Jamaican Citizenship by Birth refers to the following:
- Any person born in Jamaica prior to August 6, 1962, who was on that date a citizen of the United Kingdom and its colonies.
- Any person born in Jamaica after August 5, 1962
Proof of citizenship:
Birth Certificate issued by the Registrar General’s Department of Jamaica
Citizenship by Adoption
Jamaican Citizenship by Adoption refers to the following:
A non-Jamaican child who has been legally adopted in Jamaica in accordance with the Children (Adoption) Act; can claim Jamaican citizenship through either the adoptive mother or adoptive father and who must be Jamaican citizens at the time adoption occurred
Proof of citizenship:
Adoption certificate issued by the Registrar General’s Department of Jamaica
Citizenship by Descent
Jamaican Citizenship by Descent refers to:
Anyone born outside of Jamaica to parents (mother or father or both) who are citizens of Jamaica at the time of birth
Proof of Citizenship:
Certificate of citizenship issued by the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency of the Ministry of National Security in Jamaica
Documents required to apply for a Certificate of Citizenship
- A Completed Application for Jamaican Citizenship by Descent form. Download the form here.
- Original birth certificate of applicant
- Original birth certificate of mother or father
- Original birth certificate grandparent/great-grandparent (if citizenship is being requested through them)
- Original marriage certificate of applicant (if applicable)
- Original Marriage certificate of parents (if applicant was born in wedlock)
- Original deed poll or naturalization certificate (if parent/grandparent etc. underwent a name-change)
- Valid driver’s license or passport of mother or father (minors only)
- A valid government issued ID (valid driver’s license or passport – adults only)
- “Two recent passport-sized photographs taken within the last six months. Walk-in applicants need not notarize their photographs. Both photographs for mailed-in applications must be certified by the Notary Public as “I certify this to be a true photo of (FULL NAME OF APPLICANT)” and should be stamped, signed and dated by the Notary Public. If this is unable to hold on the photographs, the photographs may be pasted on a blank paper and notarized following the aforementioned guidelines.
Important information to avoid delays in processing application:
1. Father’s name must appear on applicant’s birth certificate if claiming citizenship through father
2. Spelling of parents’ names must be consistent with spelling on applicant’s birth certificate and on parent’s birth certificates
3. Applicant must ensure that errors on documents are corrected by offices where they were issued prior to submitting application
Fees:
No Fee – Persons who currently have a passport, even if expired, do not need to pay a fee when applying for their certificate of Jamaican citizenship. However, they still need to pay courier and consular fees of $40.
$140.00 – Persons who never held a Jamaican passport or who cannot produce a previous Jamaican passport (issued prior to Sept 2001) are required to pay this fee via a money order payable to “Consulate General of Jamaica” or in-person at the Consulate in cash or via credit/debit card. This fee already includes the $40 applicable to courier and consular fees.
Processing Time:
The processing period for Citizenship by Descent Applications (provided that application fulfills all requirements AFTER being transmitted to the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency (PICA) in Jamaica):
Forty (40) business days (please allow for transit time between the Consulate and PICA in Jamaica)
NOTE: Persons submitting citizenship by descent applications in-person at the Consulate, may also apply for their passports at the same time. Mailed-in applications should include a self-addressed prepaid envelope (FEDEX, UPS, or USPS express, priority, registered or certified mail) to facilitate the return of your original documents, while awaiting the processing of your applications.