What happens if a
US citizen gives birth in Jamaica?

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What happens if a US citizen gives birth in Jamaica?

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer

Wherever you give birth, your child is automatically a citizen of that country even if you aren’t a citizen there yourself. What steps can US citizens take when they give birth in Jamaica to ensure their child gets American citizenship as well?

What happens if a US citizen gives birth in Jamaica?

If a child is born in Jamaica, he or she is instantly a citizen; no residency requirements or applications are required. A birth certificate or paperwork stating the child's registration of birth would be sufficient to demonstrate citizenship.

Due to Jamaica's recognition of dual nationality, a child's automatic right to citizenship is unaffected if they were a citizen of another country at the time of their birth.

When a baby is born in Jamaica or the Cayman Islands to U.S. citizens, the child may inherit that citizenship from the parents. Please schedule a time for a Consular Report of Birth so that American Citizen Services can assess whether you meet the transmission criteria (CRBA).

The parent who is a citizen of the United States must show that they share a biological relationship with the child and that they were physically present in the country for the necessary amount of time before the child's birth to be eligible for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

The following documents are required at the time of application:

• DS-2029 Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Child’s original birth certificate
• Child’s immunisation record or birth passport
• Evidence that the transmitting parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth
• Government-issued identification of both parents
• Parents’ original marriage & divorce certificate(s) (if applicable)
• Proof of periods of physical presence in the United States before the child’s birth*
• USD 100
• You can prove your physical presence in the US with school records, tax returns, old passports, or other legal documents. You should also be ready to list every entry and exit you made into and out of the United States up until the birth of your child.

Transmission of U.S. citizenship depends on

• The child was born with at least one parent who was a citizen of the United States;
• a biological connection between the child and parent(s) who are citizens of the United States;
• Documentary proof that the parent(s), who are citizens of the United States, were present in the country before the kid was born

Cost of giving birth in Jamaica

The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is the primary private hospital providing a prenatal clinic. One public clinic and one private clinic are both parts of UHWI. The Seventh Day Adventists are the owners of Kingston's Andrews Memorial Hospital, which also provides maternity services. You must register at one of these clinics between weeks eight and sixteen of your pregnancy.

• The deposit has increased to JMD$30,000 ($218) for vaginal deliveries and $120,000 ($870) for C-sections. This excludes hospital fees and expenses related to the care of the newborn child. Additionally, if you want your physician to deliver the baby, you will have to pay more.
  
  
• If you anticipate a normal delivery, a payment of JMD$55,000 (US$400) will be required at AMH, and a deposit of JMD$230,000 (US$1672) is required if you anticipate a C-section. A further JMD$ 15,000 (US$109) is required if you want a midwife to deliver your child. At AMH, private rooms cost JMD$14,000 (US$100) per day, while semi-private rooms cost JMD$11,500 (US$83), and you share your room and bathroom with one other patient.
  
  
• For a vaginal delivery at the Nuttall Memorial Hospital, you will need to pay a deposit of JMD$ 70,000 (US$509), and for a C-section, you would need to pay JMD$ 140,000 (US$1018).
  
  
• Hargreaves Memorial Hospital in Mandeville, which demands deposits of JMD$75,000 (US$545) and JMD$160,000 (US$1163), estimates the entire cost of vaginal delivery at JMD$125,000 (US$909) and a C-section at JMD$270,000 (US$1963).
  
  
• Except for a JMD$ 200 (US$1 to US$ 2) registration charge for your child, giving birth in a public facility is free at the time of delivery.

The process of giving birth in Jamaica may be quite costly if you choose to do so privately. However, whether you had an emergency birth or planned one, as a US citizen who has given birth in Jamaica, your child will now become a citizen of both the US and Jamaica.

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Return to Traveling to Jamaica While Pregnant from What Happens if a US Citizen Gives Birth In Jamaica?
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References & Sources For What Happens if a US Citizen Gives Birth In Jamaica?

1. Expat Focus (2020) Maternity Care in Jamaica: What the options are and how to decide on a birth plan, Expat Focus. Available at: https://www.expatfocus.com/jamaica/health/maternity-care-in-jamaica-what-the-options-are-and-how-to-decide-on-a-birth-plan-6503 (Accessed: November 24, 2022).
2. Transmitting citizenship (2017) U.S. Embassy in Jamaica. Available at: https://jm.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/child-family-matters/transmit-citizenship/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).
3. U.S. citizen services (2022) U.S. Embassy in Jamaica. Available at: https://jm.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/ (Accessed: November 24, 2022).

What Happens if a US Citizen Gives Birth In Jamaica? | Written: November 24, 2022

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