Minister: Improvements To TA Form Process

July 15, 2022

[Updated] The “TA application form has been simplified to exclude questions that are no longer relevant,” repeat travelers to Bermuda “can automatically complete their TA based on past applications” and the TA system and the island’s vaccination data are now linked so locally vaccinated residents “will no longer have to upload their vaccine documentation,” Minister of Health Kim Wilson said.

Speaking in the House of Assembly today [July 15] the Minister said, “Starting last Sunday July 10, 2022, another set of improvements to the Travel Authorization [TA] form launched successfully. There are additional upgrades in progress and being completed which will provide an enhanced travel experience, which I will now explain.

“The TA application form has been simplified to exclude questions that are no longer relevant given the current status of the Covid pandemic such as asking travelers to provide a list of the countries visited prior to arriving in Bermuda, and how many family members are travelling in their party.

“Repeat travelers to Bermuda can automatically complete their TA based on past applications. This very key improvement allows the repeat traveler to avoid duplication of effort.

“Vaccinated residents previously needed to upload their vaccination certificate to the TA each time they completed the application. I am pleased to say that the TA system and the island’s vaccination data are now linked,” the Minister said.

“Locally vaccinated residents, residents who have been vaccinated oversees and have added their overseas doses to their Bermuda vaccine record, and repeat visitors will no longer have to upload their vaccine documentation. Again, this is another significant improvement using technology that will assist in ensuring a smoother traveling journey for visitors and residents alike.

“The TA process used to require the traveller to read and acknowledge legal disclaimers and confirm the accuracy of the information they provided by initialing in two places: on the application form and on the approved TA waiver. This has now been condensed, and the traveller provides initials only on the approved TA waiver.”

“We continue to further refine the system to create, as best as possible, a stress-free TA experience for the traveler,” Minister Wilson added.

Update 3.44pm: Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley said, “What is the Government waiting for? When will Bermuda stop “learning to live with Covid?’

“The streamlining of the TA, especially after the numerous issues and concerns raised over many months, is a step in the right direction! But not enough.

“Sadly, while other countries, including several of our direct competitors along with the US and UK, are opening borders and not requiring a Covid test for entry, Bermuda is continuing with mandates and restrictions.

“It is clear that in spite of what the government has said when introducing the TA it is now all about the money! Government can provide relief to Bermudians, residents and visitors to the island by ending the TA now!”

The Minister’s full statement follows below:

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members,

In early June I announced changes to the Travel Authorization that improved the process for travelers, and we continue to see travelers having better experiences due to those changes. The improvements included:

  • All travelers can start the TA process up to 30 days before their departure date. They can go online, fill out the form, and pay $40 early rather than waiting until just prior to their travel date. We continue to encourage applying for a TA as early as possible to prevent the TA becoming an urgent matter when that situation can be avoided.
  • All travellers receive a ‘pending review’ response, and then, later, an email is sent closer to their travel date reminding them to upload their negative test result. The TA review is completed once the test is uploaded, and at that point the traveller receives a final response.
  • Residents who do not intend to upload a pre-arrival test, receive an approved TA based on their vaccination certificate, and they are tested on arrival at the LF Wade International Airport.
  • Cruise passengers with Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines – who are the majority of our cruise visitors –get an approved TA based on their vaccination certificates. Their negative test result is checked at the pier when they board the ship, and they do not need to upload it.
  • TAs continue to be prioritised as follows: for air arrivals, by arrival date; for sea arrivals, by departure date.

That was June.

Mr Speaker,

Starting last Sunday July 10, 2022, another set of improvements to the Travel Authorization [TA] form launched successfully. There are additional upgrades in progress and being completed which will provide an enhanced travel experience, which I will now explain.

First, Mr Speaker,

The TA application form has been simplified to exclude questions that are no longer relevant given the current status of the COVID pandemic such as asking travelers to provide a list of the countries visited prior to arriving in Bermuda, and how many family members are travelling in their party. The answers to these questions were relied upon to guide our travel surveillance policy but, at this time, that information is not required.

Second, Mr Speaker,

Repeat travelers to Bermuda can automatically complete their TA based on past applications. This very key improvement allows the repeat traveler to avoid duplication of effort.

To explain, Mr Speaker –

  • At the beginning of the application process, repeat travelers will be asked to provide their email address.
  • A one-time verification code will be sent to that email address. Once that code is entered into the application form, it will bring up a list of traveler names who have submitted previous travel authorization applications linked to that email address. The relevant name or a family member’s name can then be selected, and all general information from their previous application will automatically load into a new application form. General information includes the traveller’s name, contact details, and passport details.
  • The verification process ensures that travelers will not see TAs for anyone not tied to their email address, to protect privacy.
  • As a security measure, the one-time code will only be valid for 10 minutes.
  • Travelers will only have to complete new information pertaining to their new trip, that is the flight or cruise details. All the information is editable except for the name and birthdate.

Mr Speaker, there is a third improvement –

Vaccinated residents previously needed to upload their vaccination certificate to the TA each time they completed the application. I am pleased to say that the TA system and the island’s vaccination data are now linked. Locally vaccinated residents, residents who have been vaccinated oversees and have added their overseas doses to their Bermuda vaccine record, and repeat visitors will no longer have to upload their vaccine documentation. Again, this is another significant improvement using technology that will assist in ensuring a smoother traveling journey for visitors and residents alike.

Also, Mr Speaker,

The TA process used to require the traveller to read and acknowledge legal disclaimers and confirm the accuracy of the information they provided by initialing in two places: on the application form and on the approved TA waiver. This has now been condensed, and the traveller provides initials only on the approved TA waiver.

Mr Speaker,

As I said, these upgrades and enhancements were introduced last Sunday – and the call centre has received numerous compliments about them – but it does not stop there. We continue to further refine the system to create, as best as possible, a stress-free TA experience for the traveler.

Mr Speaker,

Future travel authorization improvements will include:

  • A faster application review process by automating the review of vaccine and test documents, to confirm they meet Bermuda’s entry requirements. This feature will expedite the review process which is currently largely manual.
  • Additional features to ease the application process for families and groups travelling together are in development. Now that families can auto-complete their family’s TAs based on previous applications, the next step is to group those family applications together so that they can be reviewed and approved simultaneously to avoid the current mix of approval times for families travelling together.
  • The ability for travelers to check on the status of their TA application is another feature that is anticipated in the near future.
  • The ability for travelers to change the travel date on a TA application if travel plans have changed will soon be an option for the traveler as well. Currently, when travelers’ plans change and they need to revise their travel date, they must contact the call centre to have the changes made.

Mr Speaker,

As I have noted previously, there are three key things to remember about Travel Authorisations:

  • They are there to protect our borders, to ensure, to the extent possible, we can prevent cases of Covid from being imported. This protects both our visitors and residents.
  • The TA scheme is vital to help fund the island’s Covid-19 response. The TAs pay for the pandemic support they provide; testing at the borders, community testing for those that are unable to pay for testing, case management for those who test positive and the associated administration.
  • The TA form also captures information used by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, the Department of Immigration and HM Customs.

The Ministry of Health continues to work with all our stakeholders to provide a Travel Authorization process that is streamlined for travellers and that contributes to a safe Bermuda community for us all.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

covid-19 divider 1

You can find more information on the links below from our dedicated website BermudaCovid.com, which is the most comprehensive resource and historic record available of Bermuda’s handling of the pandemic.

  • All Charts: Vaccine, testing & more here
  • Timelines: Dates of major developments here
  • Test results: Chart of testing stats here
  • Vaccine: Data covering vaccinations here
  • Dedicated website: BermudaCovid.com

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Comments (22)

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  1. GRoI says:

    GET RID VOF IT. FFS are we not taxed enough. Your cash cow is not happy!Go find the missing MILLIONS and the 800K and other bill spent monies!Maybe sell Victoria House again?

    • WHAT? says:

      Start with the $185 million that the OBA gave to FF at the Morgan’s Point hotel.

      • sandgrownan says:

        Or Grand Atlantic, or perhaps Kings Wharf, the emissions testing centre, Port Royal, Berkeley……

        And you do know there would have been a hotel on Morgans Point for 20 years by now had it not been for the PLP.

        Idiot.

        • Joe Real says:

          Stop talking about the idiots that you troll for and run back and change the ubp name again with hopes of trying to win votes back. Pure comedy with the milkman holding the party together with a band aid, the 4 idiots and finally JET Gate.

          • Sandgrownan says:

            DREB was the original jet gate. Taxpayers cash to an old college buddy in a no bid contract.

            • Ringmaster says:

              Agreed, and after that where did the cash go? Remember his quote in an interview on TV “you will never be able to pin anything directly on me” (or something very close to that).

          • Question says:

            At least $100m wasted on Grand Atlantic.at this point, and the PLP are still adding bits to it every so often. Got to line the pockets of f&f contractors.

  2. Ringmaster says:

    The best improvement is to cancel it and encourage visors. Islands to the south must be laughing at Bermuda’s stupidity, while enjoying increased financial benefits.

    • swing voter no more!!! says:

      Dumbness is rampant in the oba party and you wonder why I stop voting for you. After you cancel the party I might cancel voting for plp.

      • Ringmaster says:

        Sorry you thought I meant visors, but the second sentence would have made it clear I misspelled “visitors”. By the way I doubt you ever voted for the OBA, neither did I.

      • People That Live i Glass Houses says:

        You say tha Dumbness is rampant in the OBA and that’s why you stopped voting for them? Who do you think you are fooling, you never did!
        Please give us you thoughts on the Berkley / ProActive contract, DLBE contract, Faith Based Tourism, Black Mayors Conference? What are your thoughts about the contract given to build Berkeley to a new contractor that went 60 million over budget and then bankrupt? What are your thoughts on the contract awarded to a new Solar Power company to outfit Nationals? Where is that company now? Remember that great idea called Sandys 360? Millions overpaid to government and where are we now! I could go on and on. So please don’t BS about being a swing voter when clearly your Tag Name should be Friend and Family

      • saud says:

        Hypocrisy, homophobia, racism and xenophobia are rampant in the plp party…that’s why you vote for them, because you’re a dumb bigot.

        • Billy says:

          The oba is the UBP and the fact that they had to change the name to run away from it’s racist past speaks for itself. They didn’t do anything for right besides get voted out 30-6. The only people holding the party together are their trolls.

          • saud says:

            The PLP is the racist party of present….do you know what that means? It means that your government got up on the worlds stage and proclaimed, as loudly as possible, that Bermuda is unwelcoming to gay people…not a good look for a tourist destination.

            Best of luck to you, but please…learn about hypocrisy and how it doesn’t look very good on you….you too, are a racist…just like the black and white members of the OBA and PLP.

      • sandgrownan says:

        You never voted OBA! Ever.

  3. Brian Fog says:

    Why are you discriminating against the unvaccinated?

    You are all just so pathetic!

  4. sandgrownan says:

    The minister is full of it..I completed the TA last night, same old BS, repeated over for each family member.

  5. Unknown800k says:

    Egomeir and his Muppets needs something to pay for there stupidest
    Well done voters.. I bet not one voter that’s not a FOF can tell me Teo yup just two things that they have benefited from under egomeir. All he does is feed his supporters what they need to hear

  6. Question says:

    It’s still s^%t, with sh%$t service. I completed it this week. Get rid of it. Everyone hates it.

  7. Rig says:

    Broke Government needs the $50k a day, this is now about revenue not Covid.

    Default coming soon, mark my words.

    • Question says:

      This isn’t about government revenue. It is certainly nothing whatsoever to do with public health.
      It’s about revenue for the software providers and their well-placed investors, who are getting rich off it.
      Isn’t that right, Mr Burt?

  8. Ringmaster says:

    The TAF clearly isn’t working, which is probably why the PLP insist on repeating the mistakes hoping for a different outcome. 56 now in hospital and the new variants are mostly to blame. How did they get here unless from people travelling abroad? Proof the TAF is not keeping Bermuda safe, so drop that it.