Immigration Minister Derrick Burgess has detailed the passport requirements for Bermudians travelling to the United States.

In a statement to the House of Assembly last Friday he said he wished "to address the confusion in some sections of the community regarding United States authorities' recently-announced requirements for passports held by Bermudians travelling to the US and the decision to deny new Bermuda passports to British citizens who formerly held Bermuda passports".

He said that since the British Overseas Territories Act 2002, Bermudians can travel to the US visa-free using their British Overseas Territories Citizenship (BOTC) passport, with the Bermudian status stamp.

The 2002 UK Act allowed Bermudians to hold both a BOTC and British Citizenship (BC) passport. It means Bermudians can also travel visa-free to the European Union on their BC (British Citizenship) passports.

Mr. Burgess said that in order to travel to the US without needing a visa, the passport must be issued in Bermuda; it must show the holder is a BOTC or a British Dependent Territories Citizen; and it must have an official stamp showing the holder is Bermudian.

Those who are both British Overseas Territories Citizens and British Citizens are free to carry two passports. However, a BC passport only have been issued at the British Embassy in Washington, DC.

Mr. Burgess said it was important to clarify the situation because for decades Bermudians had been allowed to travel to the US with Bermuda birth certificates and passports issued by the Bermuda Government.

He said: "However, the relatively recent need for increased security has made the US authorities insist on the stamp being placed in the passport to show that the holder is Bermudian.

"A BDTC or BOTC passport issued in Bermuda and bearing the stamp showing that the holder is Bermudian is a true passport proving the holder's territorial right of abode."