Curaçao
Curaçao is an island country in the southern Caribbean, about 65 kilometres off the coast of Venezuela, and one of the four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands, alongside the Netherlands itself, Aruba and Sint Maarten. Dry, windswept and roughly 60 kilometres long, it grew up around a fine natural harbour, where Willemstad became a trading port whose historic districts are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Papiamentu, Dutch and English are all official languages, and most visitors can enter without a visa for a stay whose length depends on their passport, completing a Digital Immigration Card online before they travel.
Visa Requirements for Curaçao
Curaçao is one of the four countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but it runs its own admission system and is not part of the Schengen Area, so Schengen rules, Schengen stays and a stay in Curaçao are separate matters. Most travellers need no visa for tourism or a short business visit, and the length of the permitted stay depends on nationality: Dutch and US nationals can stay as tourists for up to six months a year; nationals of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan for up to 90 days a year; and other nationalities for 30 days. A longer stay has to be requested from the island's Admissions Organization before the permitted period runs out — visitors on a 30-day stay apply for a tourist extension between seven and five days before it expires. Every visitor completes a Digital Immigration Card online before travelling, and the immigration officer decides on admission at arrival and may ask for a return or onward ticket, details of accommodation and proof of sufficient funds. The passport must be valid for the whole stay at minimum; your own government or airline may ask for more, so check both. A group of nationalities, among them Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela, need a short-stay Caribbean visa, applied for at a Dutch embassy or consulate well before travel — there is no visa on arrival. That visa covers all six Caribbean parts of the Kingdom for up to 90 days in any 180-day period but is not valid for the European Netherlands or any other Schengen country, and travellers who hold a multiple-entry Schengen visa or a residence permit for the United States or Canada may not need one at all — check the current conditions for your own case. Work, study, retirement and other long stays require a residence permit arranged in advance with the Curaçao authorities, usually with the backing of an employer, school or family member on the island.
Visa types
Visa-Free Entry (Tourism & Business)
For nationals of the US, the Netherlands, the European Union, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many other countries visiting for tourism, short business trips, conferences or family visits. Every visitor completes the Digital Immigration Card online before arrival.
Short-Stay Caribbean Visa
For nationals who need a visa for tourism, business visits, family visits, conferences, short medical treatment or other temporary purposes. Covers Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. Apply at a Dutch embassy or consulate in your country of residence.
Work Permit & Employment Visa
Employment in the hospitality industry (hotels, resorts, restaurants), finance, oil and maritime industries, healthcare, education, retail, construction and other sectors. Requires employer sponsorship and approval from Curaçao's labour authorities.
Residence Permit (Long Stay)
Family reunification with Curaçao residents or Dutch citizens, retirement with sufficient pension income, business establishment and entrepreneurship, or independent financial means. Requires proof of stable income, housing and health insurance.
Student Visa
Full-time study at the University of Curaçao Dr. Moises da Costa Gomez, the island's medical schools, vocational training institutes or other recognised educational institutions in Curaçao. Requires an acceptance letter and proof of financial support.
Entrepreneur/Self-Employment Permit
Establishing business operations in Curaçao, including tourism businesses, restaurants, consulting services, retail, professional services or investment in the Curaçao economy. Must demonstrate economic benefit to Curaçao.
Retirement Residence Permit
Retirees with stable pension or investment income seeking to settle in Curaçao, a choice North American and European retirees make for its year-round sunshine and its position outside the main hurricane belt.
Guides
Curaçao is a dry, breezy island where the trade wind blows for most of the year and the rain comes mainly as brief showers late in it, so there is no wrong month to go. Willemstad is where most visitors sleep and eat, and the rest of the island is reached from there. Beyond the old town almost everything is spread along the coast and thinly served by buses, which is why a rental car decides how much of Curaçao you see. The quieter west, up to an hour's drive from town, repays a few nights of its own rather than a rushed afternoon.
Curaçao travel guide →
The full guide — the reef from the shore, the Christoffel climb and the north-coast coves, and the two-bases plan.
Money in Curaçao →
Caribbean guilders, dollars taken everywhere and cash for the stalls — the practical money guide.
Eating in Curaçao →
The Creole table, lunch at Marshe Bieu, and the bitter orange behind the island's famous liqueur.
Getting around Curaçao →
Driving on the right, the Konvoi buses and the small vans, and taxis that run without meters.
Health & safety in Curaçao →
Sun the wind disguises, two coasts with different seas, mosquitoes, and the parked-car rule.
Cities & planning
Plan your trip
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Embassies & missions
Accredited missions for Curaçao
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for Curaçao?
Most travellers don't. Nationals of the US, the Netherlands, the European Union, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and many other countries can visit visa-free for tourism or a short business trip, while a smaller group of nationalities — Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela among them — need a short-stay Caribbean visa arranged in advance. Whatever your passport, you complete a Digital Immigration Card online before travelling, and the immigration officer decides on admission when you arrive.
How long can I stay in Curaçao without a visa?
It depends on your nationality. Dutch and US nationals can stay as tourists for up to six months a year; nationals of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan for up to 90 days a year; and other nationalities for 30 days. To stay longer, apply to Curaçao's Admissions Organization before your permitted stay ends — on a 30-day stay, the tourist extension is requested between seven and five days before it expires.
What is Curaçao's Digital Immigration Card?
A mandatory online form that every visitor completes before travelling to Curaçao; it replaced the old paper immigration card. Each traveller needs their own card, filled in during the days before departure, and airlines check the confirmation at check-in. Use only the official channel — lookalike websites charge fees for the same form.
Does a Schengen visa let me enter Curaçao?
Not as a Schengen visa: Curaçao is outside the Schengen Area and runs its own admission rules. But for travellers whose nationality would otherwise need a Caribbean visa, holding a multiple-entry Schengen visa can remove the need for one, as can a residence permit for the United States or Canada — check the current conditions for your case. In the other direction, a Caribbean visa is not valid for the European Netherlands or any other Schengen country.
Where do I apply if I need a visa for Curaçao?
At a Dutch embassy or consulate, which handles the short-stay Caribbean visa, well before you travel — Curaçao does not issue visas on arrival. The visa covers Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
How long must my passport be valid for Curaçao?
At minimum, for the whole of your stay. Your own government's travel advice or your airline may set a longer margin, so check both before you book, and carry proof of a return or onward journey, as the immigration officer can ask for it.
Planning a trip to Curaçao? Check what you need to enter and apply online in minutes.
Treat this Visaja page as your starting point: verify the current rules directly with the official source before you submit an application.