Do you need a visa for Curaçao? The list by country (2026)
Who needs a visa for Curaçao is published by the Dutch government, because visas are a shared matter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its six Caribbean islands, with a few differences between islands. That is why the visa is called a "Caribbean visa" and is also valid for Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius. Here is a summary for people coming from Latin America.
No visa needed
Among others: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica (Curaçao only; a visa is needed for the other islands), Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. Also the countries of the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and several Caribbean islands, such as Barbados, the Bahamas and St Lucia. The full list is on the official Dutch government page.
Visa needed, with exceptions
Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Bolivia, China and India need a visa, unless they hold a valid multiple-entry visa for the United States or Canada (an ESTA does not count). Any nationality that is not on the exempt list also needs a visa.
Exceptions that apply to any nationality
You do not need a visa, even if your country does, if you hold:
- a multiple-entry Schengen visa, or a residence permit for the Netherlands or another Schengen country;
- a multiple-entry visa or a residence permit for the United Kingdom or Ireland;
- a residence permit for the United States or Canada;
- a residence permit for French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy or Saint Martin (the French part);
- a residence permit for one of the Kingdom's islands valid for at least 6 months, or a proof of return issued by one of them.
You also do not need one for an airport transit in Curaçao of less than 48 hours with an onward ticket (except Haitians, who do), or if you arrive on a cruise ship and stay in port for less than 48 hours.
How long you can stay
- With a Caribbean visa: up to 90 days in a 180-day period across all the islands, but the maximum consecutive stay in Curaçao is 30 days.
- Without a visa: according to the Toelatingsorganisatie, Dutch and US nationals can stay up to 6 months a year; nationals of the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, up to 90 days a year; all other nationalities, 30 days. The Kingdom's page mentions a general maximum of 90 days in 180, but the border officer can give you less: what counts is your entry stamp.
- To stay more than 30 days (up to 90 in total), you apply to the Toelatingsorganisatie for a tourist stay extension before your time runs out. It costs XCG 525.
None of these stays allows you to work. For that you need a work permit, and a first residence application is, as a rule, awaited outside Curaçao.
What the border can ask for even if you need no visa
- A passport issued no more than 10 years ago and valid for your whole stay.
- A return or onward ticket, and the reason for your trip: a hotel booking or a letter of invitation.
- Enough money: between US$150 and US$200 per person per day if you stay in a hotel, US$100 if you stay with family, or a guarantee declaration from the person inviting you.
- Medical insurance with at least US$15,000 in cover, including hospital care, emergencies and repatriation.
- The digital immigration card (DI card), which you fill in before travelling on the official website, free of charge.
How to apply for the Caribbean visa
- Where: in the country where you live. From Venezuela, at VFS Global in Caracas. For other countries, look yours up on the short-stay visa page.
- When: no earlier than 3 months before your trip. You usually get an answer within 15 days.
- In person: always, children too.
- What it costs: €80; €40 for ages 6 to 11; free under 6. If you apply through VFS you also pay its service fee. In Venezuela, consular fees are paid in cash in US dollars.
- Documents for tourism: a signed application form; a passport no more than 10 years old, with 2 blank pages and valid for at least 3 months after you leave; proof of legal residence in your country; proof of ties (an employment letter and 3 months of payslips or bank statements, or proof of enrolment in studies); a hotel booking; who pays for the trip; a flight reservation (it does not have to be paid) and travel insurance of at least US$15,000 including repatriation.
- If someone who lives in Curaçao invites you: that person signs a guarantee or accommodation declaration, which is legalized at the Toelatingsorganisatie, and sends you a copy of their sédula or passport, or of their residence permit. If they will pay your expenses, also their last 3 payslips and an employment certificate or a contract of at least 12 months.
If you will travel more than once in the next 4 years, check whether you qualify for the Caribbean Carpet Programme, which makes later applications easier. And if your visa is refused, the rejection letter explains how to lodge an objection.
Sources: NetherlandsWorldwide, of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Do I need a visa for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom?", "Short-stay Caribbean visa", the requirements for travelling without a visa, the document checklists and the consular fees in Venezuela (2026); and the Toelatingsorganisatie pages cited on the short stay and tourist extension procedure pages. Checked on September 22, 2026.