SERVICES

The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington provides services related to authentication, apostille, attestation, legalisation, and limited notarial services to facilitate the use of documents within Jamaica and, where feasible, our consular jurisdiction. Our services are conducted in strict adherence to the guidelines established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica. These include, but are not limited to birth, marriage, and death certificates; academic transcripts and diplomas; legal documents (e.g., affidavits, powers of attorney); commercial and business records.

The Embassy offers limited notarial services to Jamaican nationals and other clients as permitted by applicable Jamaican and the host country’s law. These services include, but are not limited to:

• Verification of Signatures


• Certification of Copies.


• Administration of Oaths and Affirmations: The solemn administration of oaths and affirmations as required by law.

Fee
US$20.00 per document. Payment should be made in cash only or via deposit to the Embassy’s USD account.

Since 5th July 2021, public documents originating in Jamaica that are intended to be used in certain foreign countries can be authenticated by way of an Apostille. The list of countries that accept apostilles may be found at:

The Apostille process may be completed directly in Jamaica at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (Authority with responsibility for the issuance of all authentications by apostille) or you may submit your documents through the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington.

Requirements: Should you wish to carry out this process through this Embassy, please submit the following documents:

Completed

Apostille Authentications Application Form

Original documents for Apostille; and Copy of ID of applicant (optional).

Fee

Apostille fee per document: US$30.00. Consular & postage fee US$20.00 (One-time payment).

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) is the only authority in Jamaica which is responsible for registering vital events such as births, stillbirths, deaths, adoptions, marriages, and deed polls. It is also Jamaica’s sole secure repository of these records. To apply for Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates, please click on the following links The Registrar General’s Department (a credit card is required to complete the application online):

Birth Certificate



Once you have completed the form correctly, click “Submit Application” located directly under the Birth Certificate Application Form.

Death Certificate



Once you have completed the form correctly, click “Submit Application” located directly under the Death Certificate Application Form.

Marriage Certificate



Once you have completed the form correctly, click “Submit Application” located directly under the Marriage Certificate Application Form. Click on the following link to view the applicable fees: Registrar General’s Department Fees. The Registrar General’s Department also provides the following additional services:

The Registrar General’s Department also provides the following additional services:

Registry Weddings Deed Polls Genealogical Research

For queries and questions to related to the services list above, please contact the Department directly at:>


directly at: Registrar General’s Department Twickenham Park
Spanish Town, St. Catherine
Jamaica
Tel.: 876 749 0550/619 1260
E-mail: information@rgd.gov.jm
Website: www.rgd.gov.jm

The Registrar General’s Department also offers genealogical research for interested persons to find out factual evidence about their family’s background. To apply for this service, please complete the Genealogical Form.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) provides a Police Certificate (commonly called Criminal Clearance Certificate or a Police Record) at a cost to both Jamaican nationals and foreign nationals who have resided in Jamaica.

Content of Police Certificate
The Police Certificate bears the background of each applicant and indicates whether or not an individual has any convictions recorded against him/her in Jamaica. A Police Certificate, also known as a police record, is a document issued by the Criminal Records Office, which displays a person’s criminal history.
Requirements

• Cover letter, addressed to the Superintendent of Police and signed by the applicant, stating reason for requesting the Police Certificate and completed.
• Two (2) recent passport size photographs (these must not be signed or sealed).
• Passport on which the applicant originally entered Jamaica.
• A full set of fingerprints taken by the relevant agency in the country of residence. The stamp of the agency must appear on the document.
• A certified copy of the bio-data page of the applicant’s valid passport.
• Services Offered (all figures quoted in Jamaican Dollars):
• Next Day Service: Eight Thousand Jamaican Dollars (J$8,000.00).
• Normal Service: Twenty-one (21) working days from the date of receipt of application. Three Thousand Jamaican Dollars (J$3,000.00).
• An International Money Order or Bank Draft for the equivalent of the respective fee in Jamaican Dollars should be made payable to the Commissioner of Police. The application should be forwarded directly to:

The application should be forwarded directly to:
Senior Superintendent of Police
i/c Technical Services Division
34 Duke Street
Kingston C.S.O.
Jamaica, West Indies

Fee

N.B. The next day service is offered only at Technical Services Division located at 34 Duke Street, Kingston, Jamaica.
For further information or clarification, please call (876) 922-6214 / 3221 or fax (876) 922-0125.

Applications submitted by persons on behalf of the Applicant
For applicants residing overseas who designate an individual in Jamaica to submit an application or make payment for the service on their behalf, the following applies:

• A certified letter of authorization must be provided if the police record application is to be submitted or collected by someone other than the applicant. The bearer must show photo identification.
• If the applicant does not have a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), payment must be made at the Jamaica Constabulary Force Finance Branch, Ground Floor, NCB North Tower, 2 Oxford Road, Kingston 5. All documents and the receipt should be hand delivered to the Technical Services Division (Criminal Records Office), 34 Duke Street, Kingston.
• If the applicant has a Taxpayer Registration Number (TRN), payment may be made at any Inland Revenue Department (Tax Office) island wide. All documents and the receipt should be hand delivered to the Technical Services Division (Criminal Records Office), 34 Duke Street, Kingston.

Short term visits
Jamaican nationals visiting any of the countries within this Mission’s jurisdiction, i.e. Washington, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, are encouraged to notify the Embassy of their visit so that consular assistance can be provided in cases of emergency, including natural disasters. To notify the Embassy, you may complete and submit via email the Consular Registration Form for Short Term Visits [insert hyperlink to form, which is to be created].

Extended stays
Jamaican nationals who expect to be resident in any of the countries (Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) that are under the purview of Embassy of Jamaica in Mexico are invited to register with the Embassy by completing and submitting the Consular Registration Form for Extended Stays [insert hyperlink to form, which has already been created but in need of revision]

The death of a loved one can be particularly distressing when it occurs abroad, especially in a country where there is no Jamaican representative. The Embassy will do all that is within its scope to assist with dealing with the authorities, given that laws differ in each country.

What the Embassy can do:

• Liaise with the authorities in the foreign country on behalf of the relatives of deceased Jamaican nationals .
• Have the body of the deceased Jamaican national properly identified.
• Obtain a death certificate and autopsy report.
• Ascertain the costs for the undertaker/funeral home and help to arrange for the remittance of funds to pay for the service.
• Put relatives of the deceased in contact with a funeral home in the country where the death occurred to make arrangements for the remains to be properly buried in the country where the death occurred.
• Liaise with the police or judicial authorities on your behalf in the case of suspicious death and report on findings or outcome on the case .

Please note that if you choose to have the remains of loved ones repatriated cremated or not cremated to Jamaica, depending on your preference, do consult the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s Guidelines on the shipment of Human Remains