FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

National TCI Status Cards

You are eligible if you have acquired status:

As of right (Through birth, adoption or decent); or
By Grant (Marriage to a Belonger, BOTC and British Citizen Route and Dependent child of a spouse of a TC Islander).

Applicant’s Birth Certificate
Applicant’s Marriage Certificate
Mother’s / Father’s Birth Certificate
Applicant’s Adoption Certificate (where applicable)
Applicant’s Divorce Certificate (where applicable)
Applicant’s Belonger Certificate
Applicant’s Husband’s/Wife’s Birth Certificate
Two certified passport sized photographs of applicant
Applicant’s Naturalization/Registration Certificate
Evidence of Residence in the islands (where applicable)

The first National TCI Status card is free of charge.

The standard approval process time is 2 weeks. However, the time frame may vary depending on the case.

Application forms are available at the Customer Service Centers in Grand Turk and Providenciales. Or you may CLICK HERE

If damaged, you must complete and submit the following:

The replacement card form,
The damaged card
Two photos (One must be notarized)
The fee of $50.00.

If lost or stolen, you must submit the following:

The replacement card form,
A police report
Two photos (One must be notarized)
The fee of $50.00.

TCI Status through Marriage

You may be eligible for TCI Status through marriage to a Belonger if the following criteria is meet:

You are married to a Belonger
You have been living with your spouse for at least 10 years continuously at the time of application
You have been legally resident in the islands for a period of 2 years at the time of application
You are a current Resident Permit holder
You are of good character

Two passport photos (must be passport photo size, with a white or cream background).
Birth certificate (if not in English, must be accompanied by a translated copy into English, signed by the translator and certified by a Justice of Peace or Notary Public)
Police certificate (proving good character and issued in the last 6 months)
Applicant’s ID page of passport (photo page)
Marriage certificate
Spouse’s ID page of passport (photo page)
Treasury receipt for $1,650 ($150 application fee and $1,500 Belonger fee)
Copy of pages from your passport (including exit and entry stamps) and Residence permit(s) or Work permit(s) or PRC or a Letter from your employer confirming employment and length of time employed
Spouse’s National Turks and Caicos Islander Status Card or

Spouse’s mother and father’s birth certificates (if spouse born outside)

Spouse’s mother and father’s marriage certificate (if spouse born outside TCI)

Spouse’s birth certificate (if not in English, must be accompanied by a translated copy into English, signed by the translator and certified by a Justice of Peace or Notary Public)

Administration fee of $150.00 which is non-refundable and an application fee of $1500.00 which is refundable if the application is refused.

Application forms are available at the Customer Service Centers in Grand Turk and Providenciales. Or you may CLICK HERE

The standard approval process time is 6 months. However, the time frame may vary depending on the case.

TCI Status by grant (through the Turks and Caicos Islander Status Commission)

You may be eligible for TCI Status by grant if the following criteria is meet:

Applicant is the dependent child of a person who is accorded Islander Status by virtue of marriage to an Islander who acquired status other than by virtue of marriage.
Applicant must have been born in the Islands to parents who at the time of their birth were legally resident in the islands; has acquired BOTC by virtue of section 15(4) of the BNA 1981; has been legally resident in the Islands for a period of at least 10 years and has attained the age of eighteen years.
Applicant is a British Citizen who has been legally resident in the islands for a period of at least ten years.
Applicant is a British Citizen who has held a permanent residence certificate for a period of at least five years.

Application forms are available at the Customer Service Centers in Grand Turk and Providenciales. Or you may CLICK HERE

Applications may be submitted annually, between June 1 and September 30.

The completed application must be submitted through the Customer Service Center in Grand Turk or Providenciales.

	Two passport photos (must be certified, passport photo size, with a white or cream background).
	Certified copy of birth certificate (if in a foreign language, it must be accompanied by an English translated copy, signed by the translator and certified by a Justice of Peace or Notary Public)
	Police certificate (proving good character and issued in the last # months)
	Certified copy of pages from your passport (including exit and entry stamps)
	Proof of Education & Skills (certified copies)
	Proof of residence
	Letter from your employer confirming employment and length of time employed
	Proof of NIB contribution
	Certificate of Good Health
	Three character references (from TC Islanders along with National Status Card or other proof of TCI Status)
	Treasury receipt for $5,150.00 ($150.00 administrative non-refundable fee and $5000.00 application fee)

If applying under Section 4(2) - British Overseas Territory Citizen or British Citizen
	Certified copy of proof of citizenship
	Certified birth certificate of dependant children and proof of their residency in the Islands.

If applying under Section 4(4) -Dependant child of a person who acquired Islander status through marriage
	Proof of parents’ status (certified copy) (if applying as of birth in the Islands to parents who at the time of their birth were legally resident)

If applying under Section 4(5) - born in the Islands to parents who at the time of birth were legally resident in the Islands
	Certified copy of proof of parents Permanent Residence Certificate, Residence Permit or Work Permit

If applying under Section 4(6)(b) –person under eighteen years, and was endorsed on a PRC (certified copy)
	Certified copy of proof of endorsement on a PRC

If applying under Section 4(6)(c) – person is the child of a person who is the spouse of an Islander, who has not been adopted by the spouse who is an Islander or who is not the biological child of the Islander, who was endorsed in that person’s Residence Permit
	Certified copy of proof of endorsement on a Residence Permit

NOTE : Any other document(s) that the applicant deems may be helpful in supporting his application is welcome.

(X) = to indicate that the document has been submitted with the application.

Registration & Citizenship

New Birth Certificate

It can take up to 5 weeks or sooner to get a new birth certificate, depending on when the hospital sends us the copy of birth returns.

Reprint

The time frame for processing a reprint of a birth certificate takes up to 3 weeks to allow proper research and confirmation of details done by our research officer. Submitting a copy of your birth certificate helps with processing.

Naturalizations are only signed for and collected in front of the Head of the Governor’s Office. One must take an oath and must sign for the naturalization in his presence.

You can collect someone else’s documents by presenting a letter of consent from the applicant, or if your name was initially added to the applicant’s receipt.

There is no expedited service offered for these services.

You should at least put your application in 2 months in advance to allow proper investigation to be completed.

Most documents have to be signed off by our Registrar of Deeds who is stationed in Grand Turk.

A travel document is valid for 3 months

Your consulate will be better able to assist you with your documentation by satisfying the requirements needed for your nationality to be able to travel to another country.

Documents are to be collected at the Customer Service Center.

Visa & Resident Permit

A person intending to enter or, as the case may be, depart from the Islands shall, if required to do so by an immigration officer, produce for inspection––a passport, visa, or document evidencing nationality or identity, or a document evidencing permission to enter any country, in his possession; or a ticket, or some other means of travelling to some other country which he will be able to enter, in his possession.

A person who fails to comply with any requirement commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $500

An application for a visa shall be made from outside the Islands— to the nearest British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate; to the Director of Immigration, Grand Turk; or to the Turks and Caicos Islands representative at the Turks and Caicos Islands office in London, England, or New York, United States of America.

Forms can be downloaded from www.gov.tc

An application for a Student Visa shall be made from outside the Islands— to the nearest British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate; to the Director of Immigration, Grand Turk; or to the Turks and Caicos Islands representative at the Turks and Caicos Islands office in London, England, or New York, United States of America.

You can apply directly to the Immigration Department once you have been accepted by a local institution. You should remain outside the territory until your student Visa is approved.

All completed application are received at the Customer Service Departments on Grand Turk and Providenciales. No applications are received directly from the public.

Application processing can take up to three weeks from receipt of application by the Immigration Department. However, if the application you have submitted, requires no interview, additional documents or information, the processing time would be (to a final decision) two (2) weeks.

Application processing in the Investor, Home Owner and Independent Means categories can take up to six (6) weeks. However, if the application you have submitted in the Residence Spousal category and requires interview (investigations), additional documents or information, the processing time would be (to a final decision) six (6) months.

There is a processing fee for endorsement of spouse and dependent children under the age of 18 years.

We retain your contact details and may call or email you. Outcome of Visa and Residence Permit Meeting are published on the Immigration Department’s section of www.gov.tc. You may also write to us at visasecretary@gov.tc for Visa enquiries or residencesecretary@gov.tc for Residence Permit enquiries.

General enquiries can be made to infobordercontrol@gov.tc

In the case of a refused Visa Application, the applicant may appeal to the Minister of Immigration within 14 days of the refusal. In the case of a refused Residence Permit, the applicant may appeal the outcome to the Appeals Tribunal within 14 days of the refusal. Documents related to refused Visa are returned to clients through Customer Service Department.

Applications that have been refused by Minister and Appeals Tribunal will have no further recourse.

Frequently Asked Questions

National TCI Status Cards

TCI Status through Marriage

TCI Status by grant (through the Turks and Caicos Islander Status Commission)

Registration & Citizenship

Visa & Resident Permit

USEFUL LINKS

Grand Turk

Providenciales

Contact