Fil d'Ariane

Tourism  Permit

Ensure your specific Tourism  Permit is approved and valid.

How to apply for Tourism

Tourism Categories (duty free importation)

Tourism Operators can benefit from the following incentives:
Productive Input Relief (PIR):
Duty-free importation of certain industry-related items, used by Tourism Operators as inputs in the production of goods.

What Category are you applying for?

Accommodations

Change
Resort Cottage
One or two self-contained\individual cottages kitchenette
Guest House
Under ten (10) bedrooms, has one main kitchenFood serve
Apartment
Self-contained units (several rooms with own kitchen)
Hotels
Any building with not less than ten (10) bedrooms, Meals are provided, Central dining facilities, Over 100 rooms must have a nurse, Bell hop, Lobby
Villa
A unit within a house, with a maximum of nine (9) rooms and the owner is resident in the home. Only breakfast served (Please be advised that homestay do not qualify for incentives)

Attractions

Change
Nature/Eco-Tourism
Heritage /Cultural
Built/Man-Made
Other

Ground Transportation

Change
Domestic Tour Company
Organize and arrange visits to places of interest which may involve the use of motor vehicles, bicycles, bikes and other modes of transportation
Contract Carriage
Vehicles licensed as per the Road Traffic Act to transport passengers (local/foreign) from point A to point B via a contractual agreement
Car Rental
Vehicles rented for a specific period and are self-driven

Research and Development License

Assessment, study, research, development and testing of cannabis plant products.

Change
Personal WaterCraft (Jet Ski/Wave Runner)
Water Ski
Sunfish Sail
Parasail
Scuba Diving
Glass Bottom Boat Cruise
Banana Boat Ride
Other

Determine your Eligibility

Before applying for benefits under the incentives framework, all tourism entities (including hotels/resort cottages and attractions) are required to be in possession of a JTB Licence as per Section 23A the Jamaica Tourist Board Act (1955). See the requirements for the categories of licenses issued by the JTB.

Select the appropriate option below

As a Operator, in order to benefit from the Productive Inputs Relief (PIR) scheme, you must first register with the regulating Jamaica Tourist Board, for status as a bona fide operator.

New or Existing operators may be granted provisional status for a period of no longer than 12 months until their status has be regularised by the JTB

As an Operator, in order to benefit from the Productive Inputs Relief (PIR) scheme, you must first register with the regulating Jamaica Tourist Board, for status as a bona fide operator.

Once you have been approved as a “bona fide” Operator, varying levels of relief are available to you in respect of i) customs duties and additional stamp duties for raw materials, intermediate goods, consumables or packaging materials and equipment (including parts); and ii) corporate income tax.

Required Documentation

In order to ensure your application is processed expeditiously please verify that all the information is completed accurately, and the supporting documents/information are submitted along with your request.

A Fiscal Incentives Application Form must be completed.

Other Supporting Documentation to be submitted along with the Application Form are:

 All copied documents submitted must be certified by a Justice of the Peace.

JTB License

provisional licence can be applied for through the Ministry

Business plan

Building Plans approved by the Municipal Corporation

for new properties & properties undergoing expansion and/or structural alteration

Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC)

Certificate of Incorporation, Articles of Association and/or Business Registration Certificate

National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) Approval (where applicable)

Copy of Management/Lease agreement (if operator is different from owner)

Letter of Financial Commitment to undertake development

Fees Payment

 

Pay the relevant Processing Fees…

There is no fee associated with submitting your request to access “PIR Status”.

 

Processing Time:

Status Approval - Maximum of twenty (20) working days.

Submit your completed request…

You can choose you preferred submission method, either through the online portal or by presenting your filled form in one of MOT’s offices.

Once your application form and any relevant supporting information/documents have been completed, signed, stamped and certified where required; submit your application using the portal (or visiting the MOT offices), along with your relevant fee payment.

Applications along with and all supporting information/documents including cover letter must be completed and uploaded via the Jamaica Business Gateway platform. Cover letter must be addressed to:

Online submission

You will be able to submit your application entirely online by using the new JBG portal.

Easy

You will be guided through the process

Reliable

Get updates on your progress in real-time

Quick

Simplifies the collaboration with the MOT

Permanent Secretary

The Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard
Kingston 5
Jamaica, W.I.

Phone (876) 920-4926/30
Fax (876) 920-4944
Monday-Thursday 8:30 am -5:00pm
Friday 8:30 am -4:00pm

Additional steps required for approval...

Once your application(s) has been submitted, there are a few additional steps that the regulating Ministry of Tourism (MT) and the Incentives Unit of Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) will need to undertake as a part of their own due diligence processes. This includes the following:

Review of application(s) by MT

carried out on the accommodation’s application and any supporting documents.

  • For New entities, applications are reviewed by the Tax and Incentives Committee within the MT.

Entity is notified

MT will advise the applicant of the final determination regarding the request for fiscal incentives

Accommodation application processed on ASYCUDA

once application is approved, an Exemption Notice will be generated from the Jamaica Customs Agency ASYCUDA platform.

Once your application is approved by the MT, an approval letter is sent to the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) and the Tax Administration of Jamaica (TAJ) for their records.