Where can I travel VISA-FREE with my Jamaican passport?

I’m glad you asked.

About 2 months ago, in the midst of being caught between being a graduand and unemployed – and after having a great opportunity snatched from me due to mercury being in retrograde (& being broke)- it dawned on me, while I prepared to make new plans for my life…

“Hey, you should make a list of all the countries Jamaicans can travel to visa-free, because I’m pretty sure it never even dawned on them. Plus this can help YOU since you wanna go everywhere”

So, I got up the next day and I made that list on a sheet of folder paper and it’s been chilling in my adult colouring book ever since September, 2016, waiting on this very moment. Never fear dear list…your time has come, to be shared with everyone.

Now, I want to approach this in the best way possible so that there is no confusion. However, if there is, please feel free to leave a comment.

Now, I know this may not be a HUGE help since plane fare is still costly, but I myself didn’t even know that our passport was this effective on its own. There are places outside of the USA, Canada & the UK. So, maybe you wanna save for that ticket one day and jump on a plane without visa restrictions being an issue!

Along with the visa-free countries, I will include in this post: countries where you can acquire a visa upon arrival to the port in that country (for a fee – usually reasonable or cheap, and in a few cases free); as well as countries that require e-Visas. Please be advised that the first two (2) options have proved to be somewhat problematic in certain countries though, as customs/immigration agents sometimes are unaware that we are exempt from a visa, or the visa on arrival process can tend to be a bit tedious.
So, it would be best to correspond with that country’s embassy/consulate prior to your trip, OR, do a quick check online to see if anyone else has experienced any problems. Additionally, the airport agents at your port of origin, may be able to check for you. There is always help out there & traveling is never ever a 100% smooth process. It’s all apart of the journey!

By the way, if you are wary of certain countries, in terms of security or the general state of that nation, just check out the news online, look up their crime levels, ask locals — if you can find any — maybe there are discussion boxes about the same place you’re looking into. I know people are wary of Middle Eastern, African & some Asian countries, but sometimes the media makes it out to be worse than it is. Jamaica is said to have a high crime rate, but hey…that doesn’t prevent people from travelling!

Now let’s get started…

Visa-free countries

The following is a list of countries — in alphabetical order, which Jamaican passport holders can travel to without a visa requirement. Alongside the name of each country, there will be the length of time allowed in each country on any one trip.

1. Antigua & Barbuda* (6 mths)
2. Argentina (30-90 days)
3. Bahamas (3 mths)
4. Bangladesh (30 days)
5. Barbados* (6 mths)
6. Belize* (6 mths)
7. Botswana (90 days)
8. Brasil (90 days)
9. Chile (90 days)
10. Colombia (90-180 days)
11. Dominica* (6 mths)
12. Ecuador (90 days)
13. Eswatini (Swaziland) (30 days)
14. Fiji (4 mths)
15. Gambia (90 days)
16. Ghana (30 days)
17. Grenada* (6 mths)
18. Guyana* (6 mths)
19. Haiti (3 mths)
20. Hong Kong (90 days)
21. Indonesia (30 days)
22. Israel (90 days) **NB. Not allowed to visit Iran in the same year of travel.
23. Kenya (90 days-6 mths)
24. Kiribati (30 days-3 mths)
25. Lesotho (90 days)
26. Malawi (90 days)
27. Malaysia (30 days)
28. Mauritius (90 days)
29. Mexico (180 days)
30. Micronesia (30 days)
31. Namibia (3 mths)
32. Panama (180 days)
33. Peru (183 days)
34. Philippines (21-30 days)
35. Phú Quốc Island [Vietnam] (30 days) **Note: only place in Vietnam that is visa exempt. See more info here and here.
36. Russia (90 days)
37. Samoa (60 days)
38. Senegal (3 mths)
39. Serbia (30 days)
40. Singapore (30 days)
41. South Africa (90 days)
42. South Korea (90 days)
43. St. Kitts & Nevis* (6 mths)
44. St. Lucia* (6 mths)
45. St. Vincent & the Grenadines* (6 mths)
46. Suriname* (6 mths)
47. Tanzania (3 mths)
48. Trinidad & Tobago* (6 mths)
49. Uganda (3 mths)
50. Uruguay (90 days)
51. Vanuatu (30 days)
52. Venezuela (90 days)
53. Zambia (90 days)
54. Zimbabwe (3 mths)

*: The countries with an asterisk are countries to which Jamaican passport holders can travel under the CARICOM policy of Free movement in the CARICOM Single Market & Economy for Skilled workers. This free movement of skills entails the right for CARICOM passport holders to seek employment in any Member State and the elimination of the need for work permits and permits of stay.

Visa on arrival (VOA)

The following is a list of countries — in alphabetical order, which Jamaican passport holders can travel to without possessing a visa prior to travel, and can attain a visa (by filling out an application form & paying the required fee — varies by country) upon arrival at the country’s port of disembarkation:

1. Armenia* (120 days) $31.20USD — e-Visa also available
2. Bolivia (90 days) $52USD — Contact the consulate/embassy office
3. Cambodia* (30 days) $35USD — e-Visa also available
4. Cape Verde (4 wks) $27/43USD — price may vary depending on single entry/multiple entry (see link for airline entry via UK)
5. Comoros/Comoro Islands (45/90 days) — please see link for visa price discrepancy
6. Djibouti (30 days) $90USD
7. Dominican Republic (30 days) $10USD
8. Egypt (30 days) $25USD (useful info)
9. Jordan* (2 mths) $56.42USD
10. Laos* (30 days) $30USD
11. Madagascar (30 days) $34USD
12. Maldives (30 days) Free for 30 days
13. Mauritania* (30 days) $65.30USD
14. Mozambique (30 days) $50USD
15. Nepal* (15/30/90 days) $25/40/100USD
16. Nicaragua (30 days) $10USD — VOA not necessary if in possession of a visa from USA, Canada, or Schengen.
17. Palau (30 days) $250USD
18. Seychelles (3 mths) — Free for 1 mth; can be extended to 3mths for free.
19. Timor-Leste (30 days) $35USD
20. Togo (7 days) $30USD
21. Turkey (3 mth) $20USD — eVisa also an option prior to departure
22. Tuvalu (1 mth) Free (being Jamaican just saved you $100USD on a VOA. Small blessings!)

*Note: Some of these countries have multiple main ports of entry (via land, sea, and air), and the VOA can only be obtained at specific ports; usually the land ports of entry are the issue.
NB. The fees are typically cash-only payments. USD tends to be widely accepted, but there should also be currency exchange desks in the airport. Additionally, some destinations require between 1-3 extra passport pictures, so take them with you on your trip. They’re cheap & easy to squeeze into your personal luggage.

US Visa eligible territories

For all my people that have been blessed with that 10 year US visa, this is for you. If you’re tired of visiting family, or mainland USA is boring to you, or you’re on a long trip and wanna have a double vacay… keep reading. The following is a list of territories outside of the 50 states, which can be traveled to with a valid unexpired US visa:

1. American Samoa (territory) — NB. Different from Samoa (country) *No visa required for up to 30 days; Entry Permit required for a $20 fee* (helpful links: link 1; link 2; link 3; link 4)
2. Bermuda
3. Costa Rica (30 days)
4. Guam (territory) — NB. If arriving via mainland USA, they will not request a visa again.
5. Puerto Rico
6. US Virgin Islands
7. Guatemala (30 days) — NB. Also eligible with valid Canada & UK visa
8. Cayman Islands (30 days) — NB. Also eligible with valid Canada & UK visa, ONLY if traveling from the issuing country.

E-visas

The following is a list of countries that require electronic visas — acquired via the internet, instead of physically going to a consulate/high commission/embassy. The services of an e-Tourist Visa involve only an online application for which no facilitation is required by any agents, etc. The visa, being electronic, means no label or stamp ever appears in your passport. The visa is accessible for viewing by your airline, or at the port, through an electronic system accessible by the country being visited.

1. Bahrain (1 mth) — e-Visa
2. Côte d’Ivoire [Ivory Coast] (3 mths) — e-Visa ~ NB. Entry only permitted via the Port Bouër Airport (Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport) in Abidjan. The cost for this e-visa is €73 (Euros).
3. Cuba (30 days) — Tourist Cards (Tarjeta del Turista) must be obtained prior to arrival in Cuba. They are available at: the Cuban Embassy; Authorized Airlines; or Travel agencies.
4. Ethiopia (30 days; 90 days) — e-Visa ~ NB. Entry only permitted via the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The cost for this e-visa is $52 USD and $72 USD, respectively (different lengths of stay).
5. Gabon — e-Visa
6. Georgia (30 days) — e-Visa
7. Guinea-Bissau (90 days) — e-Visa
8. India — e-Visa
9. Iran (30 days) — e-Visa *visa on arrival also available for $136USD*
10. Myanmar (Burma) (28 days) — e-Visa *NB. this is where the Rohingya are being persecuted*
11. Rwanda — e-Visa
12. Sao Tome e Principe (15 days) — e-Visa (US Visa accepted also)
13. Sri Lanka (30 days) — e-Visa
14. Vietnam (30 days) — e-Visa ($19USD processing fee, and an on arrival stamping fee, $25USD)

General Info

Please be advised though guys, for general travel purposes — unless stated otherwise, ensure that:

• your passport has at least six (6) months of validity from the date of arrival in whichever country;
• your passport should have at least two (2) blank pages for stamping by the Immigration Officer;
• you should have a return ticket or onward journey ticket;
• you have sufficient proof of funds to support you during your stay;
• you have proof of address to show the officer where you’ll be staying.

Nuh mek dem deport unnu, do. Doh tell dem Britne send yuh a dem country and nuh inform you. #HaveAShameTree 🙂

NB. I have done my best to cross-check the validity of this information as best as possible via internet sources. If I had access to calling all embassies, consulates & ports of destination, I would have done so to make it even more accurate. What I will do though, is email as many of these embassies/consulates as possible over time to provide a continuously updated version.

Also, when traveling, please be advised that some countries require an in-transit visa for connections and layovers — typically long/overnight layovers. For example, European countries in the Schengen zone, are popular stopovers for intercontinental flights/destinations. These airports typically have an international transit zone for flights leaving the EU to a destination outside of it; in which case, the most you will need is an airport transit visa (can be waived if in possession of a valid US, Canada, UK visa). However, if there are two EU stopovers — which will require you to go to the domestic zone — you will need a transit “short stay” Schengen visa.

I have provided tourism website links for most or all of these countries for your perusal so that you can find out more about them. The tourism pages, especially, are for the countries that may be new to you. In future posts, I may delve into different countries that have sparked my interest, so that I can share why I am intrigued by them with you!

~Happy traveling!

If I have left any country out or if anyone wants to share their experiences of traveling to any of these countries, please feel free to leave a comment or email me!

My email address is britne.phillips@live.com 🙂

Other sources used include: Wikipedia; TimaticWeb; MFAFT.