Replacing a lost or stolen Jamaican Passport If you’ve ever been to one of the Jamaican Consulates you’ve definitely witnessed all the frustration and headache that comes with obtaining a Jamaican passport. The guidelines and standards that they follow have recently been heightened and the associates at the consulate are making sure that all applicants comply. My intent with this article is to prepare those that have lost their Jamaican passports (or perhaps had it stolen) for the knowingly dreadful experience. Knowing the guidelines and gathering all the required documents are essential before even attempting to replace your lost or stolen Jamaican passport at the Jamaican Consulate. First Trip: First off, be prepared to make at least two trips to The Jamaican Consulate. Your first trip to the Jamaican Consulate will be to request a lost/stolen Jamaican Passport form. To obtain this you need to have proper identification. This can be any government issued id (Jamaican or US): Jamaican driver’s license, US Worker’s permit or Jamaican Voter’s registration card. The form will allow you to obtain a police complaint/report from a precinct proving that your Jamaican passport was indeed lost or stolen. Second Trip: On your second trip to the Jamaican Consulate you will need to bring the following documents:

• Completed Jamaican Passport application

• The Police report obtained from the precinct

• Two identical colored Jamaican passport pictures (see Acceptable Jamaican Passport Pictures)

• A certified copy of your Jamaican birth certificate

• Proper government issued photo id. (see above for details)

All documents should be the original. No photocopies will be accepted. If you are married or adopted, you are also required to bring in the certificates that apply. Your documents will be returned upon approval of your application. With all the Jamaican passport services provided at the Jamaican consulate, the replacement of a passport is definitely the most tedious of them all. I will strongly suggest that you keep your passport in a very safe place, only take it out when needed or when it’s time for renewal (all adult Jamaican passports are good for 10 years). At that time you have the option of hiring a document filing business. There are plenty of online businesses that can make your life easier by processing the application for you.

About the Author: Shereece Clarke is the owner of Precise Advantage, a small business bookkeeping company that strives to provide convenient and affordable services to business owners. DBA Filings and QB Training are among some of the other services offered.