Jamaica Citizenship by Descent Application Form

What is Jamaica citizenship by descent?

If you were born abroad and your mother or father is Jamaican, you may already be a Jamaican citizen by descent. The Citizenship by Descent Application Form is how you ask the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) to confirm it and issue a certificate. With that certificate you can then apply for a Jamaican passport.

The form itself is a single page. It asks for your contact details, your own particulars, and the names, dates and places of birth of your parents. Where the claim reaches further back, it also asks for your grandparents and great-grandparents. The real work is in the documents behind it: birth certificates for you and your Jamaican parent, certified photographs and, where names have changed, the legal proof.

FileIt turns the page into short questions, prints your answers neatly into PICA's own PDF and saves the finished form in the claimant's vault folder. The claimant's name, date of birth and email can come straight from your People records. You print it, sign it by hand and hand it in with your originals. FileIt never submits anything to PICA for you.

Who needs to fill out Jamaica citizenship by descent?

• Adults born outside Jamaica whose mother or father was a Jamaican citizen when they were born.
• People born abroad before 6 August 1962 whose parent became, or but for their death would have become, a Jamaican citizen on that date.
• Parents or legal guardians claiming citizenship for a child born overseas.
• Brothers and sisters born abroad to the same Jamaican parent, who each need their own citizenship certificate.
• Members of the Jamaican diaspora who want a Jamaican passport but have never held Jamaican documents.

When to use Jamaica citizenship by descent

• Before applying for a first Jamaican passport when you were born outside Jamaica.
• When you want proof of Jamaican citizenship to live, work or study in Jamaica without a work permit.
• Once you have gathered the original birth certificates. PICA processes only complete applications.
• Early enough for PICA's processing time, which its website gives as up to 90 working days for the regular service.

What you need before you start

• The claimant's original birth certificate.
• The Jamaican parent's birth certificate, certificate of Jamaican citizenship or adoption certificate from the Registrar General's Department.
• Two passport-sized photographs of the claimant, certified by a justice of the peace, commissioner of oaths, notary public, lawyer or doctor within the last six months.
• Marriage certificate where applicable, and any deed poll or court order showing a change of name.
• The claimant's valid ID if they are 18 or older, or the Jamaican parent's passport or driver's licence for a minor.
• Court papers showing legal guardianship, if a guardian is applying.
• Names, dates and places of birth for both parents, and for grandparents if the claim goes back a generation.

What’s on Jamaica citizenship by descent

The 2021 edition has 2 pages. FileIt asks for it in 7 parts:

1. Contact detailsApplicant
2. Claimant's informationApplicant
3. Second claimant (if any)Applicant
4. Particulars of parentsApplicant
5. Particulars of grandparents (if applicable)Applicant
6. Particulars of great-grandparents (if applicable)Applicant
7. Applicant and certificateApplicant

How to fill out Jamaica citizenship by descent, step by step

1 Contact details

The address, telephone numbers and email where PICA can reach whoever is applying. Overseas applicants should include the country and the international dialling code.

2 Claimant's information

Your full name, date of birth and place of birth exactly as on your birth certificate, plus your gender, occupation and religion. For a child, the occupation can simply be STUDENT.

The page has a second block with the same questions but no heading. FileIt keeps it as an optional part, for when PICA has said a second claimant can share the form.

3 Particulars of parents

Your father's and mother's full names, dates of birth and places of birth. One of them must be the Jamaican parent your claim comes through, and their documents must support what you write here.

4 Grandparents and great-grandparents

Marked 'if applicable' on the form. Fill these in when your Jamaican parent was themselves born abroad and the citizenship runs back through their parent. Leave them off otherwise. The cells are small, so FileIt keeps places of birth short.

5 Applicant's name, signature and delivery

Print the applicant's name, date the form, and choose whether the certificate should be couriered or collected. Then sign the printed page by hand in the signature box.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Writing a name differently from the birth certificate, such as a nickname or a married name without the marriage certificate.
• Sending copies instead of original documents. The form says all documents must be originals.
• Photographs whose certification is older than six months, or that don't show the certifying officer's name, number and signature.
• Leaving out the Jamaican parent's own birth or citizenship certificate, which is the core of the claim.
• Filling in grandparents when they aren't needed, or leaving them out when the claim depends on them.

After you fill it out

Print the page, sign it, and put it together with your original documents and certified photographs. In Jamaica, PICA's citizenship office is at 8 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10. Overseas, hand it in at the Jamaican embassy, high commission or consulate that serves you.

Check PICA's fees page before you go. Its website also says the processing fee is waived if you previously held a Jamaican passport.

FileIt keeps the completed form in the claimant's vault folder. When the certificate arrives, scan it into the same folder, and add your new passport there later with its expiry date so FileIt can remind you before it runs out.

Jamaica citizenship by descent: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA): https://www.pica.gov.jm/sites/default/files/Forms/Citizenship%20by%20Descent%20Application%20Form.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.pica.gov.jm/citizenship/categories-citizenship
• Edition shown on this page: Revised by PICA on 19 February 2021 (printed on page 2) (checked 2026-10-19).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.

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