Rib'e Lugá: the last weeks to register (closes October 31, 2026)
Registration for Rib'e Lugá, the programme to regularise undocumented people, closes on October 31, 2026. It has already been extended once, and the government has not said it will reopen. If you qualify, these are the weeks that count.
Do you qualify? Three questions
- Were you in Curaçao before November 13, 2025, and are you still here? That date did not change with the extension.
- Do you currently have no valid permit? It doesn't matter how you entered: a tourist who overstayed or an irregular entry. It applies even if you already have an expulsion order.
- Is your purpose work, your own business or family reunification? Rib'e Lugá does not cover rentiers, investors or students.
If you answered yes to all three, read on.
The documents that take longest
- Proof that you were here before November 13, 2025. If you entered legally, the entry stamp is enough. If you came by boat, only remittance receipts in your name or a letter from a recognised organisation count (UNHCR, PADF, IOM, Salú pa Tur, the Council of Churches, honorary consuls, or a Curaçao public or educational body). A rental contract or a statement from a private person is not enough on its own.
- An apostilled birth certificate less than 1 year old, and a certificate of good conduct less than 3 months old for each adult. These take longest from Venezuela; how to request them country by country is in apostille and criminal records.
- Passport: it may be expired when you register, but it must be valid when the permit is issued.
- Depending on your purpose: the Employer's Declaration and the Guarantee Declaration (work or family), or the Declaration of Business Intent (own business).
If a document is missing
Don't wait until you have everything before you start. The application is submitted online only, at ribeluga.cw, and what closes on October 31 is registration, not the decision. Get help before that date to find out what to do about what's missing; never replace it with a made-up paper: one false document taints the whole application.
Free help: IOM explains the process and helps you gather documents and submit the application (18-22 Hoogstraat, Willemstad; phone and WhatsApp +5999 665 8644). You don't need to pay an agent: if someone charges you to "guarantee" approval, read how to spot a scam.
Before you register, know plan B
Registering identifies you to the government. If you are refused, you have 6 weeks from the letter to leave voluntarily, and anyone who leaves before January 1, 2027 will not receive a formal expulsion order. We explain it in if Rib'e Lugá is refused. Decide with that information, but decide before October 31.
After you register
The decision comes within up to 6 months. If you are approved: you pay the guarantee deposit, take out local health insurance for at least 1 year, collect the permit with your original documents and book an appointment at Kranshi, which has been mandatory since September 7, 2026. The full order is in the first 30 days.
Sources: Rib'e Lugá policy (April 24, 2026), official FAQ on immigrationcur.org and the announcement extending registration to October 31, 2026. This is not legal advice: if you have an expulsion order or a criminal record, consult a lawyer.