North and Central America and Caribbean

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• There are confirmed human cases of the H1N1 virus - (swine flu) in Jamaica, including reports of one death (source: the Ministry of Health). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its pandemic threat alert phase to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. You should monitor media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated swine flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on pandemic flu is available on the UK Department of Health website.
  
  
• The hurricane season in Jamaica normally runs from June to November. You should monitor weather updates. See the natural disasters section of this advice and tropical cyclones for more details.
  
  
• Most visits to Jamaica are trouble-free. 160 British nationals required consular assistance in Jamaica in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident, deaths (31 cases), hospitalisations (6 cases), and arrests, for a variety of offences (107 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (121 cases). There are high levels of crime and violence, particularly in Kingston. See the crime section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• There is a low threat from terrorism, but you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate attacks which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. See the general (insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance for more details.