Rib'e Lugá for employers: what you signed and what you pay

September 27, 2026 · Updated on November 1, 2026 EmployersWork

If someone who works for you had been in Curaçao without documents since before November 13, 2025, they could apply for a temporary residence permit through Rib'e Lugá for the purpose of “work.” You provided part of that application: your declaration, your guarantee, your Chamber of Commerce extract and your CRIB number were included in the online application. Registration closed on October 31, 2026, and no extension has been announced: if your worker registered, what is left is to wait for the decision and, if their permit is approved, for you to apply for the work permit (see below); if they did not register, they can no longer get the permit through this route.

What you had to give your worker

The official list for the work purpose required four things from the employer:

1. The employer declaration (Werkgeversverklaring), with a XCG 10 tax stamp (plakzegel) and a copy of your identity document.
2. The guarantee declaration (Garantieverklaring), with another XCG 10 stamp.
3. A Chamber of Commerce extract for the company, less than 6 months old.
4. The CRIB number of the company.

These are Rib'e Lugá’s own forms, not the forms for a regular work permit. A declaration without its stamp is not accepted.

What the employer declaration asks for

The worker’s and company’s details, as well as employment details: the position, start date, whether the contract is permanent or fixed-term, whether there is a probation period, weekly hours (those in the contract and the actual hours), gross and net pay, per month or per week, and whether vacation pay is provided. In the declaration you signed that the worker was employed by your company or would join it on a specific date: the form provided for both. The Rib'e Lugá policy sets the required minimum income at the statutory minimum wage for each adult applying for the permit: the declared salary must reach at least that amount.

What signing the guarantee means

The person who signs is liable for the costs the country may incur because of that person’s stay in Curaçao, legal or not, including travel to leave for a country they can enter, and those costs can be charged to them. The guarantee ends when the person actually leaves Curaçao or when they are granted a change to their permit.

• If the company signs, its name, as well as the details and signature of the director or an authorized person, must be included.
• If a married individual signs, their partner also signs.
• By signing, you authorize the Toelatingsorganisatie to request information about you from third parties.

How much it costs

• The fees for the work residence permit, paid before submitting the application (if your worker registered, they have already been paid): XCG 655 for 1 year, XCG 1,270 for 2 years and XCG 1,885 for 3 years.
• Two XCG 10 stamps, one for each declaration.
• After approval, the guarantee deposit, which depends on nationality (the table is in fees, deposit and refund), and local health insurance for at least one year.
• The work permit requested by the employer (below).

Official pages do not say who had to pay the fees: that was something you and your worker agreed on.

After approval: you apply for the work permit

The official process ends as follows: the worker pays the deposit, takes out insurance, collects their permit, registers at Kranshi and, as the final step, the employer goes to SOAW to apply for the work permit (tewerkstellingsvergunning).

• At the Loket Digital, it costs XCG 500 for up to 6 months and XCG 1,000 for 6 to 12 months. The page says that only these two durations are processed, but it is out of date: the Vergunningenloket told us in writing on October 8, 2026 that work permits can now also be requested for 24 months (XCG 2,000) and 36 months (XCG 3,000).
• The Toelatingsorganisatie told us in writing on September 30, 2026 that if the residence permit is requested for 3 years, the work permit must also be requested for 3 years. It costs the same as renewing every year (XCG 3,000 against 3 × 1,000). And as long as the worker does not have an indefinite permit, the employer renews the work permit every time it expires, with no limit.
• The procedure is the same as for a regular permit: the Vergunningenloket told us in writing on October 8, 2026 that it has not changed and that the vacancy notice (vacaturemelding) is required when the application is submitted. The notice is filed with the Sentro pa Labor; the step-by-step process is on the work permit page.

In the meantime, be careful

No official page says that a pending application allows someone to work, so we will not tell you that it does. The law penalizes an employer who employs a foreigner without a work permit (what happens to a company that hires without a permit). If you have doubts about your situation, ask the Toelatingsorganisatie or SOAW in writing.

If your worker did not register through work

Workers could also register for two other purposes: self-employment and family reunification, each with its own requirements (Rib'e Lugá overview). Registration closed on October 31, 2026, so to hire someone who is not in Rib'e Lugá, follow the regular route: how to legally hire a foreigner.

Frequently asked questions

Did they already have to be hired?

Not necessarily. The employer declaration allowed you to state that the person would join the company on a specific date.

Can someone register for us in exchange for money?

No. Registration closed on October 31, 2026, and no extension has been announced, so nobody can register your worker now, whatever they charge. While it was open, the Toelatingsorganisatie said that each person could submit their application without intermediaries, at ribeluga.cw, and IOM helped people do it for free.

What if they later leave my company?

Your guarantee ends when the person leaves Curaçao or when their permit is changed. What happens to their permit when changing employers is explained in changing employer or purpose.

What happens after October 31?

Registration closed that day and no extension has been announced, so no one else can register. Find all dates in the Rib'e Lugá calendar.

Sources: Toelatingsorganisatie, Rib'e Lugá, work purpose (requirements, fees and process), Rib'e Lugá policy and its frequently asked questions; the Rib'e Lugá Werkgeversverklaring and Garantieverklaring forms; Loket Digital, tewerkstellingsvergunning, consulted on September 27, 2026, and the Vergunningenloket's written reply of October 8, 2026. General information, not legal advice.

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