Travelers must fill out the online form at www.enterjamaica.com beginning from Friday, Sept. 1.
The country is trying to move away from paper and make the process much quicker. You can complete your form as soon as you book your tickets. It only takes 10 minutes to complete and it makes your arrival process smoother.
The physical documents provided by airlines to travelers will be replaced with the online form.
Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wynter said travelers can submit their applications before they begin their trip.
According to him, travelers have up to 30 days before their entry to Jamaica to submit the form.
“We are putting facilities in place at our airports and we are working closely with the airlines and other airport stakeholders to ensure that this is a seamless process.” According to Mr. Wynter, the goal is to improve travel and passenger processing.
“The online form, when they submit it, whether they are being processed by an officer or at a kiosk, the passenger declaration form will be there. So it will just be confirming them and that will certainly speed up the process in terms of them being admitted to the country,” he added.
“Once you reach the airport to check in, most international airports have Wi-Fi. If the airline that you’re traveling with provides Wi-Fi. you can certainly fill out the form. But let’s say you forgot to fill out the form, on arrival in Jamaica, we are going to have Wi-Fi facilities that will allow you to go on the website, complete and submit it before you are processed either at the kiosk or through an immigration officer,” Wynter concluded.
Jamaica’s tourism is on the rise, with a 50% increase in visitor arrivals during the first five months of 2023 compared to 2019, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). This surge is attributed to relaxed COVID-19 travel restrictions, the country’s natural beauty, and strong marketing efforts.
Travelers are planning ahead, with 70% booking over 30 days in advance. This boost is great news for Jamaica’s economy, as tourism is a major income source and job creator. The Ministry of Tourism projects nearly 4 million visitors in 2023 and over 5 million by 2025. New flight services are expanding, including destinations like Chicago, Denver, St. Louis, Dallas, Kansas City, and London. Sangster International Airport is also being modernized to accommodate the influx.