Which professions can apply for a work permit in Curaçao?
The short answer: there's no list of "approved" professions
We specifically looked for whether SOAW publishes a list of professions that qualify for a work permit (Tewerkstellingsvergunning, TWV) — and it doesn't exist. The system works the opposite of what most people assume: by default, any profession can apply, as long as the employer meets the general requirements (register the vacancy 5 weeks ahead, show they searched for local candidates, justify why they need the foreign worker, pay at least minimum wage). The only thing that exists is an exclusion list — see the full procedure page for the entire process.
⚠️ Important correction: the list changed in June 2025
An earlier version of this article cited a list of 34 "protected" occupations from a 2016 policy, which is no longer in force. Today a new moratorium applies, in force since June 20, 2025 (P.B. 2025, no. 78), which repeals the previous 2021 regulation (P.B. 2021, no. 44): the "Moratorium op werkvergunningen voor bepaalde beroepen en functies," officially published on gobiernu.cw.
The current list today: only 6 occupations, not 34
Per the current official text, these are the only occupations for which SOAW does not grant new work permits to foreigners:
- Low-level administrative staff (laaggeschoold administratief personeel)
- Security guard (bewaker)
- Warehouse worker (magazijnmedewerker)
- Shelf stacker (rekkenvuller)
- Salesperson (verkoper)
- Retail/shop staff (winkelpersoneel)
No longer on the exclusion list (unlike earlier rules): construction/construction assistants, electricians, plumbers, welders, gardeners, domestic staff, agricultural work and hospitality and bar staff (horecapersoneel en barpersoneel), which do not appear on the 2025 list. Only those 6 occupations are under the moratorium: the Ministry of Labour (Sector Arbeid) said so in writing on October 15, 2026.
This can change again
The current regulation requires an official evaluation within its first year (looking at application volume and local labor availability). That year ended in June 2026, but the evaluation has not been carried out yet and the list has not changed: the Ministry of Labour (Sector Arbeid) said so in writing on October 15, 2026. Once it is carried out, the list of 6 occupations may change; if some time has passed since that date, check it with the Ministry of Labour, which keeps the list (sektor-labor@gov.cw), before assuming a role is or isn't restricted.
So what actually tends to get approved in practice?
Outside those 6 specific occupations, the system's underlying logic (justifying that there's no qualified local candidate) makes it, in practice, easier to get approval for roles where it's more credible that local supply is insufficient: specialized technical roles, management/director positions, professions requiring a specific degree or certification, and also hospitality/bar work, which is not under the moratorium. This isn't a guarantee — it's simply easier to justify to SOAW when the role requires something objectively few people in Curaçao have, or when the sector is no longer restricted.
What this means in practice
- If the role is one of the 6 occupations on the list, it is under the moratorium: no new TWVs are granted for it today.
- If it's a technical, specialized, hospitality role, or one requiring a specific degree/certification, you have more room — but you still have to complete the full process (vacancy 5 weeks ahead, documents, fee).
- No role gets approved without going through the full process, even if it's not on the exclusion list — there are no shortcuts.
Current list verified by reading the official text of the regulation published on gobiernu.cw (June 2025) directly, not from secondary sources. The 2025 moratorium itself states, in its article 3, that it repeals the 2021 regulation (P.B. 2021, no. 44). The Ministry of Labour (Sector Arbeid) answered in writing on October 15, 2026 that only those 6 occupations are under the moratorium (hospitality and bar staff are not), that the first-year evaluation has not been carried out yet and that the list has not changed.
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