Jamaica’s air and sea borders are open to most foreign travelers. There is a ban on all flights arriving in Jamaica from the UK until April 30, 2021. Additionally, all non-Jamaicans who have been in the UK within the last 14 days prior to their intended date of arrival will not be permitted to enter Jamaica.
Effective March 4, 2021, all travelers to Jamaica, 12 years of age and over, regardless of nationality, will be required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test result to check-in for a flight to Jamaica.
The date of the sample collection must be within 3 days of the travel date. Tests must be done by a medical laboratory that has a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) registration, an ISO 15189 certification. Get more information here.
Risk-based testing and quarantine protocols differ depending on which of the four passenger categories you fall under. Check to be sure which measures apply to you.
Prior to check-in and boarding a flight to Jamaica, all passengers require Travel Authorization.
Read the process for obtaining travel authorization carefully.
In late November, Jamaica launched the “Jamaica Cares” mandatory travel insurance program for all non-resident visitors into the country. The fee will be included in the authorization process and is expected to cost approximately US $40–$50. Here’s why purchasing coverage in addition to mandatory coverage is a good idea.
All travelers arriving in Jamaica will be screened for symptoms at the airport.
If it is decided you are high risk (showing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have traveled from or through countries where there is high community transmission of COVID-19) you will be subject to a PCR test, and placed in quarantine until you receive the results.
Jamaica has established Resilient Corridors. Within these areas, approved businesses have been trained and assessed for COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of visitors.
If you are a non-resident, non-business traveler who is not staying within the “resilient corridor”, whether or not you require testing upon or prior to arrival, you must remain in quarantine for 14 days upon entry to Jamaica – even if you test negative to COVID-19.
Jamaican nationals and non-nationals ordinarily resident in Jamaica may also be subject to testing if assessed as high-risk. Whether or not you are required to be tested, those travelers will be required to remain in quarantine at home for 14 days from their date of entry to Jamaica.
All persons visiting Jamaica for business purposes are required to do a COVID-19 RT-PCR test at the airport on arrival. Please note that this is in addition to the pre-test prior to departure. Business visitors will await their test results under a “Quarantine for Business Traveller” measure at their hotel/intended address.
There is an island-wide curfew in place from 8pm to 5am daily. Follow the advice of local authorities, and stay up to date for the latest information on local restrictions. Face masks are mandatory in public.
Before you buy a travel insurance policy, check your government travel warnings and health advice – there may be no travel insurance cover for locations with a government travel ban or health advice against travel.
Published 02.06.2021
1. Until 30 June 2021, flights from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago are suspended.
2. Until 30 June 2021, passengers are not allowed to enter if in the past 14 days they have been in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Paraguay, Peru or Trinidad and Tobago.
– This does not apply to nationals of Jamaica.
3. Passengers residing in Jamaica for a minimum of 6 continuous months in a calendar year must complete a travel authorization before departure at https://jamcovid19.moh.gov.jm/immigration.html .
4. Passengers not residing in Jamaica must present a travel authorization before departure obtained at https://www.visitjamaica.com/ .
5. Passengers must have a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test taken at most 3 days before departure from the first embarkation point.
– This does not apply to passengers younger than 12 years.
6. Passengers and airline crew are subject to medical screening upon arrival.
7. Passengers could be subject to quarantine.
8. Airline crew are subject to quarantine until their next flight.
9. Passengers traveling on business are subject to a COVID-19 RT-PCR test upon arrival at their own expense.
The following measures apply to travellers to Jamaica:
Prior to checking in for a flight to Jamaica, you must get authorisation to enter from the Visit Jamaica website (https://www.visitjamaica.com/)
Jamaica is now requiring proof of negative COVID-19 tests for all visitors. The move applies to all non-residents 12 years of age and older. The tests must be taken within 10 days prior to the visitor’s intended date of travel to Jamaica.
The ban for flights arriving in Jamaica has been extended to flight from the UK Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. All travellers from 12 years and upwards arriving in Jamaica must present a negative COVID-19 molecular (PCR, NAA, RNA) or Antigen test.
All non-Jamaicans who have been in the UK within the last 14 days prior to their intended arrival date in Jamaica and who may seek to enter the island through another country will not be permitted to enter Jamaica.
There are a range of local measures to limit the spread of the virus and the Jamaican authorities will seek to prosecute people who breach COVID-19 protocols, including those who break quarantine protocols, which may result in a fine and/or prison sentence.
There is a weekday island wide curfew from 8pm to 5am and with extended hours for weekends. The curfew hours are:
6pm on Saturdays to 5am on Sundays
2pm on Sundays to 5am on Mondays
All day curfew in place on Labour Day 24 May (2pm, Sunday 23 May through to 5am, Tuesday 25 May)
gatherings of more than 10 people in any public place are not permitted
it is mandatory to wear masks in public and maintain a minimum personal distance of six feet
people aged 60 and over are confined to home
Church services are permitted with a limit of 30 people
weddings can be performed with an attendance limit of 15 people
No funeral services. Burials are only permitted between Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm with no more than 15 people in attendance (no more than 10 mourners)
The main business district, the Corporate Area of Kingston, will be restricted for the purposes of essential activity and residents should only venture out for such purposes
market hours are 6am to 6pm Monday-Saturday, with markets closed on Sundays
zoos will close at 6pm
parks will close at 6pm
amusement arcades will close at 6pm
bars will close at 6pm
restaurants will close at 6pm
water parks 10am to 6pm
most beaches and rivers will be closed
concerts, parties and boat parties are banned
Source : https://blog.wego.com/jamaica-travel-restrictions-and-quarantine-requirements/