Entry Requirements and Visas

For persons who want to visit Aruba as a tourist, the following applies. Persons who are considered a tourist are those who travel to Aruba for one of the following purposes: vacation and relaxation, sport, health reasons, family matters, study, religious purposes or a business visit. During their stay in Aruba tourists are not allowed to work.

Requirements for entry into Aruba as a tourist

Upon arrival in Aruba a tourist must have:

  • a passport that is valid upon entry and for the duration of stay in Aruba. If the tourist holds a passport from a visa required country (list A), he must have a valid visa sticker in his passport;
  • a completely filled-in and signed Embarkation and Disembarkation card (ED-card);
  • a valid return- or onward ticket;
  • the necessary documents for returning to the country of origin or to a country that he has the right to enter, for example a valid residence permit (temporary or permanent), a re-entry permit or a (entry) visa;
  • if so requested, the tourist has to be able to prove to the satisfaction of the migration officer that he has a valid reservation for an accommodation in Aruba (e.g. hotel or apartment) or that he owns property in Aruba (a residence, condominium, apartment, timeshare apartment or a pleasure yacht moored in Aruba with a length of at least 14 meters measured on the water line);
  • if so requested, the tourist has to be able to prove to the satisfaction of the migration officer to dispose of adequate financial means to provide for hotel expenses (if applicable) and living expenses during his stay or that he has a declaration of guarantee from a legal resident of Aruba.

The final authorization for admission to Aruba remains with migration officer at the border-crossing/port of entry. The migration authorities at the border-crossing/port of entry have the authority to grant or refuse admission. Admission can be refused if not all admission requirements are fulfilled by the time of entering Aruba of if the tourist has been blacklisted.

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Duration Of Admission

The maximum period of time that a person can be admitted to Aruba as a tourist is in principle 30 days. The total amount of days a person can stay in Aruba as a tourist cannot exceed 180 days per year.

Extension of stay upon entry

Upon entry in Aruba, the following persons can apply for an extension of their stay for more than 30 days but not exceeding 180 days:

  • nationals of the Kingdom of the Netherlands can request an extension of their stay for up to 180 consecutive days;
  • nationals from the countries mentioned in list A, list B, and visa required persons who are exempt from the visa requirement, can request an extension of their stay for up to 180 consecutive days, if:
    • they have property in Aruba, i.e. a house, condominium, apartment, time-share, apartment or a pleasure yacht moored in Aruba with a length of at least 14 meters measured from the water line. They must show proof of ownership of the property. For a stay of up to 180 days.
    • If they don't have property in Aruba, they must have a declaration of guarantee from a resident of Aruba who will act as guarantor for and be liable for any costs incurred during their stay. The guarantor in Aruba can download the declaration of guarantee from our website, following the procedures to have it legalized and sent it to the visitor abroad; the tourist can request for a stay of up to 90 days.
    • The migration officer is satisfied that the visitor has sufficient funds to cover his extended stay.

All tourists who apply for an extension of their stay beyond 30 days are required to have travel insurance (medical and liability) valid for the duration of the extended stay.

Extension of stay after admission

If a tourist wants to stay longer then the number of days granted by the immigration officer on the ED-card upon admission, he or she can apply at the office of Dimas for an extension for up to 180 days if applicable. The form for tourist stay extension is available at the office of the DIMAS, and can also be downloaded from DIMAS Aruba. An application for an extension of stay can be filed at the DIMAS from Monday to Thursday, from 2:30PM-4:00PM. There is no filing fee for a tourist extension application.

The following documents have to be presented:

  • original application form for extension of tourist stay;
  • copy of the profile page and all the written and stamped pages of the petitioner's passport, valid for at least another 3 months when the extension is applied for;
  • copy Embarkation-Disembarkation card (ED-card);
  • copy valid return ticket;
  • copy of travel insurance (medical and liability) valid for the duration of the extended stay;
  • if the petitioner is not staying at his own private residence or at a hotel/resort, he needs to present a declaration of guarantee from a resident of Aruba who will act as guarantor for their stay.
  • Anyone wanting to stay longer than 180 days in Aruba will need a residence permit and will not be considered a tourist.

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LIST A. Nationals who need a VISA to travel to Aruba

Nationals of one of the following countries need a visa to travel to Aruba:
Afghanistan Egypt Maldives Saudi Arabia
Albania Equatorial Guinea Mali Senegal
Algeria Eritrea Marshall Islands Serbia
Angola Ethiopia Mauritania Sierra Leone
Armenia Fiji Mauritius Solomon Islands
Azerbaijan Gabon Micronesia Somalia
Bahrain Gambia Moldova (Rep. of) South Africa
Bangladesh Georgia Mongolia Sri Lanka
Belarus Ghana Montenegro Sudan
Benin Guinea Republic Morocco Swaziland
Bhutan Guinee-Bissau Mozambique Syria
Bolivia Haiti Myanmar Taiwan (SAR China)
Bosnia-Herzegovina India Namibia Tajikistan
Botswana Indonesia Nauru Tanzania
Burkina Faso Iran Nepal Thailand
Burundi Iraq Niger Togo
Cambodia Jamaica Nigeria Tonga
Cameroon Jordan North Korea Turkmenistan
Cape Verde Islands Kazakhstan Northern Mariana Isl. Tunisia
Central Africa Rep. Kenya Oman Turkey
Chad Kiribati Pakistan Tuvalu
China (People's Rep.) Kuwait Palau Uganda
Colombia Kyrgyzstan Palestinian National Authority Ukraine
Comoros Isl. Laos Papua New Guinea United Arab Emirates
Congo (Brazzaville) Lebanon Peru Uzbekistan
Congo (Kinshasa) Lesotho Philippines Vanuatu
Cote d'Ivoire Liberia Qatar Vietnam
Cuba Libya Rwanda Yemen
Djibouti Macedonia Russian Federation Zambia
Dominican Republic Madagascar Samoa Zimbabwe
East Timor Malawi Sao Tomé and Principe

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Visa required persons exempted from the visa requirement

The following travelers do NOT require visas for a stay up to 30 days:

  • Holders of a valid Alien Residence Card (green card) for the USA, a valid Permanent Residence Card Canada, a valid residence permit for a Schengen State, United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, the Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao, the Dutch or the French part of Sint Maarten.
  • Airline/ Ship crew members (max. 48 hours)
  • Holders of Diplomatic passports of the following countries: Albania, Bolivia, Equador, Jamaica, Malawi, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Senegal, Thailand, Chad, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
  • Holders of Service passports of the following countries: Bolivia, Equador, Jamaica, Malawi, Morocco, Peru, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
  • Holders of a UN laisser-passer issued by the UN (as of January 1 2008)
  • Holders of a valid Colombian passport (Colombian nationality) and a valid, multiple-entry visa for the USA, Canada or a Schengen State.
  • Cruise ship passengers who spend less than 48 hours on the Island.
  • For Aruba: holders of a Jamaican passport (Jamaican nationality) and a valid, multiple-entry visa for the USA, Canada or a Schengen State. For the Caribbean Netherlands, Sint Maarten or Curaçao: Jamaican nationals do not require a visa.

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Where and how to apply for a VISA

Visa-required tourists need to apply for and have a visitor visa before coming to Aruba. In principle the visa must be applied for in person at an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (diplomatic mission). In some countries certain approved travel agencies can apply for a visa on behalf of their customers.

For information about the visa requirements, to apply for a visa for Aruba, and for information on appointments/opening hours, the tourist can contact a consulate or embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
in his country of residence or visit the websites of the Embassy or consulates concerned. For address information and websites of Dutch diplomatic missions abroad, visit the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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When do you need an invitation/declaration of guarantee?

A visa-required tourist needs a declaration of guarantee/invitation to apply for a visa if he has been invited to participate in a sports event by an organization on Aruba or if he'll be staying at the home of a relative or an acquaintance. The person or organization in Aruba who will act as guarantor for the tourist's stay has to declare that they'll guarantee all costs than can arise from the short stay of the tourist in Aruba. The guarantor is responsible for sending the declaration of guarantee/invitation to the visa-required tourist. Please note that having the declaration doesn't mean that the visa will be issued. It is only one of the requirements that the visa applicant has to submit.

The declaration of guarantee/invitation form is available at the office of the DIMAS and can also be downloaded from DIMAS Aruba, as well as the instructions about the relevant procedure.

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New for U.S. Travelers - Passport Card

The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air. For more information visit Travel.State.Gov website.

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Living and working in Aruba

Persons who want to live and work on Aruba must have a Valid residence permit from the Directorate of Alien Integration, Policy and Admission (DIMAS).

For more information contact:
DIMAS
Wilhelminastraat 31-33
Oranjestad, Aruba
Phone. +297 522 1500
Fax. +297 522 1505
Click here to email
DIMAS Aruba

No rights can be claimed from the contents of this document.
The requirements may be adjusted without previous notice.

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* While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information, CaribMedia Marketing & Consultancy N.V. cannot be held liable for any possible changes, errors or omissions.

Disclaimer:
VisitAruba.com is not responsible for the accuracy of this information. Due to possible changes in entry requirements from time to time, please refer to the Department of Immigration website at http://www.dimasaruba.com/ for the latest details.