KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA) says it will now require people submitting applications on behalf of an applicant to take along a certified authorisation letter signed by the applicant.

“Formerly, a person could submit an application for another person without presenting an ID or a letter of authorisation from the applicant. On the other hand, they were, and are still required to present these documents when collecting the passport on the applicant’s behalf,” PICA stated in a release today.

PICA explained that the new policy means that a bearer will now have to present both the ID and letter of authorisation when submitting the application and will have to do so when collecting the passport.

Additionally, the agency is reminding people that pet names and other unofficial titles are not acceptable when applying for a passport.

“Only names that are recorded on a person’s birth certificate/Adoption Certificate/Certificate of Citizenship or deed poll will be accepted by the agency,” said PICA.

PICA said it has been taking steps in recent times to safeguard the integrity of the Jamaican passport from tampering and fraud. It’s most recent initiative, the Facial Recognition System, was introduced two years ago and has been effective in detecting persons who attempt to obtain a passport fraudulently.