How to get or renew a Jamaican passport

The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) issues Jamaican passports at its head office at 25 Constant Spring Road in Kingston, at regional offices, and through Jamaican missions abroad. The process is straightforward if you bring exactly what PICA asks for; most delays come from photographs that do not meet the specification or from using the wrong form. Everything below is taken from PICA's own pages on the review date.

Which application are you making

PICA separates applicants into first-time adults, adult renewals with no change of name, minors, and replacements for lost, stolen or damaged passports. The distinction matters because PICA's page says first-time applicants cannot use the online service, and neither can adults whose last passport was issued when they were a minor, people who have changed their name, or people replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport. Those groups apply on paper.

First-time adult

PICA lists three things: a birth certificate, adoption certificate or Jamaican citizenship certificate; two identical photographs, only one of which is certified, by the same certifying official who certifies the application; and a valid government-issued photo identification such as a driver's licence or voter ID.

Renewal

If there has been no change to your name, PICA says you fill out the Simplified Adult Renewal Passport Application Form. The instruction sheet, updated June 2025, says the simplified route applies when your current passport is valid for no more than one year (or all visa pages are used) or has been expired for no more than two years. Eligible adults can renew online through PICA's adult passport renewal portal, paying with a Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card.

Photographs

Most rejected applications fail here. PICA's photo page requires colour photographs with a matte or dull finish against a plain background (the renewal sheet says off-white), taken no more than six months before you apply. The face should measure 25mm to 35mm with a 3mm to 4mm margin between the top of the head and the edge, and no embossed seal may be affixed. Take the PICA specification to the studio rather than asking for a generic passport photo.

Fees

PICA's fee table, effective 1 June 2015, gives:

Rush service is available at PICA headquarters in Kingston only. PICA says no expedited service is available to overseas applicants, and missions may charge an additional processing and remittance fee.

Processing times

PICA's regular turnaround is seven working days for applications submitted at head office in Kingston, 11 working days at the Portmore office and 14 working days at other regional offices. Overseas applications submitted through a Jamaican mission take 20 working days upon receipt in Kingston.

Applying from overseas

Submit through any Jamaican High Commission, embassy or consulate nearest to you. PICA's FAQ is explicit that you cannot send an application to Jamaica to be renewed from overseas; it must go through the mission. If you post the application to the mission, the renewal instruction sheet says to address it to the nearest Jamaican embassy, consulate or mission by registered mail.

Lost, stolen or damaged

In Jamaica, PICA requires you to make a report to an officer in its Investigation and Surveillance Unit before applying for a replacement, then to submit that official report with your birth certificate, two photographs and photo ID. Abroad, report the loss or theft to the local police first, then to the nearest Jamaican mission, which will give you a Lost or Stolen Notification form.

Validity

Passports issued to persons over 18 are valid for 10 years; those issued to persons under 18 are valid for 5 years, unless otherwise endorsed. Many countries require six months of remaining validity to admit you, so renew early if you travel.

What JaRanks cannot do

JaRanks cannot submit, track or expedite a passport application, and cannot confirm appointment availability at PICA or at a mission. Fees and times are quoted from PICA's pages on the review date and may change; PICA's page is the authority.