> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# How to File a CARECOM Manifest
> Submit CARICOM advance passenger information (CARECOM) for flights arriving in Caribbean Community member states, manage submission status, and generate a General Declaration.
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).
## Navigate to the CARECOM filing page
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
### Step 1: Start a new submission
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.
### Step 2: Auto-populate the manifest
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.
Review each person's entry and correct any missing fields. Required fields are:
| Field | Crew | Passengers |
| ------------------------ | :----: | :--------: |
| First name, Last name | Yes | Yes |
| Date of birth | Yes | Yes |
| Gender | Yes | Yes |
| Nationality (ISO code) | Yes | Yes |
| Document type | Yes | Yes |
| Document number | Yes | Yes |
| Document issuing country | Yes | Yes |
| Document expiry | Yes | Yes |
| Destination address | Varies | Varies |
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.
### Step 3: Set the filing type
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.
### Step 4: Select the port of entry
Choose the destination airport from the **Port of Entry** dropdown. Only recognized international airports (ICAO designators) are listed for the selected country.
### Step 5: Add the purpose of flight (optional)
Enter the purpose of flight (Charter, Private, Positioning, Ferry, or Medical) and any cargo declaration if applicable.
### Step 6: Include a General Declaration
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.
### Step 7: Validate the manifest
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.
### Step 8: Mark as ready
Once validation passes, click **Mark as Ready**. The submission status changes to **Ready**, indicating the manifest is complete and cleared for submission.
### Step 9: Submit
Click **Submit to CARECOM**. PlaneConnection sends the manifest payload to the CARECOM system via your configured provider (direct, FlightBridge, iSAMS, or CustomsClear).
If your workspace uses manual submission, record the confirmation number you received by clicking **Record Confirmation** after the fact.
## Submission statuses
| Status | Meaning |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Manifest created but not yet validated or ready for submission. |
| **Ready** | Validation passed; cleared for submission. |
| **Submitted** | Manifest sent to the CARECOM system; awaiting customs confirmation. |
| **Confirmed** | Accepted by the destination customs authority. A confirmation number is stored. |
| **Rejected** | The destination authority rejected the manifest. See the rejection reason and amend before resubmitting. |
| **Amended** | A previously submitted manifest has been updated and resubmitted. |
| **Cancelled** | Submission 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
| Country | Advance Notice | Destination Address Required |
| ------------------------ | -------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Jamaica | 2 hours | No |
| Barbados | 3 hours | Yes |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 4 hours | No |
| The Bahamas | 3 hours | Yes |
| Belize | 2 hours | No |
| Guyana | 3 hours | Yes (visa info) |
| Antigua & Barbuda | 2 hours | No |
| St. Lucia | 2 hours | No |
| Grenada | 2 hours | No |
| St. Vincent & Grenadines | 2 hours | No |
| Dominica | 2 hours | No |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | 2 hours | No |
| Haiti | 2 hours | Yes (visa info) |
| Suriname | 3 hours | Yes (visa info) |
| Montserrat | 2 hours | No |
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
## Related
Submit advance notification for flights arriving in Canada.
Add crew, passengers, and legs before filing international manifests.
Ensure passenger travel document data is complete before auto-populating.
Coordinate trip-level services alongside international filing.