News

Cayman Islands passport holders aged 65 and over will no longer have to pay fees associated with various passport services, thanks to Cabinet approval of the Passport (Amendment of Schedule) Order, 2021.

The Order waives fees for first-time applications and renewals of British Overseas Territory Citizen (Cayman Islands) passports; change of name on passports; replacement of lost or stolen passports; provision of temporary passports; call out fees and US visa waiver services.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Border Control Hon. Chris Saunders said, “It’s important to my Cabinet colleagues and I that, as a Government, we appropriately facilitate all of our people living their lives to their fullest potential. For our senior citizens, who have spent their lives working to build our community, a key concern is living on fixed incomes after retirement. By waiving these fees, we aim to reduce and remove the financial load our seniors have to bear in their day-to-day lives.”

The fee waivers were first recommended in 2019, and the Deputy Premier explained that a subsequent analysis showed that the implementation of the policy would have a negligible impact on Government revenues while also providing a real benefit to Cayman’s elderly population.

Deputy Premier Saunders said, “After a fee review and careful analysis, it was determined that the reduced revenue collected through passport services would be a minimal loss to Government coffers but would offer a real long-term benefit to our seniors by reducing their financial obligations.”

The fee waivers were recommended by the Council of Older Persons, which was established by the Older Persons Act 2017. The Council’s mandate is to advance the wellbeing and quality of life of older persons in the Cayman Islands.