What a Curaçao residence permit really costs in total (2026)
When someone asks what the permit costs, the quick answer is "XCG 655", the first-application fee for a work-based permit. But that is only one of the things you will pay. Here they all are, with official amounts and links to each procedure's page, where the exact source is. Amounts are in Caribbean guilders (XCG), which are pegged to the dollar: XCG 1.79 = US$1.
1. The permit fee, for each year
Since April 1, 2026 you can apply for a permit of up to 3 years, paying each year's fee up front. The only official multi-year table published so far, the Rib'e Lugá one, charges the first year at the first-application rate and each extra year at the renewal rate. That gives:
| Permit | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work (employee) | XCG 655 | XCG 1,270 | XCG 1,885 |
| Own business or director | XCG 635 | XCG 1,250 | XCG 1,865 |
| Family members | XCG 655 | XCG 1,280 | XCG 1,905 |
| Person of independent means or retiree | XCG 635 | XCG 1,250 | XCG 1,865 |
| Study | XCG 625 | XCG 1,240 | XCG 1,855 |
| Van Rechtswege declaration | XCG 615 | XCG 1,230 | XCG 1,845 |
There is no multi-year option for the short stay (XCG 535) or the tourist extension (XCG 525). If you apply for 1 year, each renewal costs XCG 615 (XCG 625 for the family permit). The fee is paid at Maduro & Curiel's Bank; check the total on the payment order before you pay. The details of this change are in what changed on April 1, 2026 (in Spanish).
2. For work permits: the employer's work permit
Before your residence permit, your employer has to obtain the work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) from the Ministry of Labor (SOAW): XCG 500 for 0 to 6 months and XCG 1,000 for 6 to 12 months. These are the only two durations being processed today. The company applies and pays; the full process is in the guide for employers.
3. The stamps
Each official declaration carries an XCG 10 adhesive stamp. A work-based permit needs two, the Employer Declaration and the Guarantee Declaration, so XCG 20.
4. The security deposit
You pay it only if your permit is approved, and you get it back when you leave Curaçao for good. The amount depends on your nationality (2004 statutory table): Venezuela XCG 150, Dominican Republic 400, Haiti 500, Colombia 550, Suriname 750, Ecuador and Peru 800, United States 1,000, Netherlands 1,500, Brazil 3,500, rest of Europe 3,000, Africa and Asia 5,500, Australia and New Zealand 7,500. For children under 10 it is half. Details and how to get it refunded are on the fees and deposit page.
5. Documents from your home country
Almost every permit requires a birth certificate (no more than 1 year old) and a certificate of good conduct (no more than 3 months old), apostilled or legalized depending on the country, and translated if needed. What they cost depends on each country; the steps and prices for the most common countries are in apostille and criminal record certificates by country.
6. Health insurance while you wait
Until you have the permit you cannot use the public system (SVB/BVZ). You need temporary private insurance with minimum coverage of US$15,000, including hospitalization, emergencies and repatriation. The price depends on the insurer and your age: compare at least two before you sign. Once approved, you enroll in the SVB and can usually cancel the private policy.
7. After approval
- Registration at the Kranshi: free. Proof of registration, if you are asked for it, costs XCG 5.
- The sédula: XCG 15 (XCG 1 for minors aged 12 to 17).
- If you travel while renewing: the proof of return, XCG 225.
- If you drive: registering your foreign license is free; exchanging it for a Curaçao license costs XCG 175.
An example: a 1-year work permit for a Venezuelan worker
| Item | Who pays | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit (TWV), 6 to 12 months | Employer | XCG 1,000 |
| Residence permit fee, 1 year | Worker | XCG 655 |
| Stamps on the two declarations | Worker or employer | XCG 20 |
| Security deposit (Venezuela, refundable) | Worker | XCG 150 |
| Sédula | Worker | XCG 15 |
On the worker's side that is XCG 840 (about US$470), plus the documents from home and private insurance for the first months. On the company's side, XCG 1,000. With a 3-year permit the fee is XCG 1,885 and the XCG 840 becomes XCG 2,070: the same as paying three separate years (655 + 615 + 615), but up front and with two fewer renewals.
What you should not pay
Official fees are paid at the bank, with your name and date of birth as the reference, and every payment comes with a receipt. An objection against a negative decision is free. If someone asks you for hundreds of guilders to "speed up" the process or for a form, that is not an official fee: read beware of immigration paperwork scams before you pay.
Sources: Toelatingsorganisatie fees (immigrationcur.org) and its policy in force since April 1, 2026, the Rib'e Lugá payment order, the security deposit table (Toelatingsbeschikking 2004), and the TWV and sédula fees on the Government's Loket Digital (loketdigital.gobiernu.cw). Each linked procedure page cites its source. Reviewed on September 22, 2026.