Marriage certificate not substitute for birth paper

Q A friend of mine who lives overseas wishes to renew her expired Jamaican passport; however, there is a problem doing so. The name in the passport is different, by a letter, from the name on her birth certificate. What can she do to have her passport renewed? can her marriage certificate take precedence over her birth certificate?

A The challenge your friend is experiencing is one shared by many of our customers. Unfortunately, the marriage certificate cannot be used to change one's Christian name. Your friend has the option of either having the name amended by the Registrar General's Department, to allow her to continue using the spelling she has been accustomed to, or she may accept the spelling as indicated on the birth certificate.

In the case where an amendment is done to the name, the applicant should take the corrected documents, along with her expired passport, to the nearest overseas Jamaican Mission and apply for a renewal of her passport. Persons overseas may download the passport application form from our website at www.pica.gov.jm.

Q Is it necessary for a minor to be in attendance for the renewal of a passport? I live in May Pen and do not want to take the child on the trip to Kingston.

A If the minor is under three years old, the answer is no, the child does not need to come in with you. If the child is older than three years, he/she will need to accompany you to our office. You must be a parent or legal guardian in order to apply on the child's behalf. Please note that where a father is applying on behalf of a minor, his name must be on the birth certificate before the application can be made by him. Ensure all the documentation is in order before submitting the application. To apply, you must have:

• The child's birth certificate;

• Certified application form;

• Sections C and E of the application form completed and signed by parent/legal guardian;

• Parent's ID;

• Two colour photographs (only ONE of the photos must be certified);

• Fee $2,700.

Note that you do not have to come into our office in St Andrew to submit your application. Since 2011, PICA has been offering passport services out of the May Pen Tax Office. You can submit your application form at this location each weekday, except the 13th-16th, 28th, and 31st of each month. This is to accommodate the increased volume from persons carrying out tax transactions at the tax office. Regular opening hours are Monday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Thursday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The turnaround time for the delivery of a passport at this location at this location is 14 working days. As is customary, when doing business at the tax offices, you must ensure you take along your TRN card.

- For additional information, visit the website of the Passport, Immigration & Citizenship Agency at www.pica.gov.jm. For enquiries, email: info@pica.gov.jm.