Jamaica / Money rules

Jamaica money rules

Eight things worth remembering while you are there, each linking to the fuller explanation.

Open it, then press and hold to keep it in your photos. Works with no signal.

1. 1Look at the plate. Red is legal, white is notA licensed taxi carries a red plate, a Transport Authority sticker and a globe on the roof. The white-plate cars touting for business are unlicensed and uninsured for you. Be firm about this one.Licensed taxis in Jamaica
2. 2The C5 form is free, and only one site has itEverybody needs one, children included, before arrival. It is a free government form that takes a few minutes. Lookalike sites charge serious money to fill in the same thing and some look convincingly official.Filing the C5 yourself
3. 3You cannot file it months ahead, only weeksThe window opens 30 days before you travel, so doing it early does not work. Have your flight and accommodation to hand, file one per traveler, and screenshot the code it gives you.When to file the C5
4. 4There is no Uber, so settle the number firstThe listings you find for ride apps here are private transfer firms borrowing the name. What you actually use is a licensed taxi, and the fare is agreed before you get in, not metered on the way.Why the app does not work here
5. 5Always ask which dollars they meanBoth currencies circulate in the tourist areas and the two numbers are wildly different, so a quote of twenty could be a small fare or a large one. Confirm it out loud before you agree to anything.Agreeing a fare
6. 6On a card, choose Jamaican dollarsBeing billed in US dollars is dynamic currency conversion, roughly 3 to 8 percent worse than your own bank would manage. In cash, US notes are taken in the resort zones but usually at a rate that favours the till.Paying by card in Jamaica
7. 7Read the bill before you add a tipA service charge is commonly added already, and where it is, the tip is broadly dealt with. Tipping runs closer to the US habit here than elsewhere in the Caribbean, so 10 to 15 percent where nothing was added.Tipping in Jamaica
8. 8Keep local cash for the parts worth havingCards cover the resorts and the nicer restaurants. Markets, street food and the route taxis run on Jamaican dollars, and that is most of what you will remember about eating here.How much cash to carry

These are the rules that do not really change, which is why they are worth carrying. Exact fees, rates and prices do move, so check the Jamaica guide for anything current before you rely on a number.

truetripcosts.com/jamaica/rules