Document checklist
Eritrea → Jamaica: Work Permit
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Not yet checked. This page was drafted from the sources listed below but hasn't passed verification yet. Double-check anything critical directly with the official source before you rely on it.
Required documents
12 itemsIdentity
Certified passport copies
RequiredCertified copies of your passport pages showing your identity, passport number, issue and expiry dates, landing status, and any relevant visas.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Completed Work Permit/Exemption Application form
RequiredPart I (questions 1–29) completed by you, and Part II (questions 30–51) completed by your prospective employer. Part III is for official use only. The form must be signed and dated.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Jamaican work visa before you travel (if your nationality needs one)
Non-Commonwealth citizens must get a work visa from PICA before entering Jamaica to work. Some nationalities don't need an entry visa to Jamaica at all, check the PICA entry visa requirements page for your passport before you travel.
Source: Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (Jamaica), Entry Visa Requirements
Passport-style photographs
RequiredTwo colour photographs for a Work Permit application (one for an Exemption application), taken within the last 6 months by a professional photographer, with a plain background, full frontal view of the head, neck and top of the shoulders with ears visible, and the face 25–35mm from chin to crown.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Financial
Tax Compliance Certificate
If you're self-employed, or you're applying to renew your Work Permit, you need a Tax Compliance Certificate.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Purpose of travel
Cover letter
RequiredA cover letter outlining the nature and duration of the work you'll be doing in Jamaica.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Other
Certified copies of your qualifications
RequiredCertified copies of your academic or professional qualifications.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Employer's business registration documents
RequiredA certified copy of your prospective employer's business registration certificate, or, for a company, its Certificate of Incorporation and Memorandum of Association.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Letter of recommendation from a previous employer
RequiredA letter of recommendation from your previous employer, outlining your work history and experience.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Police record
RequiredA police record issued by the appropriate security authority. For new applications this should be recent; for renewals, the record must show a date of investigation no more than one year before you apply.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Professional registration certificate (regulated professions)
If your occupation is a regulated profession in Jamaica (for example accountant, architect, nurse, doctor, or engineer), a copy of your professional registration certificate.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Resume/CV
RequiredA resume outlining your professional or business experience.
Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit
Why applications on this route get refused
Incomplete application or missing documents
The Ministry lists specific documents needed to support a Work Permit application, cover letter, qualifications, references, registration documents, police record, photographs, and passport copies.
How to avoid it: Gather every document on the published list, correctly certified, before the application is submitted.
False or misleading statements or documents
It's an offence punishable by law to supply any false or misleading statement or false documents as part of a Work Permit application.
How to avoid it: Make sure every document and statement in the application is accurate and genuine.
Regulated profession without registration evidence
Occupations that are legally regulated in Jamaica (such as accountants, architects, nurses, doctors, and engineers) require a professional registration certificate as part of the application.
How to avoid it: Confirm whether your occupation is regulated in Jamaica and obtain the required registration certificate before applying.
Working for a different employer without a new permit
Work Permits aren't transferable. Changing employer requires a new application with written evidence that your previous employment has ended.
How to avoid it: Apply for a new Work Permit before starting work for a different employer, with evidence your previous employment was properly terminated.
Sources
- Ministry of Labour and Social Security (Jamaica), Work Permit · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (Jamaica), Entry Visa Requirements · checked 24 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the Jamaica application fee.
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