Skip to main content
By the end of this guide, you will have created a CARECOM advance passenger manifest for a CARICOM-bound trip, validated the manifest, submitted it (or recorded a manual submission), and generated a General Declaration document.
The Operations module must be enabled for your workspace. You also need the appropriate operations permissions. Contact your workspace administrator if you cannot access these features.
Who should read this: Dispatchers and trip coordinators operating flights to CARICOM member states (Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Belize, and 10 other Caribbean nations). You need the flights.read and flights.update ops permissions.

What is CARECOM?

CARECOM is the CARICOM advance passenger information system. It requires operators to submit crew and passenger manifest data to the destination country’s customs authority before arrival. The requirement is grounded in ICAO Annex 9 (Facilitation) and is enforced by each CARICOM member state’s national customs authority. PlaneConnection automatically detects CARICOM destinations based on the arrival ICAO code and surfaces the CARECOM filing tab on the trip.

Prerequisites

  • The trip must have at least one leg with an arrival airport in a CARICOM member state.
  • Configure your operator credentials under Ops > Settings > CARECOM before submitting electronically.
  • Passports and travel documents for all crew and passengers should be entered on their crew or passenger profile before creating the manifest (the auto-populate feature pulls from those records).
  1. Open the trip from Ops > Trips or the Dispatch Board.
  2. Click the CARECOM tab in the trip navigation.
The page shows a list of previous submissions for this trip and a button to create a new submission.

Create a new submission

1
Step 1: Start a new submission
2
Click New Submission. PlaneConnection creates a draft submission pre-filled with the trip’s aircraft details (tail number, aircraft type, and color), departure and arrival ICAO codes, and scheduled times.
3
Step 2: Auto-populate the manifest
4
Click Auto-Populate to pull crew and passenger data from the trip assignment. PlaneConnection fills in names, dates of birth, nationalities, and document details from the profiles already on file.
5
Review each person’s entry and correct any missing fields. Required fields are:
6
FieldCrewPassengersFirst name, Last nameYesYesDate of birthYesYesGenderYesYesNationality (ISO code)YesYesDocument typeYesYesDocument numberYesYesDocument issuing countryYesYesDocument expiryYesYesDestination addressVariesVaries
7
Barbados and The Bahamas require a destination address (hotel name, street, city) for all passengers. If the trip includes either destination, add the address before validation.
8
Step 3: Set the filing type
9
Select Arrival or Departure from the Filing Type dropdown. Most CARICOM requirements apply to arrivals; check the destination country’s customs authority for departure filing obligations.
10
Step 4: Select the port of entry
11
Choose the destination airport from the Port of Entry dropdown. Only recognized international airports (ICAO designators) are listed for the selected country.
12
Step 5: Add the purpose of flight (optional)
13
Enter the purpose of flight (Charter, Private, Positioning, Ferry, or Medical) and any cargo declaration if applicable.
14
Step 6: Include a General Declaration
15
Toggle Include General Declaration if the destination requires a Gen Dec document. PlaneConnection generates a print-ready Gen Dec from the manifest data. You can view or print it from the submission detail after saving.
16
Step 7: Validate the manifest
17
Click Validate. PlaneConnection checks that all required fields are present and consistent. Validation errors are shown per-person with the specific field that needs correction. Fix all errors before proceeding.
18
Step 8: Mark as ready
19
Once validation passes, click Mark as Ready. The submission status changes to Ready, indicating the manifest is complete and cleared for submission.
20
Step 9: Submit
21
Click Submit to CARECOM. PlaneConnection sends the manifest payload to the CARECOM system via your configured provider (direct, FlightBridge, iSAMS, or CustomsClear).
22
If your workspace uses manual submission, record the confirmation number you received by clicking Record Confirmation after the fact.

Submission statuses

StatusMeaning
DraftManifest created but not yet validated or ready for submission.
ReadyValidation passed; cleared for submission.
SubmittedManifest sent to the CARECOM system; awaiting customs confirmation.
ConfirmedAccepted by the destination customs authority. A confirmation number is stored.
RejectedThe destination authority rejected the manifest. See the rejection reason and amend before resubmitting.
AmendedA previously submitted manifest has been updated and resubmitted.
CancelledSubmission cancelled (trip cancelled or flight diverted).

Amend a submission

If a submission is rejected or crew/passenger details change after submission:
  1. Open the submission from the CARECOM tab.
  2. Click Amend.
  3. Correct the fields and enter an amendment reason.
  4. Click Validate, then Submit.
PlaneConnection creates a new submission linked to the original, preserving the audit trail.

View the General Declaration

After saving a submission with Include General Declaration enabled:
  1. Find the submission in the list.
  2. Click the submission row to open the detail view.
  3. Click View Gen Dec to open the print-ready General Declaration document.
The Gen Dec includes the operator name, certificate number, aircraft registration, route, crew list, and passenger manifest in the standard ICAO format.

AI filing assistant

The ALI copilot sidebar can help populate CARECOM manifests. Open the sidebar while on the CARECOM page and describe the trip and crew to let ALI suggest field values. All suggestions require your review before saving.

Country-specific advance notice requirements

CountryAdvance NoticeDestination Address Required
Jamaica2 hoursNo
Barbados3 hoursYes
Trinidad & Tobago4 hoursNo
The Bahamas3 hoursYes
Belize2 hoursNo
Guyana3 hoursYes (visa info)
Antigua & Barbuda2 hoursNo
St. Lucia2 hoursNo
Grenada2 hoursNo
St. Vincent & Grenadines2 hoursNo
Dominica2 hoursNo
St. Kitts & Nevis2 hoursNo
Haiti2 hoursYes (visa info)
Suriname3 hoursYes (visa info)
Montserrat2 hoursNo
CARECOM advance notice deadlines are calculated from estimated arrival time. File early — customs authorities may not accept late submissions, which can result in delays or denial of entry.

Configure CARECOM settings

Go to Ops > Settings > CARECOM to configure:
  • Provider — Direct, FlightBridge, iSAMS, or CustomsClear
  • Vendor API key and client ID — Required for electronic submission via a trip support provider
  • Operator name and certificate number — Pre-filled on all submissions
  • Auto-submit — Hours before departure at which PlaneConnection automatically submits ready manifests
  • Notifications — Email alerts for confirmation and rejection events

Canada CBSA Filing

Submit advance notification for flights arriving in Canada.

Create a Trip

Add crew, passengers, and legs before filing international manifests.

Manage Passengers

Ensure passenger travel document data is complete before auto-populating.

Manage Travel Services

Coordinate trip-level services alongside international filing.
Last modified on April 11, 2026