How do I obtain a transit permit for bringing cremains to Jamaica

[hackwriter]

Another post in my seemingly endless saga of doing a sea burial of my late husband's cremated remains in Jamaica. We have our hotel booked (SATP) and the hotel will arrange for a boat to take us out to do the burial. My understanding is that I need the death certificate and certification of cremation (both of which I have) and a transit permit. I cannot find any information on obtaining this transit permit for a case where a family member is bring the cremains rather than them going from a funeral home in the US to a funeral home in Jamaica. I currently have the remains in an urn in my home and they will be transported and buried in a TSA-approved biodegradable urn.

The Jamaican Consulate in Washington DC has an endless voice mail system that keeps taking me back to the same recording. The one in New York has no operator pickup. The instructions available for a transit permit assume a funeral home-to-funeral home transport. I have contacted the consulate in Jamaica via e-mail and have received no answer.

I don't want to end up with my husbands remains sitting somewhere in Kingston or Montego Bay and have to spend five days trying to straighten it out. Does anyone have any information on how I can do this? Thank you in advance if you do.

[Rob]

A Transit Permit is issued by the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Department, or the St. James Health Department. Here is the Kingston contact info:

Kingston and St Andrew Health Department,

1A Caledonia Crescent, Kingston 5

Tel: +1876 926-1550-2

[hackwriter]

Do they issue these permits to individuals, or will I have to get a local funeral home here involved, to ship them to a funeral home in Negril? I hate to have to get all these middlemen involved. :-(

[Rob]

They should be able to issue you one as long as you have all the necessary documents. There are separate fees for individuals and funeral homes.

Give them a call on Monday!

[Kold Ass Mofo]

Another post in my seemingly endless saga of doing a sea burial of my late husband's cremated remains in Jamaica. We have our hotel booked (SATP) and the hotel will arrange for a boat to take us out to do the burial. My understanding is that I need the death certificate and certification of cremation (both of which I have) and a transit permit. I cannot find any information on obtaining this transit permit for a case where a family member is bring the cremains rather than them going from a funeral home in the US to a funeral home in Jamaica. I currently have the remains in an urn in my home and they will be transported and buried in a TSA-approved biodegradable urn.

The Jamaican Consulate in Washington DC has an endless voice mail system that keeps taking me back to the same recording. The one in New York has no operator pickup. The instructions available for a transit permit assume a funeral home-to-funeral home transport. I have contacted the consulate in Jamaica via e-mail and have received no answer.

I don't want to end up with my husbands remains sitting somewhere in Kingston or Montego Bay and have to spend five days trying to straighten it out. Does anyone have any information on how I can do this? Thank you in advance if you do.

I am very sorry for you loss. I had to get a travel permit for a relative's cremated remains in December. It was a process. You need a death certificate and a proof of cremation.

Fax the documents to these folks:

St. James Health Department
Ph: 1-876-979-7820-4
Fax: 1-876-979-7802

Email: saintjames@wrha.gov.jm
St. James Montego Bay PO St. James, Jamaica WI

There is a cost of around US$60. The hard part is you must have the original documents issued by the health department with you when you arrive in Jamaica. A cab driver friend paid the fees and picked up the documents.

When we arrived in Jamaica I ran outside and got the documents. Then the hard part - swimming upstream against airport security while a family member was discussing the matter with security. They will not let you take the remains out of the airport without the permit. Airport security took the documents back to my family member and all was good. Had a beautiful sunset boat ride and we placed his remains in the sea. PM me if you have any questions.

[brownsd54]

I am very sorry for you loss. I had to get a travel permit for a relative's cremated remains in December. It was a process. You need a death certificate and a proof of cremation.

Fax the documents to these folks:

St. James Health Department
Ph: 1-876-979-7820-4
Fax: 1-876-979-7802

Email: saintjames@wrha.gov.jm
St. James Montego Bay PO St. James, Jamaica WI

There is a cost of around US$60. The hard part is you must have the original documents issued by the health department with you when you arrive in Jamaica. A cab driver friend paid the fees and picked up the documents.

When we arrived in Jamaica I ran outside and got the documents. Then the hard part - swimming upstream against airport security while a family member was discussing the matter with security. They will not let you take the remains out of the airport without the permit. Airport security took the documents back to my family member and all was good. Had a beautiful sunset boat ride and we placed his remains in the sea. PM me if you have any questions.

As am I, so sorry for your loss. If there is a bright thing about this, you will be able to watch every Negril sunset knowing that your loved one is out there some where. My best friend of 45 years passed away in February and he too wanted to be spread out at sea close to Negril. He had only been there 3 times but somehow Negril touched his heart in a big way.

So where did you get stopped with the remains?? At customs, and then once someone swam backwards from the outside door back to customs with the permit, only then can you continue out? Is that right? My friend Bob would want me to meet the driver outside with the permit, have a quick Red Stripe at the Groovy Grouper and only then get the permit back to customs, LOL.

[Kold Ass Mofo]

As am I, so sorry for your loss. If there is a bright thing about this, you will be able to watch every Negril sunset knowing that your loved one is out there some where. My best friend of 45 years passed away in February and he too wanted to be spread out at sea close to Negril. He had only been there 3 times but somehow Negril touched his heart in a big way.

So where did you get stopped with the remains?? At customs, and then once someone swam backwards from the outside door back to customs with the permit, only then can you continue out? Is that right? My friend Bob would want me to meet the driver outside with the permit, have a quick Red Stripe at the Groovy Grouper and only then get the permit back to customs, LOL.

The family member carrying the remains claimed it on the customs form to prevent it from being confiscated. "Cremated remains of a loved one.....$0.00". We had an emailed copy of the travel permit but the customs folks wanted the original paperwork that was issued from the health department in St James. If you don't have the paperwork with you at the airport they keep the remains in their custody until you return with the paperwork.

The airport security people in mo bay were very nice. Try going upstream of airport security in Atlanta, you'll get tazed.

You are absolutely correct about the bright side. Now we get to enjoy the Negril sunsets and even swim with our deceased loved one. He's out there somewhere between the beach and Rick's.

[JohnNYC]

The waters off Negril are where I’d like to be when I’m done. It’s the closest thing to heaven I know of. I hope my family will visit often, dropping some jerk and Appleton into the water when they do. Either way it sounds like I’ll be in excellent company!

[Kold Ass Mofo]

The waters off Negril are where I’d like to be when I’m done. It’s the closest thing to heaven I know of. I hope my family will visit often, dropping some jerk and Appleton into the water when they do. Either way it sounds like I’ll be in excellent company!

Ya Mon! Please write down your wishes or make sure someone that you trust knows what you want. My family member's will did not specify what he wanted done with his body. Thank goodness he told me more than once to, "burn my a$$ and scatter the ashes at sunset off Negril".

We tossed a few shots of Appleton off the boat. But, being true to family form we drank the rest of the bottle.

[hackwriter]

I am very sorry for you loss. I had to get a travel permit for a relative's cremated remains in December. It was a process. You need a death certificate and a proof of cremation.

Fax the documents to these folks:

St. James Health Department
Ph: 1-876-979-7820-4
Fax: 1-876-979-7802

Email: saintjames@wrha.gov.jm
St. James Montego Bay PO St. James, Jamaica WI

There is a cost of around US$60. The hard part is you must have the original documents issued by the health department with you when you arrive in Jamaica. A cab driver friend paid the fees and picked up the documents.

When we arrived in Jamaica I ran outside and got the documents. Then the hard part - swimming upstream against airport security while a family member was discussing the matter with security. They will not let you take the remains out of the airport without the permit. Airport security took the documents back to my family member and all was good. Had a beautiful sunset boat ride and we placed his remains in the sea. PM me if you have any questions.

Thank you. I sent you a PM, because I am utterly confused and starting to feel like I cannot do this. How do I get the original paperwork? Can't they mail it to me before I go Will I have to go all the way to Kingston to get the paperwork and then go to Montego Bay to get the cremains out of Customs Jail? We will only be there five days, and I can't imagine spending two of them, and lots of money, taxiing around the entire island to get a piece of paper.