Does My US, UK or Canadian Will Cover My House in Jamaica? (2026)

Short answer: Often, yes. A properly made will from the US, UK or Canada can deal with land and money in Jamaica. But your executor will usually have to take that foreign will through extra court steps in Jamaica before anyone can sell or transfer your property. Many diaspora Jamaicans make a separate Jamaican will just for Jamaican assets so the family can deal with it directly in Jamaica.

How Jamaica deals with a foreign will

Land in Jamaica is governed by Jamaican law, whoever owns it. To transfer registered land after a death, the National Land Agency needs a Jamaican grant: probate, letters of administration, or a foreign grant that has been recognised in Jamaica. A will made and probated abroad does not automatically move a Jamaican title.

• UK and some Commonwealth grants: a grant from certain Commonwealth countries can often be resealed by the Supreme Court of Jamaica. That is faster than starting again, but it still needs certified copies, an attorney, and fees.
• US grants: the United States is not a Commonwealth country, so a US probate grant generally cannot simply be resealed. Your executor will usually need a fresh application in Jamaica (sometimes called ancillary probate), with certified copies of the will and the US grant.
• Formal validity: a will valid where it was signed is often accepted in Jamaica, but if the witnessing or wording is unusual, the Jamaican court can ask for more evidence, such as an affidavit from a witness.

Why a separate Jamaican will is popular

• Your executor can apply in Jamaica straight away, without first finishing probate in New York, London or Toronto.
• Land can be described properly, by Volume and Folio of the Register Book of Titles, so there is no argument about which property you meant.
• You can pick a Jamaica-based executor who can visit the NLA, Tax Administration Jamaica and the Supreme Court registry in person.
• Your foreign estate stays separate, so a delay in one country does not hold up the other.

The one trap: accidentally revoking your other will

Most standard wills begin with "I revoke all former wills." If you sign a Jamaican will with that line after your US or UK will, you may cancel the foreign one, and the reverse is also true. The fix is simple: each will should revoke earlier wills only so far as they deal with property in that country, and each should mention that the other exists. Tell your local lawyer you have, or plan to have, a Jamaican will.

What if I have no will at all?

If you die without a will, Jamaican land passes under the Intestates' Estates and Property Charges Act. Your family has to apply for letters of administration, track down every person entitled, and often agree on who will act. With family spread across several countries, that can take years. See our guide on claiming deceased family land from the USA.

Checklist before you decide

1. List every Jamaican asset: land (Volume/Folio), houses, bank accounts, shares, vehicles.
2. Confirm the title details. A land title search shows who is actually on the title today.
3. Choose an executor (and a backup) who can deal with Jamaica.
4. Decide whether to use a Jamaica-only will, and make sure your foreign will does not revoke it.
5. Sign with two independent witnesses present at the same time. See who can witness a Jamaican will abroad.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For large or complicated estates, speak with a Jamaican attorney-at-law.