As part of efforts to streamline pre-clearance entry into Jamaica, local authorities have adopted a Digital Travel Declaration solution by SITA, a Swiss-based airport information technology provider.

This solution will allow travellers to submit all immigration, customs, and health documentation required for entry into the country through one easy, efficient and secure platform.

Digital Travel Declaration will support Jamaica’s Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) in clearing passengers for travel pre-departure, supporting a safe, streamlined return international.

The Jamaican Government collects immigration and customs data from each traveller through a separate online platform currently, and 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.

System will help travellers avoid long queues at the airport

Furthermore, PICA will be able to easily adapt and reconfigure the Digital Travel Declaration solution when entry requirements to Jamaica shift.

In a news release, SITA reports that as passenger volumes surge across the globe, its Digital Travel Declaration will help travellers avoid long queues at the airport, automating verification processes and certifying that they (passengers) have the right documents to travel before they even arrive at the airport.

Commenting on the move, CEO of PICA, Andrew Wynter said, “SITA has provided 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. Given Jamaica’s past successes implementing SITA’s innovative border solutions, I know the Digital Travel Declaration will be of great benefit to the Jamaican economic and governance strategies.”  

The release noted that, as a longstanding customer of SITA, PICA pioneered the implementation of SITA’s automated border control (ABC) kiosks at Jamaica’s two major airports in Montego Bay and Kingston.

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.

For her part, SITA’s president, Matthys Serfontein remarked, “we are extremely proud to support the Jamaican government in optimizing their systems for welcoming travellers just as visitor numbers rapidly catch up to pre-pandemic levels. The benefits of Digital Travel Declaration in terms of added efficiency and simplicity are sure to last well into the long term. We applaud the ways Jamaica has endeavoured to continually refine its border processes with the help of new technologies, and we look forward to continuing our partnership.”