Guides
First-time flyer: the documents you need, explained simply
Passports, green cards, visas, TSA Secure Flight, consent letters for children and what to have in your hand at each counter. For anyone flying internationally for the first time or booking for someone who is.
Flying for the first time, or the first time in years, is mostly about paperwork. Get the documents right and the rest is queues. This guide covers what you need for Jetvala's routes as of September 2026. Rules change and embassies have the final word, so confirm anything critical with the consulate of the country you are visiting.
The passport
You need a passport to fly internationally, full stop. A US passport card does not work for air travel. Check three things: the expiry date, the name, and the condition. Many countries require six months' validity beyond your return date (the Dominican Republic and Jamaica apply this to many nationalities; Haiti accepts validity for the length of stay). A passport with a torn photo page or water damage can be refused at check-in. Renewal in the US takes six to eight weeks by mail and one to three weeks expedited; Haitian passport renewals through the consulate can take longer, so start early.
US citizens
For Haiti: passport, plus $10 in cash for the tourist fee on arrival. For the Dominican Republic: passport plus the free e-ticket form at migracion.gob.do, filled in before you fly. For Jamaica: passport plus the online C5 form. For France: passport, no visa for stays under 90 days (watch for ETIAS once it is enforced). For Nigeria: visa or approved visa on arrival plus yellow fever certificate. For Ghana: visa or e-visa plus yellow fever certificate. For Senegal: no visa for 90 days, yellow fever certificate checked.
US permanent residents (green card holders)
You travel on the passport of your nationality and re-enter the United States with the green card. Airlines check the green card at check-in for the return flight. If your green card is expired or you have a pending renewal, carry the I-797 receipt notice or get an I-551 stamp before you travel; an expired card can get you denied boarding. Haitian passport holders with a green card need visas for the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Haitian citizens
Enter Haiti on the Haitian passport. If you also hold US citizenship, use the US passport at US immigration and the Haitian one at Haitian immigration; carry both. Haiti's immigration card (green) is filled in on the plane or at the desk; keep the stub for departure. Ghana grants visa-free entry to Haitian passports for 90 days, one of the easier long-haul options.
TSA Secure Flight
Every airline flying to or from the US collects your full name, date of birth and gender exactly as on your travel document, under the TSA Secure Flight program. If the name on the booking does not match the passport, you can be denied boarding. Type the name from a photo of the passport. Redress numbers (for people repeatedly misidentified) and Known Traveler Numbers (for TSA PreCheck) are optional fields at booking.
Children
Under 18 traveling with one parent or with someone else: carry a notarized consent letter from the absent parent(s) with a copy of their ID, plus the child's birth certificate. Haitian immigration asks for this often; US airlines ask occasionally; the Dominican Republic requires it. Infants need their own passport even if they fly on your lap. Unaccompanied minors have airline-specific rules and fees; Sunrise Airways does not carry unaccompanied minors under 12 on international flights.
What to have at each counter
Check-in: passport, booking reference (six letters), green card or visa if applicable, and the consent letter for children. Security: boarding pass and passport; liquids under 100 ml in a clear bag; laptops out unless you have PreCheck. Boarding: boarding pass and passport again. Arrival immigration: passport, arrival card or QR code, address where you are staying, return ticket if asked, and the tourist fee in cash for Haiti. Customs: declare cash over $10,000 and anything commercial.
Vaccinations and health
Yellow fever certificates are required for Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal and checked before immigration. No vaccine is required for Haiti, the Dominican Republic or Jamaica, but routine vaccines and a hepatitis A shot are recommended. Carry prescription medicine in its original container with the prescription.
Copies and backups
Photograph your passport, green card, visa and tickets and keep them in your phone and in an email to yourself. Carry a paper copy of the passport separately from the passport. Write the Jetvala WhatsApp number and your booking reference on paper.
When something is wrong
If the name on your booking has a typo, tell us within 24 hours of purchase; corrections are usually free in that window. If your passport expires too soon, tell us before travel and we will hold or change the booking where the fare allows. If you are refused boarding for a document issue, the airline is not obliged to refund a non-refundable fare, which is why we check the requirement before you pay.