Jamaica is to adopt SITA’s Digital Travel Declaration solution, which will support the country’s Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA).
The solution will enable travellers to submit all immigration, customs, and health documentation required for entry into the country through a single platform. It will support Jamaica’s PICA in clearing passengers for travel pre-departure, automating verification processes and certifying that they have the right documents to travel.
Andrew Wynter, CEO, PICA, said: “We want to welcome visitors to Jamaica in the friendliest, safest, and most straightforward way possible. SITA has given us the opportunity to streamline our processes for entry to the country and offer a simpler experience to travellers while helping ensure the safety of everyone.”
The Jamaican government currently collects immigration and customs data from each traveller through a separate online platform. The Digital Travel Declaration system will consolidate these processes and provide a single, simple platform for passengers to submit all required documents and data and receive travel authorisation.
With the ability to verify information and assess risk levels, the Digital Travel Declaration system can provide validation to passengers pre-departure, ensuring clarity on whether or not they can travel well before they arrive at the airport. This will enhance travel facilitation and assist in reducing bottlenecks at airports from checks upon arrival, according to SITA. PICA will also be able to easily adapt and reconfigure the Digital Travel Declaration solution when entry requirements to Jamaica change.
While the use of the Digital Travel Declaration will currently be limited to air travel, the system has the potential to be expanded to sea travel, the second main mode of entry to Jamaica.
Image: SITA
