A Guide to Entry Visas for Visitors to Jamaica

If you are planning a trip to Jamaica, it is important to check out the entry requirements for visitors from your home country to avoid disappointment when you reach the immigration booths.

There are different requirements for visitors dependent on your nationality, the reason for your visit and the length of your intended stay in Jamaica. So let’s get down to the details…

Jamaican Entry Visas aka Tourist Visas

Jamaica wants to protect its borders from (among other things) potential threats, overstayers and an influx of ‘rich’ foreigners setting up house and taking over the prime spots and jobs on the island.

Much the same as your own country has set their own restrictions for entry and stay, and their reasons for doing so.

As such, there are restrictions on ‘visitors’ entering the country. Plus, a limit on how long a visitor can stay once they have legally gained entry to Jamaica.

In case you are wondering who is classified as a ‘visitor’. It is someone who travels to Jamaica for tourism and recreational purposes on a short visit, with intentions of returning back to their home nation after their stay.

You may hear the word ‘tourist’ and ‘visitor’, and ‘Entry Visa’, ‘Visitors Visa’ and ‘Tourist Visa’ interchanged, but they are basically referring to the same thing.

Therefore, the first thing travellers to Jamaica need to find out is ‘do I need an Entry Visa / Tourist Visa to enter Jamaica?’ and ‘how long can I legally stay in Jamaica for?’

Which Nationalities do NOT need a Visa to Enter Jamaica as a Tourist / Visitor?

Okay, so let’s get to the juicy details of Entry Visas / Tourist Visas for Jamaica. Because I know you are wondering which countries do NOT need an entry visa for Jamaica and how the long the visitors from those nations can stay:

Countries List – Entry as a Tourist Visitor to Jamaica for 6 Months / 180 days

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Botswana
Brunei
Canada
Cyprus
Dominica
Eswatini
Fiji
Gambia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Grenada
Guyana
India
Kenya
Kiribati
Lesotho
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta

Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Saint Helena
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
South Africa
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Tanzania
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Uganda
United Kingdom
United States
Zambia

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Please note, Despite the PICA website stating that visitors from the countries listed above can enter Jamaica for 180 days / 6 months, this is slightly misleading. As the 6 months allowance is NOT automatically stamped in your passport on landing in Jamaica.

In my experience of flying down to Jamaica as a visitor on numerous occasions on a British passport, I only ever had my passport stamped with a date which is 90 days / 3 months, after the date of landing in the country.

(I would love to hear feedback from other nationalities about your experience and how much ‘stay’ you initially received on arrival in Jamaica on your passport ~ comment below!)

However, you are able to apply for an ‘extension of stay’ (look out for our next post for more information!) at one of the PICA offices on the island, at a cost of JA$10,000.

This should be done prior to the initial 90 days stay that is stamped in your passport running out. It generally takes 3 working days for your extension of stay to be processed. So don’t leave it until the last minute whereby you could end up overstaying in Jamaica.

Countries List – Entry as a Tourist Visitor to Jamaica for 3 Months / 90 days

Belgium
Brazil
Chile
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
South Korea

Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Russia
San Marino
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey

Countries List – Entry as a Tourist Visitor to Jamaica for 1 Month / 30 days

Argentina
Austria
Bolivia (t)
China (t)
Colombia
Costa Rica
Czech Republic (t)
Ecuador
El Salvador (t)
Estonia (v)
France
Greece
Guatemala (t)
Hong Kong
Hungry (t)

Japan
Latvia (t) (v)
Lithuania (t) (v)
Monaco
Panama (t)
Paraguay (t)
Peru (t)
Poland
Portugal
Slovakia (t)
Slovenia (t) (v)
Spain
Ukraine (t)
Uruguay
Venezuela

Key: (t) visa free for tourism only (v) must produce vaccination certificate for Measles, Polio and Rubella.

Countries List – Entry as a Visitor / Tourist to Jamaica – Visa required on Arrival

Visitors to Jamaica from these countries will have to pay for an Entry Visa at the port of entry on arrival in Jamaica, for a fee of US$100.00

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Cayman Islands
Croatia
Estonia
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kosovo

Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Romania
Serbia
Slovenia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
**Taiwan – additionally required to produce an ‘affidavit of identity’

Special Conditions for Entry Visa Exemption to Jamaica

Under certain conditions some visa requiring nationals are exempt for tourist visits up to 30 days, unless otherwise stated.

Nationals of any country with a residence permit issued by Canada or a U.S. Green Card are exempt for visits to Jamaica for up to 6 months.
Nationals of Dominican Republic that are holders of a valid visa issued by Canada, United States, United Kingdom or Schengen member states.
Nationals of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova, that are holders of a valid visa issued by Canada, United States, United Kingdom or Schengen member states and who hold a proof that they are immunized against measles, rubella and polio.
Nationals of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia that are holders of a valid visa issued by Canada, United States or United Kingdom and who hold a proof that they are immunized against measles, rubella and polio.
Nationals of Honduras that are holders of a valid visa issued by Canada or United States.
Nationals of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania that are holders of a valid visa issued by Canada or United States and who hold a proof that they are immunized against measles, rubella and polio.
Nationals of Croatia and Slovenia that are holders of a valid visa issued by the United States and who hold a proof that they are immunized against measles, rubella and polio.

TOP TIP! The quickest and most up to date information about whether you need a Visa to visit Jamaica, can be found on the PICA (Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency) website. If in doubt you can check the Visa Requirements for Travel to Jamaica for your nationality.

Image copyright PICA Jamaica

Visitors to Jamaica that Do Require an Entry Visa

If you do not see your country listed above, that is because you DO need a visa to travel to Jamaica as a visitor for any length of time.

The Tourist / Visitor Entry Visa needs to be applied for, and granted, prior to your arrival in Jamaica.

In these circumstances I would initially check to see if there is a Jamaican High Commission, Embassy, or Consulate based in your home country. They will have details of the required documentation, the associated fees and an application form to apply for a Jamaican Tourist Visa.

If you don’t have any of these government agencies based in your home country, you should contact the Jamaican PICA website to get more information.

Jamaican Embassies & High Commissions Around the World

DISCLAIMER: This list and the links to the associated embassies / consulates has been reproduced from information posted on an independant website: https://www.embassypages.com/jamaica and remains the property of the respective owners. Any information contained in this list is for reference purposes only and Sweet Jamaica cannot guarantee accuracy.