America need a non-immigrant visa to visit Puerto Rico, whether it will be for business (B-1) or tourism (B-2) purposes.

  • Applying for a Puerto Rico tourism visa has essentially two steps: submitting a DS-160 form application and doing an interview at your local US embassy or consulate.

    You need a passport, a digital passport-style photo, plus your travel itinerary and travel history to complete your DS-160 form. You might need additional supporting documents about your visit’s purpose, profession and salary.

    Once you've finished the application, print out your confirmation page – you'll need it to make a payment and for your interview. Each official US embassy webpage details the protocol for paying your application and making an appointment.

    While some embassies require bank transfers or in-person payments, most will redirect you to third-party websites like Official US Visa Information and Appointment Services or UsTravelDocs to pay the non-refundable US$185 fee for non-immigrant visas. Both websites allow you to schedule appointments at a US embassy, the second step in your visa application process.

    For the in-person interview, you must submit the following:

    • Passport

    • A printout of the DS-160’s confirmation page with ID number

    • Printed recent passport-style photo

    • Receipt or evidence of visa fee payment

    • Copy of appointment letter

    • Intended travel itinerary

    • Supporting documentation (assets and employment proof, bank statements, etc)

    Your visa application process isn’t finished until you complete both steps. An additional reciprocity fee applies in some cases on the interview day. Once approved, your visa will be delivered to you via courier.

  • Invitation letters can be downloaded from your registration dashboard. This letter assists with your Visa application. You will be able to download an invitation letter once you have paid for your registration fee in full and have entered in your passport details.

    How to download the invitation letter:

    • Log on to the registration dashboard as a return delegate by entering your email and password.

    • Scroll the menu to the 'Document' section and select the button 'Enter Details'.

    • Every field must be filled in for a Visa letter to be generated. Once all details have been filled in, click 'GO'. You will be taken back to the main screen and now a button 'Download Letter' will appear and by clicking this it will generate a PDF visa letter.

    Please email the Conference Secretariat if you are having difficulties downloading a Letter of Invitation from your dashboard.

Flights

The largest and most accessible airport is Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, commonly known as the San Juan Airport (SJU). This airport is located just minutes from San Juan.

Flights to San Juan

Puerto Rico has 120+ daily nonstop flights to major cities throughout the United States.

The identity validation system CLEAR is now available at the airport, making travel even more seamless to and from San Juan. It offers expedited access to airport security lines by providing a quick identity verification experience. You only need to step up to a CLEAR pod to verify your identity instead of waiting in line to show your government-issued photo I.D.

    • There are nonstop flights available to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Hartford, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Newark, New York (JFK), Boston, Chicago (ORD), Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver and Cancún.

    • Frontier, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United, Spirit, Avelo Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines fly between Puerto Rico and the USA.

    • San Juan is the leading gateway to the Eastern Caribbean. Several airlines operate over 60 daily flights to over 12 destinations in the Caribbean. Airlines that fly to and from San Juan to the Caribbean include Cape Air, Air Antilles, JetBlue, Tradewind Aviation, Silver Airways, Intercaribbean Airways, Frontier, and Air Flamenco.

    • To Latin America, there are two flights to Panamá City, Panamá, and daily flights to Bogotá, Colombia.

    • To Europe, there are weekly non-stop flights from Madrid, Spain.

getting around on island

  • Every major car rental company has presence in Puerto Rico, so you have plenty of options to choose from.

    To see a car rental directory, please click here.

    A few driving tips for travelers in Puerto Rico are below:

    • driving around is simple with main avenues and major routes marked. If you are visiting more remote areas of the island, you may want to ensure you have hard-copy maps as GPS can get spotty

    • try to avoid San Juan's rush-hour of 8:00am - 10:00am and 4:00pm - 6:00pm

    • street parking can be scarce at times, so check with your hotel about parking availability

  • Ridesharing services are widely available in Puerto Rico, especially in urban areas like San Juan.

  • Taxi services are available throughout the island, especially in urban areas. Taxis can be hailed on the street or you can call to have one pick you up from a destination.

    The fare are paid in CASH only to the drivers and tolls and tips are NOT included. An additional fee for luggage, late-night, and airport drop-offs may be charged.



  • The Metropolitan Bus Authority runs throughout the island.

    At the airport you can locate the bus in Terminals A and D at the departure level.