Jamaica
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- Unclear restrictions - it is not clear to what extent restrictions apply.
Restrictions on entry to Jamaica
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Jamaica based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Jamaica does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
The Jamaican Consulate in London website has a list of supporting documents that should be included with a visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Jamaica
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Jamaica based on HIV status.
The website of the Jamaican Consulate in London has a list of supporting documents that should be included with a work visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Jamaica
It is unclear whether Jamaica imposes restrictions on long-term stay of people living with HIV.
According to the information provided by the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency of Jamaica, an application for permanent residence should be submitted along with a local medical certificate/certificate of good health in Jamaica, among other documents. It is not clear if this requires HIV testing or disclosure.
Treatment access in Jamaica
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Jamaica. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
IOM reports that all migrants in Jamaica have the same access to government-funded health services as citizens and health professionals are not required to verify a migrant’s legal status when providing care. Furthermore, programmes such as the National Health Fund (NHF) and the National HIV/STI Response Program (NHP) are also available to migrants. The National Policy on International Migration and Development (2017) acknowledges the need to provide health care to groups such as undocumented migrants, refugees or displaced persons. Migrants’ access to social protection schemes is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Social protection is available through the Public Assistance Division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) and migrants may qualify for these assistance programmes. Migrants can also access the National Insurance Scheme, which is available to employed persons, self-employed persons and voluntary contributors.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
There is no known HIV criminalisation in Jamaica. We are not aware of any HIV-specific criminal laws in force, and there have been no reported prosecutions for alleged HIV ‘exposure’, non-disclosure, and/or transmission under general criminal laws.
Visit the Jamaica page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
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