Getting a driving licence in Curaçao for the first time: exams, costs and where to apply
If your licence cannot be exchanged (for example because your country is not party to the Geneva Convention, or because you got it after moving here), the route is to take the exams in Curaçao. Before you start, check on our page whether you can register or exchange your licence, which is much faster.
Where to apply
You apply for the exams in person at Publieke Zaken, Sta. Rosaweg 36 branch (phone +599 9 736 2929), Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 14:30, and Friday 8:00 to 11:30. For the theory test no appointment is needed: you pay, bring the receipt and are given a date.
The steps and what they cost
- Theory test: XCG 105. From age 18 for car and motorbike (21 for truck and bus). Bring your sédula or passport and the deposit receipt. Once passed, the certificate is valid for 18 months.
- Practical test: with the theory test passed, you pay for the examination board's declaration (commissieverklaring, XCG 20). You do not need another deposit while the XCG 105 one from the theory test is still valid, as it also covers the practical tests: it is valid for 6 months from when you use it for an exam and for up to 4 exams (see below); if it expires or you lose it, you buy a new one. Only category E, which has no theory test, buys one for the practical. You can take it with a manual or an automatic gearbox.
- Issuing the licence: XCG 95. Once you pass, book an appointment at sita.gobiernu.cw and collect it at the Kranshi (Afdeling Rijbewijzen). Bring your ID, the statement signed by the exam committee and a medical certificate less than 2 months old. If everything is in order, you get it the same day.
How to pay
The office does not take cash: you deposit the money at the bank beforehand and bring the receipt. Exams are paid at Banco di Caribe, account 36 16 05 01 (Overheid Curaçao Rijexamen), and the licence at Banco di Caribe, account 36 15 86 01 (Kranshi / Overheid Curaçao Publieke Zaken). From abroad, the account is MCB 32 06 15 07.
If you fail the first time, you do not lose your payment: according to the official page, the deposit receipt is valid for 6 months and covers up to 4 exams, theory and practical combined.
Can I take it in Spanish or English?
The theory test is, in principle, written and in Papiamentu or Dutch. But you can ask to take it orally, in Papiamentu, Spanish or English, and the first case the official page lists is precisely not speaking Papiamentu (well enough). It also applies if you have trouble reading, or if you have dyslexia, ADHD or a similar syndrome, or a diagnosed learning difficulty. You request it in writing at the Afdeling Rijbewijzen (Sta. Rosaweg 36), with proof: medical proof if the reason is a health one. The page does not say what proof they ask for when the reason is the language; ask there when you apply for the test.
The car for the practical test
We have not been able to confirm from an official source which car is used for the practical exam (one provided by Publieke Zaken, a driving school's or your own) or what conditions your own car has to meet. Ask the Afdeling Rijbewijzen of Publieke Zaken (rijbewijzen.puz@gobiernu.cw) before you book.
Sources: the Government of Curaçao's Loket Digital, pages "Theorie-examen", "Praktijkexamen (Rijexamen)" and "Eerste afgifte rijbewijs" (loketdigital.gobiernu.cw), and the written reply from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026 (email address of the Afdeling Rijbewijzen). Reviewed on September 21, October 25 and November 2, 2026.
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