• Visit date: February 10 2025
• The visited post office:  General Post Office in Kingston, Spanish Town PO, Ocho Ricos PO, White Sands Beach PO in Montego Bay
• Cost of sending mail: 100 JMD (0,61 eur)
• Postcard availability:  In Post Office, in gift shops in the tourist areas
• Postcard Delivery Times: Fastest- 9 days to Germany, USA 3 weeks.

Jamaica, the land of reggae, sun-soaked beaches, and vibrant culture, is a Caribbean island nation located south of Cuba and west of Haiti. Achieving independence in 1962, Jamaica boasts a rich history, stunning landscapes, and a resilient spirit that captivates all who visit, giving it a unique rhythm.

The Basics Behind Jamaica’s Postal History

As the large display on the wall of the General Post Office in Kingston wonderfully illustrates Jamaica’s postal history, I’ll just add that after gaining independence in 1962, the first stamps were the 1956 series, surcharged with “Independence 1962.”

Sources: Wikipedia, jamaicapost, Jamaica

Our Post Office Experience in Jamaica

Our Jamaican postcard adventure began on a Sunday, with our arrival in Kingston, the island’s bustling capital. As it was Sunday, all Post Offices was closed as were most of the shops. While wandering the quiet streets, we stopped at a gift store where they dug out a dusty pack of postcards and asked for a dollar each. Since we had rented a car and planned to stay in the country for four days, we hoped to find a better selection elsewhere.

Sunday did have its perks, though. One of Kingston’s most famous bars Dub Club was open that night and up in the hills (What a view!!!) with Bob Marley’s music, we soaked in the atmosphere.

I must say, that “One Love”, was more than just the name for record. It felt like it is what people here truly live by, for the whole bar had this phrase printed to it’s T-shirts for the sale, and the bar, if we are being real, had this saying everywhere from the doors to the stickers.

But back to our postal mission. The next morning, we visited the general post office—a large building with the Jamaica Post logo. Inside, a huge mural displayed the country’s postal history in a visual timeline, which I took as the perfect summary of Jamaica’s postal past.

Tucked in a corner of the main hall was the philatelic counter, with a selection of stamps mounted on the wall. A local employee explained how the system worked: we could select the stamps we wanted, and he would retrieve them from his albums.

We started picking based on the display, trying to stay within the cost limit for a postcard while also being able to mix and match stamps. Unfortunately, many of the ones that caught our eye were no longer available—including those featuring Queen Elizabeth II.

Time for plan B. The employee brought out his stamp albums, and we chose from what was actually in stock. Given that Jamaica’s most famous musician of all time is Bob Marley, we weren’t surprised to find at least three different stamps featuring him.

One extra complication arose: not all destinations were available for mailing. Estonia, for example, was a no-go. The solution? Mark every postcard with “Via Germany.”

We also had to clarify the importance of getting our postcards hand-canceled with a dated postmark. The standard rule here is that postcards should be dropped into a mailbox, from where they get collected the next day and only then receive a stamp. Thankfully, they made an exception for us.

Over the next few days, we visited three more post offices. The system was the same but we successfully got our postcards stamped everywhere. The easiest experience was at the last post office in Montego Bay, where postal worker simply handed us the stamp and let us do it ourselves—probably because it was the most tourist-frequented location.

Jamaica, overall, was an absolute delight. When we weren’t writing and selecting postcards, we had time for snorkeling, climbing waterfalls, and indulging in the local cuisine. The vibe was amazing, the music infectious, and now all that’s left is to wait and see when our postcards actually arrive at their destinations.

Thank you for traveling with me.

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Update 26.02.2025 Postcards started to arrive to Estonia