Travel

Dunn's River Falls is one of Jamaica's best-known attractions. (Photo: Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images )

Well known for its warm weather, slow pace of life and cultural history, Jamaica is a developing country in the Caribbean with a generally laid-back attitude. Tourism is a major industry, and documents required to enter the country are minimal compared to those of many other nations. Required paperwork for travel to Jamaica depends on your country of citizenship and the purpose and length of your visit.

A passport is the preferred document for all international travel. Jamaica accepts expired passports of U.S. and Canadian citizens, provided that they have not been expired for longer than 12 months. But note that the U.S. requires anyone returning to the U.S. by air to have a valid, non-expired passport. For those traveling by sea, a passport card is acceptable for entry into Jamaica and return to the U.S. Passport cards are smaller and less expensive than full passports, and are accepted for travel by land or sea, but not air, within Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands. Jamaica accepts identification cards such as school IDs for children under age 18, provided that the card has the child's photo and date of birth, but the U.S. does not accept school IDs as proof of citizenship to re-enter the country.