Jamaica introduces new self service biometric kiosks at major airports

The Jamaica Airports Group (JAGS) is initiating a detailed plan to install new self-service passport kiosks at its busiest airports to streamline the immigration process. This comes as the island is becoming highly popular among tourists from Europe and the United Kingdom.

As per reports, the newest effort involves self-service passport kiosks at three of Jamaica's international airports; Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, and Ian Fleming International Airport (IFIA) in Ocho Rios.

Authorities added that the process will become more closely aligned with how Canada and the UAE handle their airport check-ins with the utilization of biometric technology to verify the identities of departing and arriving passengers.

This will drastically reduce to time passengers will have to spend in a line when compared to manual passport checks. With the new addition,  the passengers will simply have to scan the first page of their passport into one of these machines, verify their identity through biometrics that will cross-reference the information linked to their passport and the travellers can be on their way!

Not only will these machines help with wait time and travel independence, but they will also vacate resources to be allocated elsewhere at the airport, so immigration officers can focus on additional and comprehensive tasks meaning increased border security.

Edmund Barlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism stated that the new kiosks would “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," added Barlett.

The plan is being implemented at an ideal time since the 2024 Men’s ICC T20 World Cup will be held in several neighbouring regions, which is likely to increase tourism in Jamaica during that period.

The introduction of self-passport kiosks at Jamaica’s airports is a huge step in improving efficiency, security and traveller experiences at these gateways, the fully automated system will also streamline the immigration process and leave less room for human error. All of these steps will contribute to Jamaica’s already astonishing success as a prime tourist destination.