Passport fees to be increased

Effective Tuesday May 26 it will cost more to apply for a Jamaican passport.

The cost for a regular passport will move fromJ$4,500 to  $6,500 while the rate for a passport for a minor will move from $2,700 dollars to $4,ooo

Persons applying for a replacement passport will have to fork out $11,500 up from $9,500 while a similar transaction for a minor's passport will cost $7,000 up from $5,700

Passport fees were last increased in 2009.

The Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) says the new fee structure seeks to cover inflation and the movement in the exchange rate.

In a statement, PICA said it has to be self-sufficient this financial year as it will not receive any funding from the Government. 

Chief  Executive Officer of  PICA, Jennifer McDonald, says other factors prompted the need to adjust the passport fees.

"It will allow us to see changes in our technological structure, we are hoping to get get additional space...."McDonald said.