Jamaica’s two international airports are getting new automated passport control kiosks in a bid to expedite immigration processing.

The kiosks use biometric technology to authenticate passengers, scanning passports and then taking a photo of the passengers face compared to the digital image stored in the passport’s microchip. 

This new system is an alternative to the typically time-intensive process of having immigration officers check individual passengers. Jamaica plans to have as many as 100 such kiosks by the end of 2024. 

Several Caribbean destinations have already implemented this system. In making the announcement in a media statement, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) says the new kiosks aim to “streamline passenger flow.”

Making reference to the new passport control kiosks, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett remarks, “they will provide additional convenience for stopover visitors by speeding up processing times through the immigration halls. This will provide a more seamless airport experience as we progress through our peak winter season, during which we expect to welcome record-breaking arrivals.”

For his part, Director of Tourism, Donovan White says, “the installation of automated kiosks for passport control at our airports is an excellent use of modern technology to improve the overall passenger experience at Jamaica’s airports, which is important as we continue to grow arrivals to the destination. Visitors’ first impressions of Jamaica’s overall tourism product take place upon landing, so we are glad to soon be able to enhance them.”