Rib'e Lugá: if you are undocumented in Curaçao, the deadline to register for regularization is 31-10-2026.
See details →Rib'e Lugá registration has closed (it expired on 31 October 2026). If you registered in time, your application is still being processed. If you are refused, you have 6 weeks from the letter to leave voluntarily — and the guarantee of leaving without a deportation order expires on 1 January 2027.
What to do now →Rib'e Lugá is closed, and the guarantee of voluntary departure without a deportation order has expired too. If you registered, your application may still be in process. If you did not, check which ordinary route applies to you.
See where things stand →Update (October 2, 2026): Rib'e Lugá: help registering on Saturdays in October See all updates → · Rules changed on 1 April 2026: See what changed (Spanish) →
What is your case?
Pick the situation closest to yours and we take you straight to the procedures that apply, no jargon.
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Rib'e Lugá (regularization for undocumented residents)
You are undocumented in Curaçao and want to regularize before the deadline.
Work permit
You have or want a job in Curaçao, as an employee or with your own business.
I am an employer: hiring a foreign worker
Family / Family reunification
You want to bring or join your spouse, children or parents.
- Family Reunification / Family Formation via Van Rechtswege DeclarationDutch family members of someone coming to live and work in Curaçao on the Van Rechtswege track: the official…
- Residence Permit for Family Members (spouse, children or parents) of someone already residing in CuraçaoSpouse or cohabiting partner of a resident/guarantor in Curaçao
- Traveling with a minor (documents depending on custody situation)Any minor under 18 years old (unmarried and not emancipated) traveling to or from Curaçao
Dutch and US citizens (Van Rechtswege)
You are Dutch or American, or the law gives you the right to live in Curaçao for another reason: instead of a permit, you request a declaration by operation of law.
Tourism / Short stay
You come for a short time, or you are already here as a tourist and need more days.
Investor / Rentier / Pensioner
You live off your income or pension, or want to invest capital on the island.
- Investor with capital (Kapitaalkrachtige investeerder 2014)Foreigner investing capital in good faith considered of essential importance to Curaçao (generates jobs,…
- Rentier (living off your income or interest)Anyone who wants to live in Curaçao off rental income, interest or investments, without working on the island.
- Pensioner (living off your pension)Retirees who want to live in Curaçao off their pension.
Study / Internship
You come to study or do an internship.
Everyday life in Curaçao
You already live in Curaçao and need to solve something practical, like buying a car.
- Buying and registering a car in CuraçaoAnyone in Curaçao (resident, with a residence application in progress, or newly arrived) who wants to buy a…
- Registering or exchanging your foreign driver's licenseAnyone who arrives in Curaçao with a driver's license issued in a country that is a member of the 1949…
Naturalization
You want to become a citizen, not just a resident.
Diplomatic / Military
You come for a diplomatic or military post, or deployed by your government.
When the Immigration Act doesn't apply to you (Niet van Toepassing)
You want to know whether the Immigration Act even applies to you.
Other procedures
One-off procedures: travel while a decision is pending, leave for good, renew a stamp.
- Proof of Return (for traveling while an extension is being processed)Anyone who has already applied for an extension of their permit and needs to travel before receiving the…
- Definitive Departure from CuraçaoAny resident (Dutch or foreign) who is leaving the country permanently
- Renewal of the Stamp for a Permanent Residence PermitHolders of a PERMANENT residence permit whose passport stamp is about to expire (does not apply to temporary…
General guides for any procedure
What to do if refused, deposit amounts, renewal rules and how to file or check an application.
- Objection (bezwaar) and appeal (beroep) against any decision of the ToelatingsorganisatieAnyone who has received a negative decision (or one they disagree with) from the Toelatingsorganisatie, on…
- Fees (leges), the security deposit (waarborgsom) and refundsAny applicant (fees have applied since 2014 to every Admission Service service)
- General legal rules that apply to any residence permitAnyone who holds (or is applying for) a residence permit in Curaçao — these rules do not belong to one…
- How to submit any applicationAnyone applying for a permit or a declaration
- Checking the status of an applicationAny applicant who has already submitted an application and wants to know whether it was approved/denied or is…
- Duplicate (afschrift) of a lost, stolen or destroyed permit or declarationAnyone holding a valid permit or declaration that has been lost, stolen or destroyed
- Curaçao immigration laws and regulations (official index)Legal reference for any procedure — it is not a procedure in itself
What does your permit cost?
Work out fees, stamps and deposit for your permit and nationality. If you are an employer, everything it costs to hire a foreigner.
Eleven guides that bring together, for each situation, the procedures and articles that apply. See all guides →
What you can do on RutaCuracao
Real tools to move your procedure forward today, free and without signing up.
Section by section, which box to tick for your case, and you fill it in here: download the official Word form already completed.
Guarantee statement, motivation letter and more, with your real data, ready to copy or print.
172 rulings read in full: how many cases like yours the foreign national won, with each case number.
Connects dates, procedure, risk and strategy in one answer. 3 free questions a day.
How likely is it to win in court?
Share of rulings where the court sided with the foreign national, by case type (topics with 5+ rulings only). This is the rate in litigation, not for someone who files correctly from the start. With fewer than 15 rulings, a single one moves the percentage a lot: those topics are marked.
Living in Curaçao, straight talk
Verified-data articles on migrating, working, traveling and everyday life on the island.
Once registration closes, those who registered stay in process and those who didn't remain without a permit. What changes for each, which options are left and why you should never pay anyone for a «late registration».
The programme's fixed dates and the deadlines that run from your own letter, in one table: when registration closes, how long the decision takes, what happens if you are refused and how long the departure guarantee lasts.
If someone who works for you registers with Rib'e Lugá for work, your declaration, your guarantee, your Chamber of Commerce extract and your CRIB are included in their application. What each person signs, what it costs and what you need to do afterward.
Information you can verify
- Requirements, costs and deadlines copied from the official Toelatingsorganisatie website, not interpreted.
- 172 Rechtspraak rulings read in full, each linked to its original text.
- The official site is checked weekly; confirmed changes are published with a date.
- Independent project, no lawyers or agents behind it. Not legal advice.
Photo: Niels Karsdorp, Dh3201, CC BY-SA 3.0