Download and complete the official passport application form which can be found online on the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency website. The form requires basic personal information as well as an emergency contact. If the passport is for a minor, a declaration of consent must be given by a parent or legal guardian. There are also questions for those who have previously had a Jamaican passport.
Take two identical, full, frontal-view professional photographs no earlier than six months before you apply for your passport. The background must be in contrast to your complexion, and that the resulting photos should have a matte finish. Head coverings are not allowed, but those who wear them for religious reasons are required to provide that information. There are additional requirements which are found on the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency website. One of your photographs must also be notarized.
Have your application form and one photograph certified by an appropriate official. There is a list of those who may certify your documents, both for those who are in the country and those residing outside the country, which is found on the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency website. Certifications can not be done by a family member, and for those in Jamaica there is an additional requirement that the person certifying your documents must have been acquainted with you for at least a year at the time of the certification.
Gather original documents that show proof of citizenship. Valid documentation includes birth certificates, adoption certificates, certificates of naturalization, letters of certification of citizenship or certificates of registration. Those who are citizens through descent, such as having a parent who is Jamaican, must establish their citizenship before applying.
Present your completed application, photographs and originals of your proof of citizenship, and a check or money order for $110, as of January 2011, to the main Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, or the branch office in Montego Bay. Find the addresses on the Agency website. If you are out of the country, you may present your documents at a Jamaican Consular office in various U.S. and international cities.
Allow four to six weeks for the processing of your application. You may contact the consulate after four weeks for information on the status of your application. Expedited services are available for an additional fee.
