Entry Requirements & Customs

Entry Requirements

Documents -- U.S. and Canada residents do not need passports but must have proof of citizenship (or permanent residency) and a return or ongoing ticket. A passport is the best bet, but an original birth certificate (or a certified copy) plus photo ID will usually suffice. Do check on the latest entry requirements before you travel, as the rules can change. Our advice is to always bring a passport when you're going to another country.

Other visitors, including British citizens, need passports that are good for a maximum stay of 6 months.

Immigration cards are given to visitors at the airport arrivals desks. Hold on to yours because you will need to surrender the document to Jamaican Customs when you leave the country.

The websites listed provide downloadable passport applications as well as the current fees for processing passport applications. For an up-to-date country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html.

Passport Alert -- Under new Homeland Security regulations, starting December 31, 2006 Americans traveling to Jamaica must show passports upon their return to the United States. A driver's license or a birth certificate will no longer be acceptable identification to re-enter the United States.

Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay a higher processing fee. When traveling, safeguard your passport in an inconspicuous, inaccessible place like a money belt, and keep a copy of the critical pages with your passport number in a separate place. If you lose your passport, visit the nearest consulate of your native country as soon as possible for a replacement.

Traveling with Minors -- It's always wise to have plenty of documentation when traveling in today's world with children. For changing details on entry requirements for children traveling abroad, keep up to date by going to the U.S. State Department website: http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html.

To prevent international child abduction, governments have initiated procedures at entry and exit points. These often (but not always) include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent or legal guardian not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, facilitates entries and exits. All children must have their own passport. To obtain a passport, the child must be present -- that is, in person -- at the center issuing the passport. Both parents must be present as well. If not, then a notarized statement from the parents is required.

All questions parents or guardians might have can be answered by calling the National Passport Information Center at tel. 877/487-6868 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm Eastern Standard Time.

Customs

What You Can Bring Into Jamaica -- Many small island nations in the Caribbean let you go through Customs without a thorough check: Jamaica is an exception. The Jamaican government is concerned about drug running and smuggling more than most other island nations. Therefore, your luggage may get a more thorough check in Jamaica than it would elsewhere.

You can bring in 2 liters of alcohol, plus two cartons of cigarettes. You're allowed to bring in some duty-free goods, but there's potential confusion here. You're not supposed to bring in an "inordinate" amount of such goods; local Customs officials have great leeway to interpret what's meant by "inordinate." So limit your import of duty-free goods to avoid paying a big import tax.

What You Can Take Home -- U.S. Customs -- Returning U.S. citizens who have been away for 48 hours or more are allowed to bring back, once every 30 days, $800 worth of merchandise duty-free. You'll be charged a flat rate of 10% duty on the next $1,000 worth of purchases. Be sure to have your receipts handy. On gifts, the duty-free limit is $100. You cannot bring fresh foodstuffs into the United States; canned foods, however, are allowed.

Joint Customs declarations are possible for members of a family traveling together.

Collect receipts for all purchases made abroad. You must also declare on your Customs form the nature and value of all gifts received during your stay abroad. It's prudent to carry proof that you purchased expensive cameras or jewelry on the U.S. mainland. If you purchased such an item during an earlier trip abroad, you should carry proof that you have previously paid Customs duty on the item.

Sometimes merchants suggest a false receipt to undervalue your purchase. Be warned: You could be involved in a sting operation -- the merchant might be an informer for U.S. Customs.

If you use any medication that contains controlled substances or requires injection, carry an original prescription or a note from your doctor.

For more specifics, write to the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 877/287-8667; www.customs.ustreas.gov), and request the free pamphlet Know Before You Go.

U.K. Customs -- U.K. citizens returning from a non-E.U. country such as one of the Caribbean nations have a Customs allowance of 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of smoking tobacco; 2 liters of still table wine; 1 liter of spirits or strong liqueurs (over 22% alcohol volume); 2 liters of fortified wine, sparkling wine, or other liqueurs; 60 cubic centimeters (ml) perfume; 250 cubic centimeters (ml) toilet water; and £145 worth of all other goods, including gifts and souvenirs. People under 17 cannot have the tobacco or alcohol allowance. For more information, contact HM Revenue Customs, Passenger Enquiry Point, Second Floor Wayfarer House, Great South West Road, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 8NP (tel. 0845/010-9000 or 020/8929-0152 from outside the U.K.; www.hmrc.gov.uk).

Canada Customs -- For a clear summary of Canadian rules, write for the booklet I Declare, issued by the Canada Border Services Agency, 2265 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON K1G 4KE (tel. 800/461-9999 or 204/983-3500; www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca). Canada allows its residents of legal age a C$750 exemption, and you're allowed to bring back duty-free 200 cigarettes, 2.2 pounds of tobacco, 40 imperial ounces of liquor, and 50 cigars. In addition, you're allowed to mail gifts to Canada from abroad at the rate of C$60 a day, provided they're unsolicited and don't contain alcohol or tobacco (write on the package "Unsolicited gift, under $60 value"). All valuables should be declared on the Y-38 form before departure from Canada, including serial numbers of valuables you already own, such as expensive foreign cameras. Note: The C$750 exemption can be used only once a year and only after an absence of 7 days.

Australia Customs -- The duty-free allowance in Australia is A$900 or, for those under 18, A$450. Citizens 18 and older can bring in 250 cigarettes or 250 grams of loose tobacco, and 2.25 liters of alcohol. If you're returning with valuables you already own, such as foreign-made cameras, you should file form B263. A helpful brochure available from Australian consulates or Customs offices is Know Before You Go. For more information, call the Australian Customs Service at tel. 1300/363-263, or log on to www.customs.gov.au.

New Zealand Customs -- The duty-free allowance for New Zealand is NZ$700. Citizens over 17 can bring in 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of tobacco (or a mixture of all three if their combined weight does not exceed 250g); plus 4.5 liters of wine and beer, or 1.125 liters of liquor. New Zealand currency does not carry import or export restrictions. When you leave New Zealand, you should fill out a certificate of export, listing the valuables you are taking out of the country; that way, you can bring them back without paying duty. Most questions are answered in a free pamphlet available at New Zealand consulates and Customs offices: New Zealand Customs Guide for Travellers, Notice no. 4. For more information, contact New Zealand Customs Service, 17-21 Whitmore St., Box 2218, Wellington (tel. 04/473-6099 or 0800/428-786; www.customs.govt.nz).