(Travelandleisure.com) – Jamaica is introducing a mandatory insurance fee travelers must pay to gain entry to the country.
Starting next month, travelers will need to pay $40 as part of the island’s Jamaica Cares program to cover emergency medical services.
The fee is basically a “public-private” insurance that will cover travelers against illness, including COVID-19, and natural disasters while visiting Jamaica. It will cover the cost of case management, transport logistics, field rescue, evacuation, and repatriation for medical emergencies up to $50,000 while on the island and $100,000 while traveling.
Launched in partnership with the Global Tourism Resilience Crisis Management Centre and two travel health insurance firms on Monday, it protects travelers from the moment they leave home until they return.
“Jamaica Cares delivers an unmet need in the travel industry by providing primary medical coverage and medical evacuation services,” Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Co-chairman, Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, said in a statement. “The traveler knows they’re protected, and they know other travelers are, too. That’s what’s needed to give confidence to travelers when they are ready to travel.”
Jamaica reopened to tourists on June 15, requiring new precautions like temperature checks, results of a negative COVID-19 test, and a Travel Authorization application for all travelers who do not hold a Jamaican passport. When the Jamaica Cares program rolls out, it will be included on the Travel Authorization form.