GoJamaica Visa Requirements

Visa Entry

Chinese citizens holding diplomatic or official passports (excluding ordinary official passports) are exempt from visa requirements when entering Jamaica.

Since April 2014, Jamaica has unilaterally waived visa requirements for Chinese tourists. Chinese citizens who come to Jamaica for tourism are eligible for visa free entry with valid passports, return air or boat tickets, hotel reservations, and sufficient travel expenses, with a maximum stay of 30 days.

Chinese citizens who come to Jamaica for business, work, study, or family visits still need to apply for a visa in advance at the Jamaican Embassy in China. At the same time, Jamaica provides port visa services. If you fail to apply for a visa in a timely manner, you can submit the corresponding materials to the Jamaican Immigration Department for approval before arriving in Jamaica. When entering Jamaica, you can apply for a port visa at a cost of $350. There is a risk of being refused entry due to incomplete materials or other reasons.

All inbound personnel are required to submit their entry card at the airport immigration office. The entry card can be filled out online, and the link is https://enterjamaica.gov.jm/ .

Special reminder: According to the requirements of Jamaica Immigration Bureau, foreigners who visit Jamaica temporarily (including for work, business and other reasons) need to show their return tickets. Please prepare the contact information and hotel reservation of the inviter from Jamaica when entering the country. If you encounter any problems during entry, please ask the immigration officer to verify the relevant information with the inviter.

Customs epidemic prevention and control

The customs strictly enforce the regulations on animal and plant inspection and quarantine, prohibiting the entry of fruits, canned goods, fresh meat products, animal and plant products, drugs, narcotics, toy guns, various military weapons and weapons.

If you bring sealed packaged food into the country, be sure to declare it at the time of entry to avoid unnecessary trouble. If it is unclear whether the item is allowed to be brought into the country, please declare it upon entry and have it inspected and judged by customs personnel.

Carrying cash or equivalent bills exceeding $10000 must be declared upon entry.

Common infectious diseases in Jamaica include dengue fever, chikungunya fever, Zika, yellow fever, and malaria, which are mainly transmitted through mosquitoes and insects. Please receive relevant vaccines in advance according to Jamaica's health and epidemic prevention requirements, and obtain an International Travel Health Check Certificate and an International Certificate of Vaccination or Preventive Measures for inspection upon entry. If vaccination is not possible due to physical reasons, corresponding medical certificates must be presented and English notarization must be processed.

Please actively take self-protection measures to reduce the risk of contracting infectious diseases. Once feeling unwell or experiencing corresponding symptoms, seek medical attention promptly to prevent delaying the condition.

Residency and Naturalization

The Jamaican Immigration Authority (PICA) is responsible for processing applications for extension of stay and residence.

After entering Jamaica, if you need to extend your stay or change the purpose of your visit, you need to apply for a stay extension or residence at the Jamaican immigration office. The immigration office will process the application according to relevant regulations.

Generally, within 30 days after entering the country, one must apply for a stay extension or residence through the immigration office, and those who exceed the deadline will face penalties. The acceptance fee for extension of stay or work residence is 10000 yen, and the acceptance fee for permanent residence is 100000 yen.

To work locally in Jamaica, a work permit must be obtained in advance through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The basic processing fee is 17250 dental dollars. To obtain a work permit that is valid for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 1 year, additional payments of 48875 dental dollars, 97750 dental dollars, 146625 dental dollars, and 195500 dental dollars are required. The acceptance and approval process for work permit applications is slow, and after obtaining a work permit, one still needs to apply for work residence through the dental immigration bureau and apply for an extension before the expiration of the residence validity period. After residing in Jamaica for at least 3 years, one can apply for permanent residency at the dental immigration office. After residing in Jamaica for at least 5 years or obtaining permanent residency, one can apply for citizenship through the dental immigration office.

Special reminder: Chinese citizens should apply for the corresponding visa in advance according to their visit purpose and the entry requirements of Jamaica. Engaging in commercial activities or work under the guise of tourism may result in fines, detention, or even a deadline for leaving the country by law enforcement agencies.

Jamaica Immigration website: http://www.pica.gov.jm

Jamaican Ministry of Labour website: http://www.mlss.gov.jm/

public security

The social security situation in Jamaica has been poor for a long time, and the incidence of violent cases ranks among the top in the world.

Criminal activities such as robbery, theft, murder, and drug-related crimes occur frequently in the capital city of Kingston, the northwestern city of Montego Bay, and the southwestern city of Savannah on the coast. Chinese citizens and Chinese funded institutions working and living in relevant areas are requested to strengthen prevention measures, actively take security measures, reduce outings, and avoid participating in parades and gatherings. Once danger occurs, please report to the police in a timely manner and save relevant evidence.

If you need assistance from the embassy, please call the embassy's emergency consular protection hotline at+1-876-8178987 or the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Global Consular Protection and Service Emergency Call Center "12308" 24-hour hotline. For international calls, please call 0086-10-12308.

natural disaster

Jamaica has a tropical rainforest climate. The temperature is generally between 22 and 32 degrees Celsius, with an average annual temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. The rainy season is from May to June and from September to November each year, while the dry and early season is from December to March of the following year.

Jamaica is prone to earthquakes, with two severe earthquakes occurring in the early 17th and early 20th centuries in its history. There have been several earthquakes with significant tremors in 2023, among which a 5.4 magnitude earthquake occurred on October 30th, the strongest earthquake in decades.

Jamaica is a hurricane prone period from June to November. In 2007, a severe hurricane disaster occurred, affecting the entire island and causing significant losses. In July 2024, Hurricane Belle passed through the southern waters of Jamaica, causing significant impact on the entire island and destroying some buildings.

In Jamaica, there are many rainstorm in rainy season. Because of the soft soil in mountainous areas, it is easy to cause floods and debris flows, causing damage to roads and bridges.

FDA

Local tap water in Jamaica cannot be consumed directly. The local specialty "Archifruit" needs to be naturally matured and cracked before consumption, otherwise it may be poisoned.

Urgent Help

Bandit police: 119.

Fire/Emergency: 110.

Emergency Consular Protection Hotline of the Embassy in Jamaica:+ 1-876-8178987.

The 24-hour hotline of the Global Consular Protection and Service Emergency Call Center of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is "12308", and the overseas dialing method is: 0086-10-12308.

air traffic

Jamaica has Norman Manley International Airport and Sangster International Airport, located in the capital city of Kingston and the northwestern city of Montego Bay, respectively. Regular flights are available to countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Panama, Cuba, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago. The main airlines include Caribbean Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Panama Airlines, British Airways, etc. For more information, you can visit the official airport website or airline website.

Norman Manly International Airport: http://www.nmia.aero/

Sangster International Airport: http://www.mbjairport.com/

land transport

The road transportation network in Jamaica covers the entire island, with a total length of approximately 23000 kilometers, providing access to major towns, but a considerable portion of the roads have poor quality. Cars drive on the left side at a fast speed, resulting in frequent traffic accidents.

Jamaica's railway transportation has been almost discontinued, and only a few mining companies are currently using it for the transportation of minerals and equipment within their factories.

Special reminder: When traveling by car, please be aware that animals such as cows and sheep may suddenly appear on the road.

water communication

Jamaica has no waterway passenger transportation except for foreign cruise ship docking and cargo transportation.

Urban transportation

You can take a taxi for city travel, with a red license plate. Before boarding, you should negotiate the price with the taxi driver. The two largest taxi companies in Jamaica are JUTA and Island Car Rental. The number of buses is relatively small, the waiting time is long, there are no obvious platforms, and they are generally taken by locals.

Considering factors such as poor local security and irregular taxi management, it is recommended to travel by taxi with caution, avoid sharing rides with locals alone, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash or valuable items while riding.

major city

Kingston, Montego Bay, Negriel, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio are the main cities in Jamaica. Kingston is the capital and the political, economic, and educational center of Jamaica. Montego Bay and other cities are renowned worldwide for their beautiful beaches and natural scenery, and are highly favored by foreign tourists.

Commodity prices

Jamaica is renowned for producing coffee, sugarcane, bananas, papaya, mangoes, breadfruit, and more. Blue Mountain coffee is renowned worldwide. Most of the local daily consumer goods rely on imports, and prices are expensive. Except for agricultural products such as eggs, meat, and vegetables, purchasing other goods generally requires an additional 15% general consumption tax.

The current exchange rate of Jamaica's local currency (as of July 2024) is approximately 157 Jamaican dollars to 1 US dollar.

Large consumer venues such as supermarkets and hotels can use credit cards for payment, and also accept cash in yen and US dollars.

Insurance Medical

Jamaican hospitals are divided into A and B categories based on service level and scale B. Class C, Class A hospitals include three: West India University Hospital, Kingston Public Hospital, and Cornwall Regional Hospital. Jamaican hospitals are divided into three categories: public, semi public, and private. Public hospitals have lower medical prices and average services, while private hospitals have higher prices and better services.

In the past two years, the dengue fever epidemic in Jamaica has worsened. Chinese citizens in Jamaica are advised to take relevant preventive measures, pay attention to work and living environment hygiene, timely remove stagnant water to avoid mosquito breeding, use mosquito nets, mosquito repellent drugs, etc. to prevent mosquito bites. Once symptoms such as fever, headache, eye pain, vomiting, muscle and joint pain, rash, etc. occur, please seek medical attention immediately to avoid delaying the condition.

There are multiple insurance companies in Jamaica that provide medical insurance. After providing health and asset certificates to the insurance company, the buyer can obtain a medical insurance card and use it to visit the insurance company's partner hospitals and pharmacies to purchase medication. Insurance companies settle with cooperative medical institutions based on insurance coverage standards.

Main hospitals: West India University Hospital, Kingston Public Hospital, Andrew Hospital, Medical Association Hospital Medical Center, etc.

Special Reminder: Major hospitals provide 24-hour emergency services without the need for appointments. Ordinary outpatient clinics require registration and waiting in line.

Customs taboos

Many local residents believe in Christianity. The main holidays include New Year, Easter, Labor Day, Liberation Day, Independence Day, Heroes' Day, and Christmas.

Most shops are closed on Sundays, except for supermarkets and pharmacies. During the Christmas and New Year holidays, all shops are closed.

Communications Power

Power supply voltage: The voltage for dental use is 110-120 volts, 50 hertz. The television system is NTSC. The power socket type is American standard, flat mouth, one large and one small.

Communication network: The international area code for Jamaica is 001-876, and the main communication operators are FLOW and Diggel. Dial China landline+86+area code+landline number; Dialing the phone number+86+will cost approximately 17 Jamaican dollars per minute (approximately 0.9 RMB per minute), and most hotels have wireless internet coverage.

Special reminder: It is recommended to carry an American standard power adapter plug. If international roaming function is enabled on ordinary mobile phones in China, they can be used locally or a local SIM card can be purchased, but the operator network needs to be confirmed.

contact information

Information on the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica:

Website: http://jm.chineseembassy.org/chn/

Address: 8 Seaview Avenue, Kingston 10, Jamaica

Chinese Embassy in Jamaica switchboard: 1-876-9273871, 9276816

Emergency Consular Protection Hotline: 1-876-8178987

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Global Consular Protection and Service Emergency Call Center "12308" 24-hour hotline:

The overseas dialing method is: 0086+10+12308

Chinese Embassy in Jamaica (WeChat: ChinaJamaica）

Information on major local institutions in Jamaica:

Government Information Center: http://www.jis.gov.jm/

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: http://www.mfaft.gov.jm/

The Ministry of National Security (in charge of national defense, immigration, police, prisons, and other affairs): http://www.mnsj.gov.jm/

Ministry of Health: http://www.moh.gov.jm/

Ministry of Tourism: http://www.mot.gov.jm/

Ministry of Labor: http://www.mlss.gov.jm/

Police Department: https://www.jcf.gov.jm/

Immigration Bureau: http://www.pica.gov.jm

Kingston Norman ▪ Manly International Airport: http://www.nmia.aero/

Montego Besant International Airport: http://www.mbjairport.com/

West India University Affiliated Hospital: www.uhwi.gov.jm/

Kingston Public Hospital: http://www.serha.gov.jm/hospitals/kph

Andrew Memorial Hospital: https://www.andrewsmemorialhospital.com/

Medical Association Hospital Medical Center: http://www.medicalassociateshospital.com/

Highlights Daily: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/

Jamaican Television: http://televisionJamaica.com

CVM Television Station: http://www.cvmtv.com/

Bank of Jamaica (Central Bank): http://www.boj.org.jm/