Private jet to the British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the north-east Caribbean, next to the US Virgin Islands. More than fifty islands and cays cover about 153 km², some sixteen of them inhabited, with about 39,000 people in all. Tortola holds the capital Road Town, most hotels and the marinas; Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke are reached by boat, helicopter or small aircraft. The territory is not part of the United Kingdom: it has its own immigration and customs, uses the US dollar, speaks English and drives on the left.

For a private flight to the British Virgin Islands one figure decides almost everything: the runway at Beef Island, the only airport for jets, is about 1,415 m long. Midsize and some super midsize jets from Europe land there after a fuel stop in the Azores, light jets and turboprops fly the regional legs, and heavy and long-range jets land at St Thomas, Sint Maarten or Antigua, and the last few miles are flown by turboprop or helicopter, or crossed by boat. Most guests come to sail: the islands are one of the main yacht charter bases of the Caribbean.

Tell us your dates, the island or yacht you are heading for and the number of guests; we reply with aircraft and routing options.

Why go by private jet

Flight times and the Azores stop

From London Farnborough, a Praetor 600 reaches Tortola in 10:15 h including one stop, from Paris Le Bourget in 10:30 h and from Geneva in 10:50 h. The stop is normally at Santa Maria in the Azores, close to the direct track, so the detour is short and most of the extra time is the hour on the ground. From Lisbon the Praetor 600 flies non-stop in 7:42 h, from Madeira in 6:45 h and from Tenerife in 6:44 h.

Landing on the short runway is rarely the problem; the departure is. A jet leaving Beef Island on a hot afternoon with fuel for the Atlantic may have to reduce its load, so the operator's performance calculation for the aircraft, the passengers and the date decides whether it uses the island or a neighbour. We confirm this in writing before a quote is accepted.

Prices for flights to the British Virgin Islands

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, with an aircraft based near the departure airport. Handling, landing and departure fees, the fuel stop and passenger taxes are added. The flight time is that of the first aircraft in the row.

To Tortola (Beef Island) from Europe

The midsize Citation Latitude costs EUR 55,000 from London and EUR 53,000 from Madrid, both with one stop; the larger Praetor 600 costs EUR 70,000 from London and EUR 74,000 from Geneva. From Lisbon the Praetor 600 crosses without a stop for EUR 52,000, from Tenerife for EUR 46,000.

Heavy and long-range jets to a neighbouring island

A Gulfstream G550 costs EUR 100,000 from London to St Thomas and EUR 100,000 from Paris to Sint Maarten. Add the onward leg from the regional table below, a helicopter or a boat. Landing at St Thomas means US entry with ESTA first and British Virgin Islands entry second; Sint Maarten and Antigua avoid the US check.

Regional flights to Tortola

From St Thomas a Pilatus PC-12 costs from EUR 6,000 and takes 36 minutes; from Sint Maarten or San Juan EUR 6,500. From Miami a Citation CJ3 costs EUR 15,000. Every one of these flights crosses into the British Virgin Islands from another jurisdiction: which operator may fly a given leg differs, so we usually propose an operator based in the region and confirm its permit.

Passenger taxes in Europe follow the departure airport. France applies its solidarity tax per passenger, from about EUR 420 if the British Virgin Islands are classed with the UK to about EUR 2,100 if the distance decides, as the quote will confirm; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger on a route this long, Austria EUR 12. Leaving the UK, an aircraft under 5.7 t pays no Air Passenger Duty, a jet of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats pays the higher private-jet rate, and other jets the standard rate of their band. Germany, Norway and the Netherlands (from 5.7 t) charge their own taxes. Leaving Beef Island, a departure tax and airport fees are paid in the terminal, normally through the handler. All of it is shown in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three trips in figures

Per passenger

Price calculator

Enter your route for an instant estimate by e-mail:

Beef Island and the other airfields

Beef Island does not operate at night: handlers work in daytime, with no movements after 21:00, and customs outside the staffed hours is arranged in advance. A long day from Europe with a slow stop in the Azores can push the landing past this limit, so the departure from Europe is planned for an afternoon arrival.

Choosing the aircraft

Sailing bags pack better than hard cases in a midsize cabin; with more than six people and a week's luggage, a super midsize or a long-range jet via a neighbouring island is the comfortable choice. More models in the midsize jets catalogue.

Leave a number for a call from our team:

From the airport to the islands

A late landing on St Thomas therefore often means a night there before the crossing. Helicopter landings at villas or on boats need a site agreed in advance, and any flight between the US and British islands includes immigration at both ends.

Month by month

The high season runs from December to April with little rain and highs around 29 °C, and good sailing weather lasts into May; March is the busiest month. June and November are quiet shoulder months. The hurricane season lasts from June to November, peaking from August to October; in September some hotels and beach bars close. Empty Legs cluster after the holidays and at the end of the season in April and May, when jets based in the region for the winter head home to Europe or Florida.

Empty Legs

Legs out of the British Virgin Islands and the neighbouring islands also point to Florida and Puerto Rico. Send your direction and a window of a few days to empty-legs@jets.flights; a leg to St Thomas or Sint Maarten still needs the transfer to Tortola.

Entry, customs and permits

Customs asks for prohibited, taxed or dutiable goods to be declared; plants, agricultural products and animals need a permit. UK rules and the British ETA do not apply here, and a stop at St Thomas brings the separate US entry rules into play, described on the US Virgin Islands page, which also compares the two territories.

Dogs and cats

The British Virgin Islands have their own pet rules, separate from EU and US ones:

• An import licence from the Department of Agriculture in Tortola for each animal, applied for well before the trip; the Veterinary Division is told the arrival at least 24 hours ahead.
• A health certificate from a government vet issued shortly before departure, with treatment against internal and external parasites, a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and the usual dog or cat vaccinations.
• Animals arriving by air enter through Beef Island; a pet landing first at St Thomas falls under US rules as well, so we keep it on an aircraft that lands directly on Tortola.
• On board the animal stays in the cabin with you once the operator agrees; EU rules allow up to five per person.
• The islands are on the EU and UK lists, so no antibody test is needed for the return; a dog bound for Great Britain also gets tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before landing and uses an approved route.

Before departure

• Online embarkation card of the British Virgin Islands for every passenger.
• Address of the villa, hotel or yacht at hand for immigration.
• ESTA only if the route touches St Thomas or San Juan.
• Boat or helicopter for the last leg booked with the jet.
• Arrival time planned in daylight, before 21:00.

How booking works

1. Send the dates, passengers, luggage and the island or marina in the British Virgin Islands you are heading for.
2. We check the aircraft against the Beef Island runway and offer one-stop and gateway options.
3. You receive offers with operator, aircraft, routing and the total for the whole aircraft.
4. After signing and payment, the operator files for the BVI charter permit and the handler books customs.
5. The handler meets the aircraft; the transfer, boat or helicopter waits outside the terminal.

Questions about private flights to the British Virgin Islands

• • How much is a private jet to the British Virgin Islands?

  • From Tenerife or Madeira a Citation Latitude costs from EUR 44,000 to Tortola with one stop, and a Praetor 600 costs EUR 46,000 without one. From London a Citation Latitude costs EUR 55,000 and a Praetor 600 costs EUR 70,000, each with one stop.

• • Can a large jet land on Tortola?

  • No. Beef Island has about 1,415 m of runway, so heavy and long-range jets land at St Thomas, Sint Maarten or Antigua, and the last leg is flown by turboprop or helicopter.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • EU and UK citizens do not. Every passenger fills in the online embarkation card before arrival.

• • Do we need ESTA?

  • Only if the route goes through St Thomas or San Juan, which are US airports. A flight direct to Beef Island, or via Sint Maarten or Antigua, needs no ESTA.

• • How long is the flight from Europe?

  • A Praetor 600 takes 10:15 h from London with one stop and 7:42 h from Lisbon without one.

• • How do we reach Virgin Gorda?

  • By helicopter from Beef Island in under 15 minutes, or by ferry from Trellis Bay next to the airport.

• • Can we land at night?

  • No. Beef Island, the only jet airport of the British Virgin Islands, has no movements after 21:00, so arrivals are planned for the afternoon.

• • What is the time difference?

  • The islands keep Atlantic Standard Time all year, five hours behind Paris in winter and six in summer.

• • Can we bring our dog?

  • Yes, with an import licence from the Department of Agriculture and a health certificate. The dog enters through Beef Island and stays in the cabin.

• • When is the best season?

  • December to May for sailing weather; March and Christmas are the busiest. August to October carries the highest hurricane risk.

• • How early should we book?

  • At least a week for the charter permit and parking; for Christmas and the spring regatta several weeks ahead.