Corrections log

Here we record the content errors found on the site: what it said, what it says now and on what source. Government rule changes are not errors: those go under News.

Last revised: October 12, 2026

November 2, 2026

Rib'e Lugá: the forms after the closing. After registration closed on October 31, 2026, the Rib'e Lugá page still offered «Fill it in here» on the portal application, the Rib'e Lugá payment order and the declarations uploaded with the application, and the payment order guide said «Keep the receipt: you upload it together with the rest of your application on the portal». New applications can no longer be filed: those forms remain for reference only, the payment order guide says that if you did not register there is nothing to pay, and the only one still filled in on the page is the deposit, which is paid to collect the permit if you are approved.
Rib'e Lugá: the portal and payment order guides, in the past tense. After registration closed on October 31, 2026, the guide to the portal application, which is still on the Rib'e Lugá page, kept explaining in the present tense how to pay («You pay at Maduro & Curiel's Bank, account 31967908…», «Then you upload the proof») and advised having the proof of payment ready before opening the portal; the Rib'e Lugá payment order guide still said «Write your first name and surname in capitals… Then tick the box for your purpose». Applications can no longer be filed: both guides now describe in the past tense how it worked, and the portal guide says that if your payment was still pending at the closing, you should ask in writing at info@ribeluga.cw before paying.
Rib'e Lugá: the home page card. With the registration closed, the Rib'e Lugá card on the home page was cut off just before the registration condition: it said the procedure was for anyone without status who was in Curaçao before November 13, 2025 and still lives there. It now says it was for those who, in addition, registered by October 31, 2026, and that registration has closed.
Rib'e Lugá: who the January 1, 2027 guarantee covers (removal article). The article on removal and persona non grata said that whoever does not qualify and leaves voluntarily before January 1, 2027 will not receive a formal removal order. The policy (p. 10) speaks of undocumented people in general, but it does not say expressly that it covers those who never registered, as the Rib'e Lugá calendar and the article on refusals already said; the removal article now says so too.
Example case: the changes to the chat's answer. The footer of the example case said the answer was the chat's with three corrections, but with the closing of Rib'e Lugá registration (November 1, 2026) Step 1 changed as well: it moved to the past tense and says «by October 31, 2026» instead of «before October 31, 2026», because registration was also open that day. The footer now lists the four changes.
Rib'e Lugá: the guide to the declaration of business intent. Since registration closed on October 31, 2026, the Rib'e Lugá page already said registration had closed, but the filling guide for the declaration of business intent was still in the present tense (“In Rib'e Lugá you upload it… together with the online application”). It now describes how it was filed and keeps what still applies to anyone who already holds the own-business permit: no later than 6 months after receiving it, submit the Chamber of Commerce registration, the company's CRIB number and the business licence (or its application). Sources: official announcement of the Toelatingsorganisatie (registration until October 31, 2026) and its Rib'e Lugá page for an own business (the 6 months).
The CRIB number can also be requested by email (November 2, 2026). We only said that the personal CRIB number is requested in person at the Belastingdienst on the Regentesselaan. Now we also say what the official CRIB page says: it can be requested by email at info.belastingdienst@gobiernu.cw (or with the contact form on its website), with a photo or scan of both sides of your passport or sédula, your name and your home address, and the number is sent by email. The in-person route, confirmed in writing by the Belastingdienst on October 9, 2026, is unchanged. It is in the article on your first 30 days and in the Belastingdienst box on the final departure, fees and Rib'e Lugá pages. Source: the Belastingdienst's official CRIB page, checked on November 2, 2026.
The Spanish, English and Papiamentu Rib'e Lugá pages do exist (November 2, 2026). On the sources page we said that the Toelatingsorganisatie's sitemap listed about 30 Rib'e Lugá pages that no longer existed (404 error). That was not right: the sitemap lists them without the language prefix (/es/, /en/, /pap/), and at those addresses they give a 404, but with the prefix they exist; the policy, FAQ, permit collection and contact pages we cite carry theirs. We checked each address on November 2, 2026, and our weekly monitoring of the official site now compares them too. Source: the immigrationcur.org sitemap (ova_dep-sitemap.xml) and the 30 pages, checked on November 2, 2026.
Vergunningenloket opening hours in Papiamentu (November 2, 2026). On the Papiamentu page for the work permit requested by the employer (TWV), the Vergunningenloket's opening hours said «diaranson te diahuebs», that is, Wednesday to Thursday, and «diabierna» for Friday; the Spanish, English and Dutch versions were right: Monday to Thursday. It now says «djaluna te djaweps» (Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 3:00pm) and «djabièrnè» (Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm), as on the official work permit page and in the office box on that same page. Source: the official Tewerkstellingsvergunning page on the government's Loket Digital, checked on November 2, 2026.
Oral theory test in Spanish or English. The article on getting a licence for the first time said that the oral version of the theory test (in Papiamentu, Spanish or English) requires a medical reason and is not a general option for people who do not speak the exam languages, and advised studying in Papiamentu or Dutch. It is the other way round: the first case the official page gives is not speaking Papiamentu (well enough); reading difficulties, dyslexia, ADHD and learning difficulties also count. You request it in writing, with proof (medical if the reason is a health one). On September 21, 2026 this page listed that error as a correction: that entry has been amended too. Source: Loket Digital, “Theorie-examen” (checked on November 2, 2026).
Registering a foreign license: no appointment, online form. On October 25 the exchange and car pages started saying it was not confirmed whether you register with an online form or at the Roodeweg 42 counter, or whether you need an appointment, and this page said that was not in a source we could show. It is: the official registration page says no appointment is needed, that you apply with the online form and that the document is collected at Publieke Zaken, Afdeling Documenten & Inlichtingen, Roodeweg 42 (it is sent to people who live abroad). What Publieke Zaken replied on October 13, 2026 still applies: they do not register the license of anyone who has no residence permit and is not registered in the population register. Source: Loket Digital, “Rijbewijs buitenland registreren” (checked on November 2, 2026).
License exchange: the counter, sending by post and the payment. Under “How to get this done”, steps 2 and 6 of the exchange page showed the population register desk (Afdeling Gegevensverwerking), with its compulsory appointment and its list of documents (apostilled birth certificate, rental contract…), which do not belong to this procedure: the counter for registration and exchange is the Afdeling Documenten & Inlichtingen, Roodeweg 42, and registration needs no appointment. Step 6 also said they can send you the license by post or email: the exchange page does not say so (the registration page says it about the registration document); it now explains that, after handing in the documents, you fill in the exchange application at the Afdeling Rijbewijzen, which has to be approved. And under the payment at Banco di Caribe there was a working note (“We found no specific information on this”). Source: Loket Digital, “Rijbewijs Omwisselen” and “Rijbewijs buitenland registreren” (checked on November 2, 2026).
Keuringslokaal opening hours for a transfer. For the transfer, the car page only gave the hours on the keur page (Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 15:30). The official page for the transfer gives different ones: 7:30 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 15:30, and Friday 7:30 to 11:30. Since the two official sources do not agree, the page now gives both. Source: Loket Digital, “Overschrijven van een motorvoertuig bij koop/verkoop” and “Keuren van voertuigen” (checked on October 25 and November 2, 2026).
Practical test: no second deposit. The article on getting a licence for the first time said that for the practical test you pay for the “examiner's declaration” (XCG 20) “and the exam deposit”, as if another deposit were needed. The XCG 105 deposit from the theory test covers up to 4 exams, theory and practical, and is valid for 6 months; only category E buys one for the practical test. And the commissieverklaring is the examination board's declaration, as the exchange page now also says. Source: Loket Digital, “Theorie-examen” and “Praktijkexamen (Rijexamen)” (checked on November 2, 2026).
Salú pa Tur has moved. The support networks article and the medical guide gave Landhuis Kas Chikitu (Franklin D. Rooseveltweg 191) as the address of the clinic for uninsured migrants, open from 8:00 to 17:00, and the medical guide presented it as a doubt between UNHCR's guide and the foundation's website. Since September 22, 2026 it has been at Willem de Zwijgerlaan 7, in Emmastad; the phone number is still +599 9 529 5442. The foundation does not publish its opening hours: ask when you book. Source: the foundation's own announcement of September 29, 2026 and its website, checked on November 2, 2026.
Human Rights Defense Curaçao (HRDC): address and hours. The support networks article gave Molenplein 107 A, open from 9:00 to 16:00, and the numbers 788-0126 and 567-6707, from UNHCR's guide. HRDC is at Orionweg 5A, Kaya A, Zeelandia; its Help Desk is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 12:00, and its contact details are +5999 567-6707 (also WhatsApp) and info@humanrightsdefense.org. The 788-0126 number does not appear on its website and we removed it. Source: HRDC's website, checked on November 2, 2026, and the signature of its email of October 2, 2026.
Workers' rights: the limits of a void dismissal. The article said that without the Director of Labour's permit a dismissal is void and your wage is still owed, without saying when that rule does not apply. Now it does: the permit is not needed during the probation period, nor, as a rule, when a fixed-term contract ends on its date, nor in a bankruptcy; a ministerial regulation can exempt some companies or sectors; the law does not protect domestic staff in a private household or company directors in this way, and the nullity has to be invoked within 6 months of the dismissal. Source: Landsverordening beëindiging arbeidsovereenkomsten (consolidated text, P.B. 2022, no. 89 GT), arts. 2, 2a, 4 and 7.
Overtime on a public holiday. The workers' rights article said, as «official information from the Labour Affairs Directorate», that work on a public holiday is paid with a 100% surcharge. The Arbeidsregeling 2000 gives at least 150% (50% for overtime and at least another 100%, holiday pay included); 100% is the rest-day figure. The article now explains this, with the rules for shift work, collective agreements and domestic staff. That «official information» came from soaw.info, an unupdated copy of the archive of a directorate abolished in 2010; the source is now the law. Source: Arbeidsregeling 2000 (consolidated text, P.B. 2022, no. 123 GT), arts. 15, 22 and 25.
Renting: where to appeal a Huurcommissie decision. The cost of living article said the appeal goes to the Joint Court of Justice, as the Huurcommissie's page says. The law says it goes to the Court of First Instance (Gerecht in Eerste Aanleg), within 6 weeks of the date of the letter, and that there is no appeal against what that court decides. Source: Landsverordening huur (P.B. 2011, no. 65), arts. 7:246 and 7:252 of the Civil Code.
Renting: tenant protection does not start after 90 days. The cost of living article said you are protected after 90 days and that a rental of less than three months counts as a holiday rental, with no protection. The law sets no such period: it only excludes a rental that by its nature is short-term, such as a holiday rental. Outside that case, the landlord needs the Huurcommissie's permission to remove you, even if the contract is temporary. Source: Landsverordening huur (P.B. 2011, no. 65), arts. 7:232 and 7:248 of the Civil Code.
Informal work: how much tourism weighs. The article said, without a source, that tourism is 48% of GDP and provides about 20,000 jobs, with «steady demand» for 2,000 to 3,000 more workers. The 48% and the 20,000 jobs come from the hotel association CHATA (June 2025); the 2,000-3,000 workers, from unattributed assessments cited by the press, and for the following two years; the Central Bank (CBCS) estimates a little over 23% of GDP. The article now gives both figures, each with its source. Source: speech by the CBCS president to CHATA (April 4, 2025, published by the BIS) and the Curaçao Chronicle article on CHATA's statement (June 17, 2025).
Work permit (TWV): the Vergunningenloket's contact details. On the pages for the employer's work permit, the residence permit for work and Rib'e Lugá, the block for the Vergunningenloket (Saliña 127), where the TWV is submitted, gave the phone number 434-0300, which is the SOAW ministry's switchboard, with no opening hours or email, and said no information had been found about appointments. The official TWV page says no appointment is needed, that it is open Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 15:00 and Friday from 8:00 to 12:00, and gives 433-3123, WhatsApp 433-3127 and Infovergunningenloket@gobiernu.cw. The Vergunningenloket receives the application and the SOAW ministry decides it. Source: the TWV page on the Loket Digital, checked on November 2, 2026, and the Vergunningenloket's reply of October 9, 2026.
Own business: the Chamber of Commerce's contact details. The page sent you to check appointments and services at curacaochamber.com, which is the Chamber's digital magazine, gave 461-3918, the Business Information Center's number, and no opening hours. The official website is curacaochamberofcommerce.com (Registry section); the trade register can be reached on 461-1455 and at registry@curacao-chamber.cw, Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 15:00. Source: the Chamber's official website, checked on November 2, 2026.

October 28, 2026

Immigration detention: five rulings summarised wrongly. The article on detention said that, according to ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:258, if any of four obligations was missing the detention was unlawful from the start. In that case it was so because the order did not explain why a lighter measure was not enough; not asking about personal circumstances did not annul it (in a 2025 case the Joint Court ruled the same way, because there were no circumstances that required a lighter measure: ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:194), and a late review makes it unlawful from that moment. ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:1 did not set a "6-month rule": the detention was unlawful from the day protection was requested, because the Ministry did not re-assess whether removal was possible within the 6 months. In ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:256 there was no "immediate release order" (the person was already free), and the policy exception is not a removal "within days" but one very likely shortly after the 6 months. And in ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2018:317 there were guarantors, two of them, but they did not undertake to ensure departure. Source: the text of each ruling.
Removal and persona non grata: seven citations corrected. The article said that in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2012:BW7354 a case was lost "on deadline grounds" for challenging the wrong document: the appeal was inadmissible as premature, against a refusal that had not yet been issued. It counted ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2021:4 and ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:52 as two cases, but they are the same man at two levels; it gave him "20 years on the island" (he had lived in Curaçao since 2001 and held a permit for 9 years), and in Dutch and Papiamentu it called his removal order an expulsion order. It cited the 3-year ban on returning in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2012:BY7697 and ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2020:222 without saying that in 2024, in a Sint Maarten case (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:237), the Joint Court stopped accepting it alongside a removal and departed from BY7697. It said the appeal deadline runs "from actual notification" (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:222): in that Aruba case the date of the signature counted, and in Curaçao the 6 weeks start the day after the decision is sent (LAR, Arts. 16 and 56). And it cited ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:217 as if the foreign national had won the point about the competent ministry: he lost it. Source: the text of each ruling and the LAR.
International protection: five citations corrected. The article said the applicant in ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2026:38 "entered and left twice": she entered in 2016, was removed in 2017 and came back that year by boat. It attributed to the Joint Court (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:260) that the applicant must provide everything on their own: it said the responsibility is shared and the interviewer has to ask actively. It gave "about 2 years in total" as the reasonable time (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:410): it is 2 years up to the first-instance ruling and 4 with a further appeal; and one of the awards cited (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2026:1) concerned an expulsion order, not protection. And it presented as fact that the applicant in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:253 was tortured: that is what he stated, and the court found it plausible only to a certain extent. Source: the text of each ruling.
Not reporting a divorce (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:206). The articles on renewing a permit, changing employer or purpose and how a permit is lost said that, in that Sint Maarten case, the woman lost "the years" built up after the divorce, or that the court applied it "years later". She asked to change her permit 4 months after the divorce, shortly before it expired: the court treated it as withdrawn from the divorce, those months did not count and she fell short of the 5 continuous years required. Source: the text of the ruling.
The gap forgiven in Bonaire (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:198). The article on renewing a permit said the court forgave that 23-day gap only because the person could document it. The ruling does not say that: what weighed was that it was a single gap in 9 years, opened over Christmas and partly because of an urgent medical evacuation, that the employer filed the renewal on time and that he had no criminal record. It is also from Bonaire, under different law. Source: the text of the ruling.
A false document (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:208). The article on how a permit is lost said that declarations from a non-existent company led the authorities to disregard the legitimate evidence filed afterwards as well. The court looked at each piece of evidence: none was objective and verifiable (bank statements with a varying income, contradictory or unsigned declarations), and that is why she lost. It is a Sint Maarten case. Source: the text of the ruling.
Family reunification: two rulings. The article said that in ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2018:227 a Haitian son lost because he had been separated from his father for more than 5 years, and that his sisters won because they were minors. They, also separated for more than 5 years, were approved; he lost because by the time his objection was decided he was 18, and as an adult child he had to be studying and dependent on his father. And about ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:302 it did not say that not having to prove further dependency does not by itself grant the permit: the minister has to weigh the interests, and the court ordered a new decision. Source: the text of each ruling.
Working without a work permit (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:157 and 2022:158). The article on employer fines said that, without an express warning in her permit, the worker could not be blamed. In those Sint Maarten cases the permit did say she could not work, but the Ministry withdrew that condition, and the court added that a warning in the permit is enough. In Curaçao, if the person bringing you over is a foreign national, the family permit is granted on condition that you do not work (HIG 2006, 4.2 and 4.4). Source: the text of the rulings and the HIG 2006.
Waiting for the decision abroad (ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2019:308). Two articles said that "4 out of 5" foreigners lost by waiting on the island: among the rulings we analyzed there are more cases and almost all were lost. And one spoke of a "favorable informal note from an official": it was a note by the Minister of Justice himself accepting the waiver, which did not help because it was not in the file. Source: the text of the ruling.
Privacy policy. It did not name WhatsApp (Meta), which carries the conversation if you write to us at +5999 692-5640 or leave us your number in an enquiry. It did not say that PayPal received the address of the page you were buying from, to take you back to it; it no longer receives it: it takes you back to the home page in your language and the site returns you to that page. The internal notice of a new enquiry carried its language, although the policy said it carried none of its data; it no longer does. And if the chat repeated in its answer an ID number written with dots (25.123.456), the chat log kept it unmasked, although the policy says we remove document numbers; it is now masked in the answer too.
Series video: the fake fixer (note below the video). Episode 4 of «Bon bini a Kòrsou», on the article about scams, says a procedure is paid at Maduro & Curiel's Bank: it can also be paid at Banco di Caribe, with the official payment order. It also says that asking us is free and that we sell nothing: the guide is free, and the assistant answers 3 free questions a day and sells question packs, which are the site's only income. Until we upload the re-recorded version, the video carries a note below it with both clarifications. Source: official page “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie” (costs) and “How RutaCuracao is funded”.
Family: rulings that did not say what we published. The page on family reunification via Van Rechtswege gave as its “most documented risk” the rule of 5 years of separation between parent and child, citing two rulings (ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2018:227 and 2018:286) that concern the residence permit with family, not this declaration, and advised gathering evidence of “continuous contact” (messages, money transfers, visits), when 2018:286 says the father's yearly visits change nothing. The declaration only requires the child to be a minor (2016 policy, 2.2.6 and 2.3); the two rulings move to the page on the permit with family, and 2018:227 is now told correctly: the son applied at 17 and lost because, when his objection was decided, he was already an adult; his sisters, minors and also separated for more than 5 years, were approved. On the page on the permit with family: the 2012 Brooks Tower series was not about “family permits” but about regularisation permits withdrawn for not declaring an earlier removal order; ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:302 (Bonaire) does not say that an 18-year-old daughter “does count as a protected family unit”: she has family life, but the minister must weigh the interests and had to decide again; and that “the couple's combined income does count” is a Bonaire rule (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:248), not a Curaçao one, where the policy asks for the income of the person bringing you and, on renewal, if they are Dutch and married or living together, also accepts their partner's employer declaration (HIG 2006, 3.7), which the official page does not mention (also corrected on the own-business page). Source: the rulings cited; 2016 policy; HIG 2006, sections 3.7, 4.10 and 4.11.
Work permit: seven ruling summaries corrected. (1) We said there are “5 rulings” on the requirement to wait for the decision outside the country and that 4 were lost, including ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:22; there are more, almost all lost, and in 2024:22 that requirement had been waived by Integrashon Responsabel: it was lost for lack of an establishment permit and a work permit. (2) In ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2019:308 there was no “informal note from an official” and no “verbal promises”: it was a note by the previous Minister of Justice accepting the exemption, which did not help because it was not in the file. (3) That “unlike HIV, syphilis is listed”: both rulings are from Aruba, and the Aruba law in force since March 17, 2020 lists both. (4) In ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:157 and 158 (Sint Maarten) the permit did say she could not work; the minister withdrew that condition, and the court said a warning in the permit is enough; in Curaçao, the permit of a foreign national's spouse carries the condition not to work. (5) ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:208 does not say that a false document “taints” the legitimate evidence: the rest of the evidence was not objective and verifiable (also on the objection page). (6) In ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:23 (Aruba) concealing one's history was not an “independent and valid” ground: the refusal was upheld for being on the island during the entry ban, and on the concealment the person had to be heard. (7) ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:394 said nothing about a “plan to return”: even if she won, the 1-year permit only gave her stay until July 6, 2019, and she had not applied for the next renewal. Source: the rulings cited; HIG 2006, section 4.4; LTU, Art. 24.
Objection and appeal: lawyer's fees and four rulings. Citing a ruling from Aruba (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:225), we said that lawyer's fees for an objection before the Toelatingsorganisatie “are not reimbursed even if you win”. That is Aruba's law: in Curaçao, the LAR (Art. 58) allows you to claim the reasonable costs of the objection if the decision was taken with serious carelessness in breach of the law, and you must ask before the objection is decided. The page now says so in a note. Also: ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2011:BQ0634 (Aruba) is not about a “verbal promise” but about when the deadline to appeal against the minister's silence starts; in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:411, 2021:412 and 2025:43 there was nothing notarial: it was a signed authorisation, and what could be required was a legalised signature, not a “notarial legalisation”; and in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:374 nothing was “justified”: the Hof annulled the inadmissibility for lack of reasoning and sent the case back to be assessed. Source: LAR (consolidated text, P.B. 2026, no. 1), Art. 58; the rulings cited.
Own business: the ruling won in Sint Maarten. We said that in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:137 “the owner” of a salon who submitted proof of payments won, and the summary ended “failing to do so loses the appeal for them”, which read as if the applicant lost. The winner was the director of a construction company who, besides his monthly tax returns, submitted proof of 8 months of payments to the Tax Office: the Ministry did not explain why they were not enough, and it was the Ministry that lost on appeal. Source: ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:137, paragraphs 1 and 3.4.
Rentier and pensioner: the ruling cited was from Bonaire and about a worker. Both pages presented ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:198 as “the only precedent” for these procedures, counted it as their related ruling, and the rentier page said its principle “applies equally to Curaçao's system”. It is from Bonaire, under the BES law, and concerns a salaried worker (a bricklayer), not a rentier or a pensioner: the Court found it disproportionate to deny him indefinite residence over a single 23-day gap in 9 years, over Christmas and partly due to a medical evacuation, with the renewal filed on time by his employer and no criminal record; it did not say that documenting it counted, as the strategy said. It now remains only as an example in the strategy. There is no ruling at all on the pensioner permit; the rentier page now cites ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2019:283, from Curaçao, which touches on that permit in passing: two bank statements, which only show a single moment, do not prove lasting means, not even to be admitted as a rentier. In Curaçao, if you renew late, the count towards indefinite residence starts over. Source: ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:198; ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2019:283; HIG 2006, section 3.1.2.
Study: why ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2020:9 was lost. We said the applicant lost because her institution “was not recognized as HBO”. The ruling does not say that: the reason was that she did not prove with objective data that she had been admitted to a full-time programme at a university, hogeschool or private institution recognized as HBO, and the court found that requirement reasonable. The page now says so and advises submitting the full-time admission letter together with proof of recognition. Source: ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2020:9, paragraphs 3 and 4.2; HIG 2006, section 6.2.
Example case and indefinite residence (pages in Spanish only). The example case said that “4 out of 5 foreigners lost” by trying to wait on the island and that in ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2019:308 the argument that the employer was willing to help “had already been tried and lost”; the ruling does not mention the employer: not even a note by the previous Minister of Justice accepting the exemption helped, because it was not in the file, and the cases on that requirement are more numerous and almost all lost (also in the fact of the day on the home page). The indefinite residence page said that in ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:242 “13 years accumulated with a break of more than a year in between” did not count: they were 13 consecutive years (2005-2018), and they did not count because he did not apply for the indefinite permit before his last permit expired; and that in two Sint Maarten cases “the permit never warned” that work was not allowed, when it did say so and it was the minister who withdrew that condition. Source: the rulings cited; HIG 2006, section 4.4; LTU, Art. 14.
Investors: XCG 1,500,000 is enough for the indefinite permit. The cost calculator, the guide 'Living in Curaçao on investment, income or a pension' and two pages only in Spanish said you had to invest 'more than' XCG 1,500,000. The Toelatingsorganisatie confirmed in writing on October 12, 2026 that the minimum is XCG 1,500,000 (its page says 'from' and the 2014 order 'at least'); only the 2026 policy says 'more than'. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's written reply (October 12, 2026, point 9) and the official investor page.
Certificate of conduct on the Van Rechtswege track. The rentier, pensioner, study and internship pages asked, also on the Van Rechtswege track, for the certificate of good conduct 'from your last place of residence'. That is what the official permit-track pages say; the Van Rechtswege pages ask for one no more than 3 months old, and the law and the 2016 policy ask for one from every country where you lived in the last 5 years, issued within the 2 months before you arrive. Each page now separates the two tracks, and the Van Rechtswege page no longer says that the pages for each purpose ask for the one from your last place of residence. Source: LTU, Art. 3, letter f; Toelatingsbeleid Curaçao 2016, section 2.3; the official rentier and pensioner and study and internship pages.
The investor's family members. The family members' document list left out two documents required by the 2014 ministerial order and the official form: if the couple married abroad and does not arrive together, the registration of the marriage at Publieke Zaken in Curaçao; and, for a couple with a notarial cohabitation agreement, proof that both partners are single, divorced or widowed. Source: the 2014 ministerial order on investors (Annex II) and the official investor form.
April 2026 changes: a company director. The cost table on that page (only in Spanish) still placed the director of an N.V. or B.V. in the own-business row (XCG 635), which the correction of October 12, 2026 had already removed from the procedure pages and the calculator. A director pays as an employee (XCG 655), and the company also pays for their work permit. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official work page.
'Working' guide. It said that every foreigner working in Curaçao needs the work permit (TWV) and the work-based residence permit. Dutch and US nationals (who go through Van Rechtswege) and people working in their own sole proprietorship, who apply for the own-business permit, do not need the work permit, among others; the work permit page gives the full list. Source: Landsverordening arbeid vreemdelingen (Art. 3), the Vergunningenloket's written reply (October 9, 2026) and the Toelatingsorganisatie's official FAQ.
Example case: the guarantee deposit. The case of the Ecuadorian electrician (only in Spanish) gave XCG 655 and the stamps as the official cost, without the guarantee deposit paid before collecting the permit (XCG 800 for Ecuador) or the work permit the employer pays for (XCG 1,000 for 12 months). Source: HIG 2006 (3.8, b.2.1) and the official deposit form.
Papiamentu: the employer. In Papiamentu, the employer's work permit page, the cost calculator, the document checklist and the guide for companies said 'empleado' (the employee) where 'employer' was meant: the title spoke of the work permit 'of the employee' and the guide said the employee signs the guarantee for the costs. They now say 'dunadó di trabou'. Spanish, English and Dutch were correct.
Misclassified rulings: protection, family reunification and delays. Six of the 172 rulings in our analysis had the wrong topic or outcome. ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2026:1 was counted as a protection case (Art. 3 ECHR), but it is about the delay of an objection against an expulsion order: in protection cases the foreign national won 10 of 17 (59%), not 11 of 18 (61%). ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2012:BX0418, the withdrawal of a Brooks Tower permit with no family element, was listed under family reunification: there are 38 rulings and the government won 26 (we used to say 27 of 39). In addition, BX4950 moves to delays and ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2020:8 to objection and appeal, and the outcome changes for BX4949 (the foreign nationals won; it was not inadmissible) and ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:64 (inadmissible: the compensation claim belongs before the civil court). The figures are corrected in the articles on protection, detention and family reunification, on the case-law pages and in the statistics.
Ruling summaries on the case-law pages. We compared the summaries shown on /jurisprudencia.html and on the topic pages (in Spanish, also used by the chat) with the text of each ruling, and corrected those of more than 60 rulings that gave facts the ruling does not state or states the other way round. Among them: ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2018:227 (the young man applied for reunification at 17 and lost because he was already an adult when his objection was decided), ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:258 (the detention was unlawful from the start only because the order did not explain why a lighter measure would not do or why there was a prospect of expulsion), ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:1 (unlawful from the day protection was requested, not from the sixth month), ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:391 (Aruba's current law lists both HIV and syphilis), ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:23 (being in Aruba during the re-entry ban was enough), ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2023:208 (good papers were not thrown out because of a false one: none of them proved the income) and Bonaire's «minor fine» (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2020:103), which is no longer presented as a Curaçao rule. Internal classification notes («Duplicate of…», «hardly replicable for the end user») no longer appear as «Why it matters». For BY7697 and ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2020:222 we now note that in 2024 the Joint Court stopped seeing a legal basis for declaring someone undesirable when they receive a removal order (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:237).

October 27, 2026

Rib'e Lugá: if your passport has expired. Three articles (the one on the last weeks to register and the two on scams) said that your passport may be expired when you register, without what the policy requires in that case: a copy of its personal details and entry stamp pages and proof that you applied for a new one or proof of its extension. They now say so. The procedure page already did, but it said proof that you applied for an extension; like the policy, it now says proof of the extension. Source: Rib'e Lugá policy (April 24, 2026), p. 5.
Waiting for the decision: consuls, military, posted staff and their families. Under “Wait for the decision”, the page on consuls, military staff and personnel posted by a government and the page on family reunification via Van Rechtswege showed the shared block saying that a first application is awaited outside Curaçao. Their official pages do not require that: they only give the Toelatingsorganisatie 4 months and say the decision is sent by email. They now carry the block for procedures that do not require waiting outside. Source: the official pages on consuls and consular staff, military personnel, posted personnel and family reunification.
Residence permit with family: a guarantor who is a director. For someone bringing their family while being the director of an N.V. or B.V., the page asked for a “copy of management license if applicable”, without saying that this is the director's permit (directievergunning) or that the Vergunningenloket no longer requires it to be applied for since August 15, 2023. It now says so with both sources, like the work permit page: the Toelatingsorganisatie's page still asks for it, and what to submit instead is still to be confirmed with it. Source: the official page on residence with family; Vergunningenloket (Loket Digital, establishment permit).
Internships: “of any length”. The title of the internship page said “of any length” as if there were no limit, next to a note that, under the 2006 policy, gives a maximum of 1 year. The Toelatingsorganisatie's page says you apply whatever the length, however short the internship; the HIG 2006 (chapter 7), on the other hand, in principle requires a work permit (TWV) for a foreign intern, which is only issued if the internship lasts at most 1 year, and allows no more interns than 10% of the staff. The title no longer says it and the note gives both sources; the HIG part is still to be confirmed. Source: the official internship page; HIG 2006, sections 7.3 to 7.5.
Family reunification via Van Rechtswege: working. The page did not say whether family members admitted with this declaration can work without a work permit. The Landsverordening arbeid vreemdelingen (Art. 3, letter a) does not require a work permit (TWV) for anyone admitted by operation of law under letters a, b, c, d, e, g, h or i of Art. 3 LTU: the spouse and minor children of a consul, a member of the military or staff posted by a government do not need one for as long as that admission lasts, even if they are not Dutch, and Dutch family members do not either. However, conditions on practising a particular profession or business can be attached to a spouse's admission (Art. 3(6) LTU). The page now says so, and so does the work permit page. Source: Landsverordening arbeid vreemdelingen (Curaçao consolidated text, P.B. 2025, no. 105), Arts. 2 and 3; LTU, Art. 3(6); Vergunningenloket in writing, October 9, 2026.

October 26, 2026

Residence permit for work: the income of an employer who is a private person (October 26, 2026). We said that an employer who is a natural person or sole proprietorship had to show taxable income of at least XCG 36,000 "over the last 2 years". Now: what the official list asks for is the original Tax Inspectorate statement of their assessed taxable income from 2 years ago, at least XCG 36,000 in that year (not the total of two years). Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official "Werken" page.
Privacy policy. It said the browser's random identifier was not shared with anyone, but it goes to PayPal with each purchase; that the chat log was kept “without anything that identifies you”, but the answer was kept in full and draft letters carried the details from “My data”; and it did not name Upstash (the database) or Zoho (email). Since October 26, 2026 the chat removes that data before keeping anything and, of a draft, keeps only that there was one; Analytics no longer receives the nationality or the PayPal order number through the page you come from; and the policy explains it, with the list of who else handles your data.
Travel guide to Curaçao: residents with a permit and short layovers. If your nationality needs a visa but you live with a residence permit in a Schengen country, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States or Canada, the checklist said “Visa: Required” and gave you the steps to apply; that permit exempts you, and the visa now shows “It depends”, with the exemption first. Some official exemptions were also missing: residence permits for the French overseas territories, proof of return or a return visa, and refugee travel documents (including the US Form I-571). And anyone only changing planes in Panama or Bogotá was told to get the yellow fever vaccine: a layover of less than 12 hours at the airport doesn't count, and the question now asks for the country where your air journey starts. Source: NetherlandsWorldwide (Caribbean visa) and the CDC (Curaçao), checked on October 26, 2026.
Own business and company directors. The own-business page put the establishment permit as the first step and, “with the business permit”, the Chamber of Commerce registration; the Vergunningenloket's requirements list in force since August 15, 2023 asks for the Chamber of Commerce extract for that permit and, from a director born outside the former Antilles, a valid residence permit, while the Toelatingsorganisatie's page still asks for the establishment permit for the first application. The page now gives both sources, how this is resolved is pending confirmation, and the establishment permit office now has its address, opening hours and contact details. The own-business and work permit (TWV) pages, and the document checklist, asked for the director's permit without further comment: since August 15, 2023 the Vergunningenloket no longer requires it to be applied for, although the Toelatingsorganisatie still lists it, and we now say so. The work page said it was not for business owners; it now says it is also the one for directors of an N.V. or B.V., with their documents. Sources: the Vergunningenloket's page and requirements list, the Ministry of Economic Development's notice of July 19, 2023 and the Toelatingsorganisatie's page.
Who signs your family's guarantee. The work permit page said an employee can never be the guarantor for their own family and that, if the family comes with them, the employer is the guarantor for all of them, as the 2006 policy said (HIG, 3.8-b.1). Today's official page asks for something else: the family's guarantee declaration is signed by the main applicant, together with their employer's declaration. The page now gives both sources, and the family page no longer says “the employer or guarantor”. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official page “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie”; HIG 2006, 3.8-b.1.
Rib'e Lugá: where the deposit is paid. Under the step “you pay the guarantee deposit” on the procedure page, the block on how to pay the fees appeared: the Toelatingsorganisatie's accounts (31967908 at MCB and 36286001 at Banco di Caribe) and “you must pay before submitting your application”. The deposit is paid after approval, within 3 months of the decision date, into account 23329507 at MCB in the name of the Landsontvanger; if it is paid into the fee account, the Toelatingsorganisatie cannot refund it. The step now says so, and the official deposit form is among the page's forms. On the definitive departure page, the step with the voucher for collecting the deposit also carried that payment block; it now explains how to collect it at the Tax Office. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official deposit form (model form 920) and the official definitive departure page.
If the relationship ends (blog). Three articles (partner violence, how you can lose a permit and family reunification) still had the simplified version that the family permit page corrected on October 12, 2026. They said abuse is “explicit grounds” to keep your residence: the instruction names it as a possible reason to let you stay, weighed case by case, not a guarantee. They counted the 5 years from the wedding and said that, after them, the breakdown no longer puts your residence at risk: they are counted from your admission on the basis of that relationship, and a permit of your own requires meeting the general requirements and applying in time. They did not say that a partner’s death does not count if they only had a temporary right of residence. And they called the 5 years of parent-child separation “automatic”: it is a presumption with two exceptions. Source: HIG 2006, sections 4.6.2, 4.6.3 and 4.10.
Rib'e Lugá: “removal order”, now also in English and Papiamentu. On October 12 we corrected the term in Spanish and Dutch, but in English the procedure page, the home page notices and five articles still said “deportation order” or “expulsion order”, and in Papiamentu “òrdu di ekspulshon”. This page also said that the English and Papiamentu pages were already right: they were not. They now say “removal order” and “òrdu di remoshon”, as in the policy (“beschikking tot verwijdering”). Source: Rib'e Lugá policy (April 24, 2026, p. 10) and official FAQ.
Naturalization: the title and the FAQ. The Spanish page was titled as the complete naturalization process, the FAQ said naturalization costs XCG 615 “for the first year” and takes 4 months, and the note on the payment order in “Fill it in here” said it is paid at the Van Rechtswege declaration fee. That is the declaration to Immigration that you apply for after the royal decree, and it is paid once. Naturalization itself is applied for in person at the Kabinet van de Gouverneur, takes about a year and costs XCG 2,373 (individual, 2026 standard rate); the first step of the page, the FAQ and that note, which now name the declaration, say so. Source: the naturalization page of the Kabinet van de Gouverneur, checked on October 26, 2026.
Renewing the residence permit for work. The work page said, without distinction, that the residence permit can only be requested once the work permit (TWV) is approved, and the TWV page that only then does the residence procedure start. That applies to the first application: to renew or change, the official page accepts the current TWV or proof that it was applied for and paid, so there is no need to wait for the new one. The work page now says when to renew and what happens if you do it late; the TWV page, that renewing it means notifying the vacancy for 5 weeks again; and the document checklist no longer says that up to 3 months after expiry you renew “without losing the renewal category”: the new permit starts on that day and the years towards indefinite residence start again from zero. Sources: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official page for employees, its official FAQ, the HIG 2006 (3.1.2) and the Vergunningenloket's requirements list for renewing a work permit.
If only children are coming. The family, rentier and pensioner pages gave the minimum income for a spouse plus an amount per child, without the official rule that, if you apply only for children, the first child counts as the spouse: you need the XCG 1,500 (if the person bringing them is Dutch) or 3,000 (if foreign), and each additional child adds 250, 350 or 500. They now say so. Source: note 5 of the official pages “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie” and “Rentenier”.
Fees, deposit and refunds: how to get the deposit back. The page called its frequently asked questions “getting the guarantee deposit back” and answered them with the requirements and timescale of the fee refund (form, passport, proof of fee payment, 6 weeks), which is for a negative decision or a payment without an application. It did not say how the deposit is recovered: it is collected when you leave Curaçao, at the Tax Office, with the voucher you are given at the second appointment of the definitive departure procedure. The page now explains this in a step of its own and separates the requirements for each case. Source: the official pages on fees, deposit and refunds and on definitive departure.
What they check when you enter Curaçao. The article advised booking an outbound flight and a hotel with free cancellation to show at the border and cancel later, “if your plan is to stay longer through another legal route”, and called that a “backup booking”. What you declare on the DI Card and to the officer has to be your real trip: showing a flight or a hotel you don’t intend to use can count as giving false information to immigration, which is a criminal offence (Art. 24 LTU). Also, the tourist extension requires the original ticket, and someone staying with family or friends has to show less money (US$100 a day, against US$150-200 in a hotel). Source: LTU, Art. 24; the Toelatingsorganisatie’s official tourist page.
Example case: health insurance. The health insurance correction of October 10, 2026 had not reached the example case (in Spanish only), which still asked for private health insurance of at least US$15,000 while the permit is processed. To collect the permit you are asked for health insurance valid for 1 year, from the SVB or an accredited private insurer; the US$15,000 is the minimum the Dutch government asks of tourists to enter, not a rule of the permit. Source: HIG 2006 (3.8 and 3.12) and the work permit page.
How to submit your application. The “How to submit your application online” block, which appears on 16 procedure pages, said that the vast majority of procedures are sent by email to intake@immigrationcur.org and that only Rib'e Lugá uses a portal. The Toelatingsorganisatie's portal (permit.immigrationcur.org) is the first route: that is where you apply for the Van Rechtswege and Niet van Toepassing declarations, which since September 1, 2016 are only accepted online, the extension of a tourist stay and some residence permits, and people with US nationality have to use it too; email is for what is not in the portal. Sources: the Toelatingsorganisatie's portal and official FAQ and its “Submit application” page.
Van Rechtswege for working for the government. The Van Rechtswege declaration page said we knew of no Curaçao guideline on Art. 3, letter a LTU, and its strategy gave as a rule that this route only applies to specialized positions, citing a Sint Maarten ruling. Curaçao does have one: the 2016 policy (section 2.2.1) says letter a covers anyone working for the Government of Curaçao, for as long as their appointment lasts, and staff posted by the government of another country; the specialized-position limit belongs to an extension in Sint Maarten's guidelines for people who only provide services. That page and the page for consuls, military staff and posted personnel now say so. Source: Toelatingsbeleid Curaçao 2016, section 2.2.1 (the Toelatingsorganisatie confirmed in writing on October 12, 2026 that this policy is in force); official page “Uitgezonden personeel”; ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:263.
When the 6 weeks to object start. The block “How to object to a negative decision”, which appears on 17 procedure pages, said the 6 weeks run “from notification of the decision”. The official page and the administrative justice act (LAR, Art. 56) count them from when it is sent: they start on the day after the date on which the Toelatingsorganisatie sent the decision, even if the letter is slow to arrive or lands in the spam folder. The steps on the objection and appeal page already said so, but the summary of a judgment on that page (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2011:BR5389) also said “count the deadline from notification”; it now says the deadline runs from the day after the decision was sent. Source: the official objection and appeal page and the LAR (consolidated text of 2026), Art. 56.
Informal work and employer fines. We said, citing an unnamed journalistic source, that a labour judge cannot deport you because that rests “solely” with the Minister of Justice, that an employer has no power to report you, and that the employment contract is in Book 7 of the Civil Code. The labour judge decides on wages, not on residence, but being without a permit carries a risk before any authority: the law punishes being in Curaçao without admission (Art. 23 LTU); removal and detention are ordered by the Minister or, on his behalf, police commissioners (Art. 19 LTU), and expulsion by the Prosecutor General (Art. 15 LTU). The employer can report you. What the law says in the worker’s favour: if they worked without a work permit, they are presumed to have done so for at least 6 months at the usual wage in the sector (Art. 20 of the Landsverordening arbeid vreemdelingen). The employment contract is in Book 7A. Whether the court or the Labour Affairs Directorate informs immigration when someone without a permit makes a claim is still to be confirmed. Source: LTU (Arts. 15, 19 and 23); Landsverordening arbeid vreemdelingen (Arts. 19 and 20); ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2024:299.
Cost calculator (employer mode and short contracts). It told an employer that is an N.V. or B.V. that, if there was doubt about its capital, it could be asked for the profit and loss statement; the Toelatingsorganisatie answered in writing on October 12, 2026 that it does not ask an N.V. or B.V. for proof of means. The XCG 36,000 threshold remains: the official work permit (TWV) checklist requires it, with the Tax Inspector's statement. And with a contract of 6 months or less it now notes that the HIG 2006 (3.8-b.2) allows an outbound airline ticket instead of the deposit for a one-off job of less than 12 months, to be confirmed because the Toelatingsorganisatie's current page does not mention it. Source: the official TWV checklist (Vergunningenloket) and the written answer of the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
If the employer withdraws the guarantee or the work permit. The work page and the article on changing employers only said that you have 6 weeks to request the change of permit. The 2006 policy (HIG, 3.8 b.1) also says that if the person who signed the guarantee withdraws it, the permit is withdrawn from the moment Immigration receives that withdrawal, after hearing the worker, and the official FAQ still lists that ground and the employer withdrawing the work permit. We now say so and advise applying for the change as soon as possible; whether the 6 weeks also apply in that case is pending confirmation from the Toelatingsorganisatie. Sources: HIG 2006 (3.8 b.1 and 3.19) and the Toelatingsorganisatie's official FAQ.
Residence permit with family: working, how many years and partners. The page did not say that, if the person bringing you is a foreign national, your permit does not allow you to work and that any job first needs a work permit (TWV), unless you are married to a Dutch national, are their partner with a notarial agreement made in the Netherlands or hold an indefinite permit. Nor did it say that, since April 1, 2026, a family member's permit lasts as long as that of the person bringing them. And under “Who does this apply to?” it said “cohabiting partner” without saying (as the requirements did) that a notarial cohabitation agreement made in the Netherlands or the BES islands is required. It now does. Source: HIG 2006, 4.2 and 4.4; Eilandsbesluit Arbeid Vreemdelingen, Art. 10; LTU, Art. 14; policy in force since April 1, 2026, section 4; official page “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie”.
Help blocks that contradicted the procedure page. Under “Wait for the decision”, the tourist extension, the Niet van Toepassing declaration, the Van Rechtswege declaration and naturalization showed a shared block that gave a 4-month term and said a first application is awaited outside Curaçao. None of the four requires that, and the tourist extension is decided “as soon as possible”: if there is no answer before the stay ends, the application is treated as refused. And the renewal of the sticker of a permanent permit showed a block telling you to go straight to the counter, “in order of arrival”, when the official page requires an appointment. Each page now carries a text that fits it. Source: the official pages on the tourist extension, Niet van Toepassing, Van Rechtswege, naturalization and the renewal of the sticker.
Immigration procedure scams. The article said that this site’s “Talk to a person” button and assistant are free and “have no interest in selling you anything”. The button and the written guide are free; the assistant answers 3 free questions a day and sells question packs, which are the site’s only income, as “How RutaCuracao is funded” says. Source: “How RutaCuracao is funded”.
Official FAQ and Art. 25 of the LTU. The sources page said that the Toelatingsorganisatie's FAQ could only be read in a copy from March 2025 because the page returned an error: the link on immigrationcur.org does return an error, but the FAQ is still published on its application portal (permit.immigrationcur.org), and we now link to it, with a copy from October 26, 2026. The general rules said that Art. 25 of the LTU has been repealed: the original was repealed, but since 2014 (P.B. 2014, no. 17) there is a new Art. 25, on fees. The work permit (TWV) page adds, from that FAQ, that people with their own business (eenmanszaak) do not need a work permit. Sources: the Toelatingsorganisatie's FAQ and P.B. 2014, no. 17.
Residence permit with family: the tax statement and other documents. The page asked for a Tax Inspectorate declaration “for the last 2 years”; the official page asks for the one of the assessed taxable income from 2 years ago, of at least XCG 36,000 in that year. It now also says that the page asks for it even when the monthly minimum is XCG 1,500, and that what is accepted from someone who arrived less than 2 years ago is pending confirmation. Also missing were the 6-week deadline to apply for a change when your situation changes and two documents from the official list: a copy of the permit of the person bringing you and, if one parent is not coming, their notarial declaration of no objection or the custody ruling. Source: official page “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie”.
Collecting the permit: there is no summons letter. No procedure page said until when an approved permit can be collected. The Rib'e Lugá page only said you book an appointment, and the application-status page cited as its only reference a Sint Maarten case with two 2-month notices. The Toelatingsorganisatie confirmed in writing on October 9, 2026 that no summons letter has been sent since 2016: the decision states until when the permit is valid, you must collect it before that date and, otherwise, submit a new application and pay again. The Rib'e Lugá, application-status and general permit rules pages now say so. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's written answer of October 9, 2026.
Netherlands Antillean guilder. The automatic currency unification also changed “NAf” to “XCG” in the sentence that explains the currency change, and the article on opening a bank account said the Caribbean guilder replaced the “Netherlands Antillean guilder (XCG)”. The Netherlands Antillean guilder is the NAf; the XCG is the Caribbean guilder.
Family reunification: how to prove income. The article on why family reunification cases are lost said, citing three Sint Maarten rulings, that what they require is bank statements, and did not name the document Curaçao asks for. The Toelatingsorganisatie's official list asks for the original statement from the Tax Inspectorate of the assessed taxable income from 2 years ago (at least XCG 36,000), plus the employer's declaration; in those Sint Maarten cases the court asked for objective proof, such as the final tax assessment or proof that the salary was paid. The article now says so, with bank statements as a complement. Source: official page “Verblijfsvergunning bij familie”; ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2021:11, 2022:130 and 2024:84.
If Rib'e Lugá is refused: definitive departure, objection and fee refund. The article sent everyone to do the definitive departure procedure before leaving, but that procedure, with its stamps, is for people who hold a residence permit of more than 3 months, and its second appointment asks for proof of deregistration from the population register, which someone who was never registered does not have. It now says so and notes that we have asked in writing. The article and the procedure page add that objecting does not on its own stop the 6 weeks to leave (the court has to suspend the decision or grant a provisional measure) and that, if the refusal becomes final, the law says the leges are refunded, but not the retributie; how this applies to Rib'e Lugá is still to be confirmed. Source: Toelatingsbesluit, Art. 12; the official definitive departure page; LAR, Art. 85; Eilandsverordening leges, Art. 32b.
Van Rechtswege: certificate of conduct, the 6 free months and when it ends. The page did not say that the 2016 policy asks for a certificate of good conduct from every country where you lived in the last 5 years (the pages for each purpose ask for the one from your last place of residence: it now says both), nor that the 6 months without a declaration for Dutch and US nationals are at most 6 within a period of one year. Nor did this page, the Van Rechtswege family reunification page or the page for consuls, military staff and posted personnel say that admission by operation of law ends on its own, without a letter, when its reason ends, and with it that of the spouse and minor children. The consuls' page now says the law speaks of career consuls and links to the family page, which gives their requirements. Source: Toelatingsbeleid Curaçao 2016, sections 2.2.6, 2.3, 2.4 and 3.5; LTU, Arts. 3 and 5. Note (October 28, 2026): the Van Rechtswege pages for each purpose ask for a certificate no more than 3 months old, without saying from which country; 'from your last place of residence' is what the permit-track pages say. This page and those for rentiers, pensioners, study and internships say so since October 28, 2026.
Late renewal: the short stay for legalization. The article on renewing a permit and the general rules page said that, more than 3 months after expiry, a renewal counts as a first application and is awaited outside the country, without mentioning the way out that the official page provides for a specific case: someone whose last renewal or change was granted a temporary permit, who works with a work permit (TWV), has been without a permit for no more than 12 months and did not leave Curaçao for compelling reasons can apply for the short stay for legalization (XCG 535). Both now explain it. Source: the official short-stay page (Kort verblijf, Legalisatie).
Removal and persona non grata. We said, without a source, that a removal order “blocks almost any future permit”. What the rulings show is that it can weigh on a new application years later: in ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2012:BX0418, the Minister withdrew in 2011, because of an order from 2003, the permit a man had obtained through a special programme, and the court upheld the decision. The cases analysed do not support saying more. Source: ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2012:BX0418.
Internships and pensioners. The internship page did not say that the 2006 policy (HIG, sections 7.3 to 7.6, not repealed) in principle requires a work permit (TWV) for a foreign intern, for at most 1 year and with no more interns than 10% of the staff; today's official pages do not mention it, so the page now says it as still to be confirmed. The pensioner page gave the indefinite permit of the pensionado arrangement without its conditions: it now gives those the 2006 policy summarised (at least 50 years old, 5 years without living here, own home worth at least NAf 450,000 within 18 months), also still to be confirmed. Source: HIG 2006, sections 7.3 to 7.6, 8.3 and 8.6.1; policy in force since April 1, 2026, section 6.
How long the sédula lasts. The sédula article only said it is valid for a maximum of 5 years. With a residence permit it is valid for as long as the permit, up to that maximum, so it expires with the permit and you need a new one when you renew it. And the naturalization page did not say that the Van Rechtswege declaration has to be registered with the Kranshi; that is now its step 6. Source: the Curaçao government's Loket Digital, “Sedula” page (copy of October 25, 2026).
Duplicate of the Niet van Toepassing declaration. The duplicate page and the calculator said the official page does not make clear whether it is free. The law makes it clear for the leges: a duplicate only carries leges for the permits and declarations in items c to u, and the Niet van Toepassing is item b; the official page does not ask for proof of payment for it either. Source: Eilandsverordening leges, Art. 32a(2) (2014 amendment), and the official duplicate page.
YouTube videos (series and objection). The four episodes of the series «Bon bini a Kòrsou» shown on the blog gave a made-up length of 5:00 and, as their transcript, a single sentence of the synopsis (also in the data for Google). They now show their real length and the full transcript: who says each line and what appears on screen. And the video «Te negaron el permiso en Curazao» is back on the objection page with a note: the 2024 case of the appeal filed one day late (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:19) is from Aruba, not Curaçao. Source: the script of each episode and the text of the ruling.
Objection and appeal: the article on the appeal deadline. The step on appealing to the Gerecht cited Art. 7 of the LAR for the 6-week deadline. Art. 7 says who may appeal; the 6-week deadline, and the rule that it starts on the day after the date on which the decision was sent, are in Art. 16. The page now cites both. Source: Landsverordening administratieve rechtspraak (consolidated text of 2026), Arts. 7 and 16.
The chat and the article «How to move to Curaçao from Latin America». When the free questions ran out, the chat said every answer checked 234 official pages «live», and the article said it summarized 234 official pages. The chat does not check the official pages at that moment: it answers from our procedure guides, built from those pages, and from the court rulings, all stored on the site. And the number was written by hand, while our copy of the official pages changes with every review (on October 26, 2026 there were 237). Both now say it without a number. Source: the chat's code and the record of the downloaded official pages.
Short stay for legalization: up to 12 months without a permit. The short-stay page said legalization is for someone who has been without a valid permit for “less than 12 months”. The official page says “no more than 12 months” (niet langer dan 12 maanden): at exactly 12 months you can still apply. The page now says so. Source: the official short-stay page (Kort verblijf, Legalisatie).

October 25, 2026

Buying and registering a car: transferring a used car (October 25, 2026). We said the transfer was done the same day at one counter, that the car was in your name once the pink form was done, that the transfer required the mandatory insurance, that the legal minimum of the mandatory insurance was still to be confirmed, and that it was not known how often the keur is repeated. Now: there are two counters in two places (the Ontvanger on the Regentesselaan, free, and the UOVV Keuringslokaal in Parera, XCG 15 by bank card only), with opening hours, documents and what to check before buying; the car is in your name when the Keuringslokaal gives you the new keuringskaart, and you take out the WA insurance as soon as the car is yours, because the seller's policy does not cover you; the legal minimum insurance cover is XCG 90,000 and the keur of a private car is valid for 2 years. Source: the transfer, done and verified in person in October 2026, and, for the insurance, an insurer's quote (Citizens).
Work permit moratorium: hospitality, review of the list and quotas. We said that hospitality and bar staff did not appear on the moratorium list but that you should confirm it with the Ministry of Labour, that the list could change with its first-year evaluation and, as still to be confirmed, that we had found no quotas per sector. The Ministry of Labour replied: only the 6 occupations in the regulation (P.B. 2025, no. 78) are under the moratorium, not hospitality or bar staff; the first-year evaluation has not been carried out yet and the list has not changed; and there is no maximum number of TWV applications per sector or per employer. Corrected on the employer's work permit page, in the calculator (employer mode) and in the article on which professions can apply for a work permit. Source: Ministry of Labour (Sector Arbeid), in writing, October 15, 2026.
If the car fails the inspection (keur). The car page listed this as not confirmed yet and only said the keur is done by appointment in Parera. According to the Loket Digital, if the car fails you get a rejection slip (afkeuringsbewijs) listing what has to be repaired, and the re-inspection costs XCG 10 if it is done within 30 days and XCG 30 after that; the keur costs XCG 30, or XCG 60 if the keuringskaart has already expired, and you book it at sitaautokeuring.gobiernu.cw or through the Vergunningenloket. Whether you may drive with the rejection slip is still not confirmed. Source: Loket Digital, “Keuring van voertuigen” (checked on October 25, 2026).
Registering a new car. The car page said “Registering a new car: XCG 30 (inspection card)” and that since July 2025 photocopies are no longer accepted at the counter. According to the Loket Digital, registering the car costs nothing: the XCG 30 is the keur, which you book with the plate number you are given. And since July 8, 2025 the Keuringslokaal no longer makes copies: the documents are uploaded as scans or photos. Source: Loket Digital, “Registreren van voertuigen” (checked on October 25, 2026).
Driving license: registration, temporary permit and exam. The car page said a foreign license is registered “at Publieke Zaken (Roodeweg 42), no appointment needed” and the exchange page, that “no appointment is needed, and it is done with the online form”. We had not archived the official page that says so, so both pages started saying that how you apply and whether you need an appointment were not confirmed yet; the page does say it (correction of November 2, 2026). The requirements for the Temporary Driving Permit (XCG 50) were incomplete; both pages now give them in full, according to the Loket Digital: a license from a Geneva Convention country issued before you settled here, proof of when it was first issued or a declaration of authenticity, a sédula and an appointment at sita.gobiernu.cw. And the article on getting a licence for the first time said, without a source, that “the government does not provide the vehicle” for the practical exam; it now says this is not confirmed. Sources: Loket Digital, “Tijdelijke Rijvergunning” (checked on October 25, 2026), and the written reply from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026.
Kranshi appointment and registration deadline. The directory said there was no portal for booking the registration appointment and that you had to call or email. The Loket Digital says you book it online at sita.gobiernu.cw (it also gives the Kranshi's phone number and email); the directory, the sédula and first-30-days articles and the Rib'e Lugá and general-rules pages now say so. Also, the sédula article gave 5 days to register as a rule, and the car page 2 weeks. The Loket Digital gives 5 days, but for people who can register directly without a permit, and a Customs leaflet (2023) gives 2 weeks from arrival: for people who arrive with a permit, the deadline is not confirmed yet. Sources: Loket Digital, “Inschrijven in het Bevolkingsregister van Curaçao” and “Sedula” (checked on October 25, 2026), and the Customs leaflet on household moves (April 2023).
Corrections of October 12, 2026 that had not reached the blog and Sources. Two articles still said that more than 6 months abroad ends the permit, and one limited that rule to the temporary permit and gave 1 year with the indefinite one: it is a presumption that you have moved, with any permit, including the indefinite one, on which basis it can be withdrawn; by law any permit ends after more than 1 continuous year abroad, except for force majeure, studies or medical treatment. One said that before revoking, the Vreemdelingendienst summons you; that body no longer exists: the law requires that you be heard or properly summoned. The remote-work article said the tourist extension is only granted for special circumstances: that is only required of those who need a visa, and the extension takes you up to 90 days. The medical guide presented the 1-year insurance as a Rib'e Lugá rule: every permit requires it. And on Sources the 30 tourist days were still “to be confirmed”: the Toelatingsorganisatie confirmed them in writing on October 12, 2026. Source: the consolidated 2010 LTU (Arts. 12 and 17), HIG 2006 (3.8, 3.9 and 3.12), the official tourist page and the written answer of the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
How much it costs to live in Curaçao: electricity and water rates (October 25, 2026). The article gave the September 2026 electricity and water rates as current (electricity from XCG 0.6307 to 0.7812 per kWh; water from XCG 8.40 to 17.46 per m³), when other rates have applied since October 1, 2026. It now gives October's: electricity at XCG 0.6956 (up to 250 kWh), 0.8019 (250 to 350) and 0.8461 (over 350) per kWh; water at XCG 9.11 (up to 9 m³), 14.26 (9 to 12), 16.20 (12 to 20) and 18.17 (over 20) per m³. It also warns that the government adjusts them every month and publishes them on the RAC website, and that the October publication carries the electricity shortfall over to November 2026. Source: the Curaçao government's publication of the electricity and water rates from October 1, 2026 (RAC).
Payment order (form 910). The payment order guide said the Spanish order published by the Toelatingsorganisatie dated from June 2021, with only the MCB account and 1-year rows, and the page on the April 2026 changes said the published order did not yet have the 2- and 3-year rows. The Toelatingsorganisatie now also publishes the new order in Spanish and English: with Banco di Caribe, 1-, 2- and 3-year rows, each with the total for all the years, and its own investor row. “Fill it in here” and the calculator's “Fill in my payment order” fill in that order and tick the purpose and the duration. The guide's table also no longer puts the investor in the renewal row: investors do not renew, they apply for their tranche again (Toelatingsorganisatie in writing, October 12, 2026). Source: the payment order published on immigrationcur.org (Orden-de-pago-1.docx and Payment-order-4.docx).

October 14, 2026

Registering a foreign license (October 13, 2026). We said that registering a foreign driving license does not require a residence permit and works while your residence application is being processed. Publieke Zaken replied in writing on October 13, 2026 that it does not register the license of anyone who has no residence permit and is not registered in the population register; the Loket Digital page does not say so. We added what else it confirmed: a tourist may drive on their license during their holiday, anyone who registers in Curaçao has to register their license (otherwise they risk a fine), and anyone who loses their foreign license can no longer exchange it. Whether you may drive while your residence application is being processed is still to be confirmed. Source: written answer from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026.
Sédula and Publieke Zaken opening hours (October 14, 2026). The sédula guide left open whether the fine for a lost or stolen card is paid separately, and the Kranshi opening hours mentioned extra 16:00 to 18:00 slots for the sédula only. The XCG 10 fine is already included in the price (XCG 25, or XCG 11 for ages 12 to 17) and is also charged for a damaged card. Publieke Zaken is open Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 15:00 and Friday 8:00 to 12:00, and when needed it opens extra slots for some services, not only for the sédula. Source: written answer from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026.
Giving birth: if the mother has no papers (October 14, 2026). We said, without a source, that the birth is registered all the same even if you have no papers. Publieke Zaken confirmed it in writing on October 13, 2026: the birth is registered even if the mother has no residence permit, with a valid ID (passport) and without an appointment, and it is not passed on to the Toelatingsorganisatie, VTGB or any other body; whether an expired passport or the ID card from her country is accepted is still to be confirmed. We also added, from the official page, that if the birth is declared late, Publieke Zaken reports it to the public prosecutor. Source: written answer from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026.
Getting married in Curaçao as a foreigner (October 13, 2026). The page on the residence permit for family members and the article on family reunification did not say that someone who lives in Curaçao without a residence permit cannot marry here. Publieke Zaken (Kranshi) replied in writing on October 13, 2026 that a foreigner without a residence title cannot marry in Curaçao, and that certificates in Dutch, English and Spanish do not need to be translated; the page now also lists what the official page asks for (a D-79 form if one of you is not Dutch, recent and legalized certificates). Source: written answer from Publieke Zaken of October 13, 2026 and the Loket Digital page “Trouwen op Curaçao”.
Investor: deposit and family when applying again (October 14, 2026). The calculator charged each of the investor's family members only their first year of family reunification, as if their permit were for 1 to 3 years, and did not count the family when the investor applies again. Each family member receives the same period as the investor and pays for the years the investor applies for; when the investor applies again, each one renews their own permit, with their own application. The guarantee deposit is paid only once. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 14, 2026.
Giving birth and getting married: what Publieke Zaken clarified (October 14, 2026). We said it was still to be confirmed whether an expired passport is enough to declare the baby's birth. Publieke Zaken answered in writing on October 14, 2026: an expired passport alone is not enough, but the mother should go in person and they look for a solution with her using the documents she does have, for example her birth certificate or a letter from her consulate. It also clarified that the “no” to marrying applies to people who live in Curaçao without a permit: people who do not live here, such as a couple of tourists, can marry. Source: written answer from Publieke Zaken of October 14, 2026.

October 12, 2026

Document checklist: work permit and family permit. The checklist copied the requirements from the procedure page and was missing documents that the Toelatingsorganisatie's official page asks for: a copy of the residence permit (or Van Rechtswege or Niet van Toepassing declaration) of the person living in Curaçao; for children, the notarial no-objection of the parent who is not coming, the custody ruling and the deed of recognition; what the director of a company submits; and the renewal and change lists. It now asks about your situation and gives the official list for it. It also showed the guarantee deposit for renewals and on the Van Rechtswege route, where it is not paid.
Vacancy notification for the work permit (TWV). We gave the address vacaturemelding.soaw@gobiernu.cw and said we had not found whether you had to go in person. Centrum voor Arbeid replied: it is sent by email to vacaturemelding.soaw@gov.cw, without visiting the office, with the form complete, typed and in Dutch or English; the 5 weeks count from the day they receive the correct, complete form, and the proof for the TWV is the stamped form they send at the end (the acknowledgement of receipt is not enough). Source: written answer from Centrum voor Arbeid of October 12, 2026.
Investor: renewal and deadline (October 12, 2026). The calculator charged the investor's renewal as an extension of XCG 615 per year, taken from the Spanish payment order, and the page treated the 2-week deadline of the 2014 ministerial decree as possible. Investors do not renew: to continue they apply again and pay their investment level's fee again; the Toelatingsorganisatie has 4 months to decide and only registers the application once the payment shows up in its account. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
Calculator: change to study and years granted (October 12, 2026). We listed as to be confirmed how much a change to a study permit costs and what happens if fewer years are granted than were paid for. A change to study costs XCG 615, like the other changes; if you are granted fewer years, you tell the Toelatingsorganisatie so it can correct it. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
Military personnel and personnel posted by a government (October 12, 2026). The diplomats' page said the official page does not state any amount for them and asked readers to check before assuming it is free. They pay no fees. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
Tourist stay extension. The list repeated documents (13 boxes for about 8) and was missing the authorisation if someone else submits, the permit of a foreign guarantor, and the articles of association and Chamber of Commerce extract if the guarantor is a company. It also said that any special circumstance allows a stay beyond 3 months: under the policy for visa-required tourists, only your own illness, another life-threatening medical reason, the death of a relative in Curaçao and damage to the boat or hurricanes do. And the special circumstance is only required of those who need a visa. Source: the official tourist page and the extension policy for visa nationalities.
Short stay. “Who it applies to” mixed up the capital investor (XCG 650,000 and a bank guarantee) and the hibernator (XCG 36,000, a house or a yacht of at least 10 m; the Papiamentu text said “less than 10 m”). The list was missing the certificate of conduct and the second stamp for the Art. 5 LAV worker, the representative's authorisation, the family members' papers and almost everything for ship's crew, and it did not say that a renewal can be awaited in Curaçao. Source: the official short-stay pages in Spanish and Dutch, and the policy for investors and hibernators.
Travelling with minors. The page followed the 2023 circular. It now follows the one in force since July 1, 2025, with its documents and deadlines (extracts may be up to 1 year old). Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's circular on travelling with minors (2025).
Rib'e Lugá. We said without a source that a refusal almost permanently blocks a future permit; we called “expulsion order” the removal order (beschikking tot verwijdering) that the policy promises not to issue to anyone who leaves before January 1, 2027; we assumed when the 6 weeks to leave after a refusal start (the policy does not say: the prudent reading is from the date of the letter, and you can object); we asked everyone aged 12 and over for a VOG when collecting the permit (it is required from 18); and we said the trusted partners do not charge for their statement, when the Toelatingsorganisatie says they give free guidance. Source: the Rib'e Lugá policy and the programme's official pages.
Assistant links. The chat linked to three guides that have no page of their own and returned a 404 error. It now links to the page that covers the topic, or to none.
Study permit. It said that if 3 months pass without a decision, the student's situation is reviewed: according to the official FAQ and the 2006 policy (6.6), the student must leave Curaçao, and this allowance does not apply with a visa; the current page says to wait abroad. The student declaration for renewals, the guarantor's spouse's signature and the permit's duration were missing. Source: the official study pages, the archived FAQ and HIG 2006.
Own business and directors. We placed the director of an N.V. or B.V. under the own-business permit (XCG 635): the official page groups them with employees (XCG 655, with a work permit and the declarations). We asked for 12 months of statements (the page asks for a bank statement no more than 3 months old) and gave an exception for waiting in Curaçao taken from a Sint Maarten case. Also in the calculator and the cost table. Source: the Toelatingsorganisatie's official work page.
Family. We said the Van Rechtswege family declaration is for family members of employees of companies “under Article 1a”: it is for family members who are Dutch nationals (Art. 3 LTU, letters f and h) and for the family of consuls, military and seconded staff (letter g), who do not pay the fee. The family permit page gave XCG 1,900 as its amount (it is 1,500 or 3,000), said the 5-year permit for the spouse of a Dutch national ended in 2019 (it ended in 2026) and simplified what happens if the relationship ends before 5 years. Source: LTU, Art. 3; the official family pages; HIG 2006 (4.6); the 2026 policy.
General rules and final departure. We said moving to Aruba is a change of permit (Aruba is another country); we mixed up the 6 months abroad, which is a presumption, with the permit ending by law after more than a year abroad; we cited Art. 25 LTU, which has been repealed, and authorities that no longer exist (Gezaghebber, Vreemdelingendienst); and for final departure we spoke of 4 stamps (today there are 3). The penalty for knowingly giving false information can also be a fine. Source: the consolidated 2010 LTU (Arts. 12, 14, 24 and 25), HIG 2006 and the official final departure page.
Other guides. Objection: the 6 weeks run from when the decision is sent, a written authorisation is enough (the notarial power of attorney came from Aruba cases) and the appeal also has 6 weeks. Van Rechtswege: the letters of Art. 3 LTU were wrong and the actual requirements were missing. NVT: Saba was missing. Naturalization: the page does not cover the option. Duplicate: a police report is also needed for loss. Deposit: the refund is requested by email from the Landsontvanger. Source: the official pages of each procedure and the LTU.
Investor. Almost the whole document list of the 2014 ministerial decree was missing (photos, birth certificate, certificate of conduct, insurance with psychiatric cover); the bank statement is about the investment already made; the decree sets 2 weeks for a decision; family members are not included automatically; and the authorisation to submit the application does not have to be notarized. Source: the 2014 ministerial decree on investors and the investor form.
Work permit, car, rentier and pensioner. Work permit: the authorisation also covers collecting the decision and may not be the worker, and the 5 weeks of the vacancy notice are counted before submitting the application. Car when moving: the ban on lending or selling the car for 12 months and the moving papers were missing. Rentier and pensioner: the change of permit was missing, and a Bonaire case was cited as a renewal rule. Source: the official work permit lists (2015), the Customs leaflet on moving goods (2023) and the official pages.
2026 policy, insurance and figures. For the indefinite permit of someone born in Curaçao, a parent with an indefinite permit is required (a resident parent was not enough). The 2-, 3- or 5-year duration is lost when renewing after the tolerance period, not for renewing late. Every permit requires 1-year health insurance, not only Rib'e Lugá. The fact of the day said the success rate in detention cases (47%) is the highest: it is the second. Source: the April 1, 2026 policy and HIG 2006 (3.8).
Form guides. The guarantee, employer and student declarations have a printed box for the XCG 10 stamp (the guide said they did not). The application form also asks about other income and whether you accepted a criminal settlement. The declaration of business intent belongs to Rib'e Lugá. When travelling with minors, the no-objection is the Guardianship Council's. Source: the official forms and the minors circular.
Form guides. The application form guide said it has 13 sections (there are 14: 1 to 13 and then 15) and included the investor, who has a separate form; it did not mention the 'Other reason' option, gender, country of birth, postal address or the renewal deadline (no earlier than 4 months before expiry and no later than the expiry date). The employer declaration guide said the company stamp is mandatory: only an employer that is a company or institution stamps it. Students had the guarantor section marked as mandatory, although they can prove their means with a bank statement or a scholarship. The duplicate, proof of return, refund and investor guides did not say that children aged 12 or over sign themselves; the deposit guide did not warn that the form is in Dutch or explain its details box, and the payment order guide treated the Spanish version (2021) and the new Dutch one as identical. Source: the official forms.
Proof of return guide. It only said the decision comes within 1 week, as the form promises. The official page says it can be collected after 2 working days and that it is the only application submitted at the counter, because of the photo it requires. Source: official proof of return page.
Answers from the Toelatingsorganisatie (October 12, 2026). Tourists: we left open whether non-EU nationals get 30 or 90 days; it is 30, and up to 90 only by applying for the extension. The extension page said to apply between 7 and 5 days before the stay ends: you can now apply from the day you arrive. Study: the page still offered waiting up to 3 months in Curaçao; the first application is awaited abroad. Family: we listed the 1-year deadline for reunification (HIG 4.8) as to be confirmed; it has been repealed since 2014. Definitive departure of Dutch nationals with Van Rechtswege: we gave two figures (1 and 3 years); the 2016 policy applies, more than 3 years abroad. Guarantor: we said an N.V. or B.V. shows its profit-and-loss statement if in doubt; it is not asked for proof of means. Investor: the form says to submit at the counter; it is submitted by email or through the portal, and the minimum for the indefinite permit is XCG 1,500,000. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 12, 2026.
YouTube videos (notes below the video). The video «¿Puedes trabajar en Curazao con visa de turista?» says that a remote worker's short stay lasts at most 180 days a year: on October 9, 2026 the Toelatingsorganisatie confirmed in writing that it can be extended by another 6 months with a new application, with the same fee and the same requirements. That video and «Lo que te revisan en el aeropuerto de Hato» say that giving false information to obtain a permit is punishable by up to one year in prison; it can also be a fine of up to XCG 1,000 (art. 24 LTU). Until we upload re-recorded versions, each video carries a correction note below it. Source: written answer from the Toelatingsorganisatie of October 9, 2026 and LTU, art. 24.
Rib'e Lugá: “removal order”. Some articles and notices in Spanish and Dutch said “expulsion order”. The policy speaks of a “beschikking tot verwijdering” (removal order): the one the Minister promises not to issue to anyone who leaves voluntarily before January 1, 2027, and which, according to the official FAQ, does not stop you from applying for Rib'e Lugá. Source: Rib'e Lugá policy and official FAQ.

October 11, 2026

Rib'e Lugá: help after the closing. The article «Rib'e Lugá after October 31: if you did not register» said that IOM and the recognised organisations «keep advising» after registration closes. No source says so: IOM has not announced whether it will keep helping. The article now says that and gives Rib'e Lugá's own contact (+5999 511-9984, info@ribeluga.cw).
Rib'e Lugá: who the January 1, 2027 guarantee covers. The Rib'e Lugá calendar said that the Minister of Justice will not issue an expulsion order to anyone who leaves voluntarily «after a refusal». The policy (p. 10) does not limit it to people who receive a refusal: it speaks of undocumented people in general, although it does not say expressly that it covers those who never registered either.

October 10, 2026

Payment order in Dutch (Van Rechtswege page). The file «Betalingsopdracht.docx» we offered for download was not the official one: it said «XCG» instead of «NAf» and the row for a first application as a person of independent means, investor, own business or pensioner showed XCG 5.00 in fees instead of 55.00 (5 + 580 does not add up to the 635 total). It is now the Toelatingsorganisatie's current payment order (model form 910, with 1- to 3-year permits and payment also at Banco di Caribe), unchanged.
Vacancy notice when renewing a work permit. The cost calculator dropped the vacancy notice at the Sentro pa Labor for renewals. It is also required when renewing (employer's work permit page; Vergunningenloket in writing, October 8, 2026).
Rib'e Lugá deposit in the document checklist. The checklist did not show your country's guarantee deposit for Rib'e Lugá, which the page requires after approval.
Duplicate guide. The filling guide for the duplicate form said the procedure did not apply to the Niet-van-Toepassing declaration. It does: the form only exempts it from the original proof of payment.
Stamp on the declaration of business intent. The filling guide did not say that this Rib'e Lugá declaration (own business purpose) carries an XCG 10 adhesive stamp, as the official list of requirements says.
Tourist stay extension. We said you had to apply 'at least 7 working days' before your stay ends; the official page says to submit it between 7 and 5 days before (the 7 working days came from the circular). We also said that tourists from the EU, Canada and other countries who need more time apply for this extension: according to the official page, they apply for a short stay. And the residence permit is no longer 'up to 1 year': since April 1, 2026 it is for 1 to 3 years.
Objection: 4 months, not 5. The page only said that the Toelatingsorganisatie has 5 months to decide on an objection. The official instruction (HIG 2006, 3.16 and 11.3) warns that if you have no answer within 4 months you must go to court, because waiting longer can make the appeal inadmissible. The page now says so.
Health insurance for the permit. The work permit and Rib'e Lugá pages, the cost calculator and three articles said the permit requires private insurance of at least US$15,000, or that every permit requires one-year insurance. The US$15,000 is the minimum the Dutch government asks of tourists to enter; to collect the permit you are asked for health insurance (HIG 2006, 3.12), and 'local and valid for at least 1 year' is specific to Rib'e Lugá, which we used to present as the only procedure that requires insurance. Note (October 28, 2026): this entry fell short and was clarified by the one of October 12, 2026 ('2026 policy, insurance and figures'): every permit does require 1-year health insurance, not only Rib'e Lugá (HIG 2006, 3.8, b.3), from the SVB or an insurer accredited by the government.
Definitive departure. We said the exit permit (uitreisvergunning) 'does not appear on the official website': it is the last stamp of this very procedure (Toelatingsbesluit, art. 12; HIG 2006, 3.21). For Dutch nationals admitted Van Rechtswege, the circular that abolished the stamp form speaks of more than 1 year abroad and the 2016 policy of more than 3 years: the page now gives both figures and advises confirming before leaving.
Duplicate permit and licence exchange. According to the form you sign, a duplicate is decided within 3 weeks (the official page gives the legal term of 4 months; we used to give only the 4 months). And exchanging a driving licence does not require 'permanent residence': an indefinite permit, a Van Rechtswege declaration or a Niet van Toepassing declaration is enough.
Cost video (calculator and procedure pages). The video «Cuánto cuesta de verdad un permiso de residencia» says that the employer's work permit is only issued for up to 12 months. On October 8, 2026 the Vergunningenloket confirmed in writing that it is requested for the same years as the residence permit. Until we upload the re-recorded version, the video carries a correction note below it.

October 9, 2026

Work permits of more than 12 months (second part). Three articles (renewing the permit, changing employer and Rib'e Lugá for employers), the page on the April 2026 changes (in Spanish) and one step of the work permit page still said that only work permits of up to 12 months are processed today, and the page called it unconfirmed; the guide for companies put the work permit at XCG 500-1,000. The Vergunningenloket confirmed in writing on October 8, 2026 that they can now also be requested for 24 months (XCG 2,000) and 36 months (XCG 3,000).
Work permit after Rib'e Lugá. The article for employers said it was not known whether the same requirements as for a regular permit apply. The Vergunningenloket replied the same day that the procedure is the normal one and that the vacancy notice is required.
Who keeps the moratorium list. The work permit page, the article on which occupations can apply and the cost calculator told readers to confirm the list with the Vergunningenloket. On October 8, 2026 the Vergunningenloket referred us in writing to the Ministry of Labour (sektor-labor@gov.cw).
Repealed rules (second part). Three pages still cited a 2006 section repealed in 2019 (HIG 2006, 3.3.1) as if it were in force: the work-based residence permit page said “after 5 years the permit is no longer tied to the employer”; the own business page said that only 1-year permits are given for the first 5 years; and the family page said that the spouse of a Dutch national receives 1-year permits and, after 5 years of marriage, 5-year ones. What still stands: report a change of employer immediately and request the change of permit within 6 weeks (HIG 2006, 3.1.3). Note (October 28, 2026): the HIG section was repealed in 2019, but the 2019 policy kept the 5-year permit for the spouse of a Dutch national after 5 years of marriage until March 31, 2026; since April 1, 2026 only those who already had it and renew on time keep it (clarified in the 'Family' entry of October 12, 2026).
Banco di Caribe accounts. On the driving licence exchange page, the payment step presented Banco di Caribe as an “alternative way to pay the guarantee deposit”, with account 36286001 in the name of the Landsontvanger, although the exchange is paid into a different account at that bank, 36 15 86 01. And the “How to pay the fee for your procedure” block on the procedure pages gave account 36286001 as if it were only for Rib'e Lugá. According to the payment order the Toelatingsorganisatie sent us on September 30, 2026, that account is in the name of the Toelatingsorganisatie and, like account 31967908 at Maduro & Curiel's Bank, can be used for all its fees. The guarantee deposit is paid into a different account: 23329507 at MCB, in the name of the Landsontvanger (deposit payment order, model form 920).
Rib'e Lugá: the overlap between the two deadlines. The Rib'e Lugá page, the article “If Rib'e Lugá refuses you” and the calendar said the problem began with refusal letters from mid-December. It begins earlier: the policy gives 6 weeks to leave and the guarantee covers those who leave before January 1, 2027 (Rib'e Lugá policy, p. 10); with a letter dated November 19, 2026 the 6 weeks end on December 31, 2026, so the overlap affects every letter dated November 20, 2026 or later. We asked the Toelatingsorganisatie in writing on October 9, 2026.
Where to get the CRIB number. The article on the first 30 days and the page on buying and registering a car sent readers to the Belastingdienst at Pater Euwensweg 9, and the office box gave the WTC (Piscadera) address, another phone number and unconfirmed opening hours. The Belastingdienst replied in writing on October 9, 2026: you can apply in person on the Regentesselaan (phone +5999 461 5000), Monday to Friday 08:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:30; a valid passport is enough; the transfer form for a used car (tegenaangifteformulier) is also handed in there; and the Pater Euwensweg 9 office no longer serves the public.
Fees for 2 and 3 years (second part). Several texts still said or suggested that the fee is multiplied by the number of years: the “How to pay the fee for your procedure” block on the procedure pages, the annual fee note on six procedure pages, a note on the page for family members, the news item of April 1, 2026, the pages on the April changes and on indefinite residence (in Spanish), and the payment order guide the chat uses. The April changes page also gave the Van Rechtswege declaration a price for 2 and 3 years (XCG 1,230 and 1,845); it is a single fee of XCG 615. In a first application, the first year is paid at the first-application fee and the others at the renewal fee; when renewing, all of them at the renewal fee (Toelatingsorganisatie payment order, September 30, 2026).
Days without a visa (second part). The short stay and tourist stay extension pages still gave the 90 days only to Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg nationals and countries with an exemption treaty. They now say the same as the Toelatingsorganisatie: Dutch and US nationals, up to 6 months a year; the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, 90 days a year; all other nationalities, 30 days.
Collecting the permit. The article on the first 30 days and the one on how a permit is lost said that if you do not respond to the notice within 2 months, the application is refused (HIG 2006, 3.12.1). The Toelatingsorganisatie replied in writing on October 9, 2026 that since 2016 no notice letter is sent: the decision states until when the permit is valid, it must be collected before that date and, if it is not, a new application must be filed and the fees paid again.
Payment reference. The “How to pay the fee for your procedure” block on the procedure pages and the payment order guide said the reference must always include your full name and date of birth, and that without them the payment cannot be linked. The Toelatingsorganisatie replied in writing on October 9, 2026 that the full name is mandatory and that the date of birth can also be added if there is room.
Remote worker. The cost calculator said the short stay is paid once, with no renewal. The Toelatingsorganisatie replied in writing on October 9, 2026 that the remote worker permit can be extended by 6 months with a new application, with the same fee and the same requirements. The remote work article also gave a maximum of 180 days a year, a rule of the short-stay policy for overwinterers and capital investors.
Rib'e Lugá, own business. The Rib'e Lugá page gave the own-business purpose a price for 2 and 3 years (XCG 1,250 and 1,865). The Rib'e Lugá payment order only has it for 1 year, XCG 635, as the guide to that order already said.
Where fees are paid (scams). The article on scams said a procedure is paid “via Maduro & Curiel's Bank”. It is paid at Maduro & Curiel's Bank or at Banco di Caribe, with the payment order (Toelatingsorganisatie payment order, September 30, 2026).
Licence exchange: China. One note on the licence exchange page left China out of the list of licences that need the practical test before the exchange; the rest of the page already included it (correction of October 3, 2026).
A settlement, not a fine. The Dutch nationality page and article described case ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2022:294 as “a fine” for breaking the COVID curfew. According to the ruling, the applicant accepted a settlement with the Public Prosecutor (NAf 1,000). What the judge decided does not change.
Detention: not the highest rate. The article on immigration detention said that 47% (7 of 15) was the highest success rate of any topic and that it was the topic with the most cases won. In the 172 rulings, protection and asylum (Art. 3 ECHR) reaches 61% (11 of 18), and family reunification has more cases won (10). It now says “one of the highest”.
US citizens and work permits. The cost calculator said a US citizen needs a work permit (TWV), pending confirmation. The Vergunningenloket replied in writing on October 9, 2026 that neither Dutch nor US citizens need one: US nationality is treated the same as Dutch nationality.
TWV decision period and local candidates. The work permit page, the calculator and the article on renewing said no decision period is published for the TWV, and the page listed as pending what happens if a local candidate turns up during the vacancy notice. The Vergunningenloket replied in writing on October 9, 2026: normally 6 weeks at most, and if a local candidate turns up you can still apply, giving your reasons; the Ministry of Labour decides.

October 3, 2026

Exchanging a driving licence. For holders of a licence from Venezuela, Haiti, Lebanon, India, China or the Dominican Republic, the page gave the price and steps of the full exam (XCG 105 plus XCG 20, by appointment). That test (rijproef) is practical only, costs XCG 55 and, for a car, needs no appointment: Tuesday and Thursday mornings at Sta. Rosaweg 36 (Loket Digital, “Rijproef afleggen”).

October 1, 2026

Work permits longer than 12 months. We said only TWVs of up to 12 months are processed today. The Toelatingsorganisatie replied in writing on September 30, 2026 that a 3-year work-based residence permit goes with a 3-year TWV.

September 30, 2026

Van Rechtswege declaration. The cost article and the page gave it a 2- and 3-year price (XCG 1,230 and 1,845). It is a single fee of XCG 615: the Toelatingsorganisatie's payment order has no years for it.
Deposit for the Netherlands. We published "Netherlands XCG 1,500", from the 2004 table. The current deposit form no longer lists it, and people living here under Van Rechtswege, such as Dutch citizens, pay no deposit (LTU, art. 11).
Internship permit. The page said it is paid per year of validity (3 years = XCG 1,575). On the Toelatingsorganisatie's current payment order (model 910, which it sent us on September 30, 2026), the internship has a single row, XCG 525, with no 2- or 3-year option.

September 28, 2026

The island of each ruling. The site cited cases from Aruba, Sint Maarten and Bonaire as if they were from Curaçao: 99 of the 172 rulings are from another island. Now each one shows its island, and the Curaçao rule is cited from its source.
Reporting a change (divorce, dismissal, end of studies). It said “6 weeks to report”, based on a Sint Maarten case. The official instruction (HIG 2006, 3.1.3) requires you to report immediately and gives 6 weeks to request a change of permit.
The first 30 days. The guarantee deposit appeared after collecting the permit. It is paid before: when you collect it, you are asked for the receipt and local health insurance (HIG 2006, 3.12, and the Rib'e Lugá policy).
Repealed rules. “After 5 years the permit is no longer tied to the employer” and the “intermediate routes” came from a 2006 section repealed in 2019.
Withdrawal of a permit after a conviction (LTU, art. 14). Two texts said “more than 3 months”; the law says 3 months or more of unconditional imprisonment.
ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2026:71. It said “more than 25 years of residence and a permanent permit”. The ruling says legal residence since 1999, an indefinite permit since 2013 and withdrawal in 2023.
Nationality. The spouse's period (Rijkswet, art. 8) and the exceptions to renunciation (art. 9) were corrected, and a list of countries allowing dual nationality and a Kranshi step without a source were removed.
Investors. It was taken as fact that the 2014 order set ANG 1,000,000 for the indefinite permit; only its Spanish version says so (the English one says ANG 1,500,000).
Moving to another island. It is no longer handled as a simple change of permit: that rule dates from the Netherlands Antilles, which existed until 2010.
Work permit. The minimum wage is the full one from age 18, and the 2025 moratorium (P.B. 2025, no. 78) replaces the 2021 one and does not mention hospitality.
Two ruling summaries (ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:240 and ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2022:158, from Sint Maarten) spoke of “the same couple”; the rulings do not say so.
Detention and the European Court (Y.F.C. and Others v. the Netherlands, April 21, 2026). The article said the Court accepted that the detention had a legal basis and that rubber bullets were fired during unrest at the detention centre. The Court did not examine whether the detention was lawful (that complaint was not admitted because no appeal had been lodged with the Curaçao court), and the force was used while they were being transferred to the prison.
Monthly minimum wage. Two articles gave about XCG 2,066 a month (the SER's figure). On a 40-hour week the SOAW ministry gives XCG 2,067.87. The legal figure, XCG 11.93 an hour, is unchanged (P.B. 2025, no. 236).

September 27, 2026

Rib'e Lugá. A note said “a group of 10 people lost their permit” (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2024:22). They never had it: it was refused.
Scams. ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2026:71 was cited as a conviction for giving false information; it was a 10-year sentence for other crimes.
Detention. The article called the people in two 2023 rulings “a couple”; the rulings do not say so.
BX0418 (Brooks Tower) was described the wrong way round in the article “If Rib'e Lugá refuses you” and in the rulings analysis.
Rib'e Lugá extension. The page, the news item and two articles (the Rib'e Lugá calendar and the one on what happens after October 31) said registration was extended to October 31, 2026 because of demand and the difficulty of obtaining documents (the page, the news item and the second article added: especially from Venezuela). Neither the Council of Ministers' decision nor the announcements by the government (August 7, 2026) and the Toelatingsorganisatie (August 12, 2026) say so: the reason they give is that some people need more time, guidance and support. The news item, dated September 6, 2026, was moved to the date of the government's announcement, August 7, 2026.

September 24, 2026

Number of rulings. The site said 176; 4 were not about immigration. There are 172.
The border. The article said Bolivians were visa-exempt and required passports to be “valid for 6 months”; both were wrong.
DI Card. The article on what they check on arrival said it is best filled in up to 48 hours before arriving. You fill it in within the 7 days before you leave (dicardcuracao.com).
Forms with a guide. The home page promised 29 official forms with a filling guide: they were the 29 files in the forms folder, 13 of them circulars and legal texts, and only 12 guides were published. It now counts only the forms that have a guide.
SOAW forms. The employer's work permit page called the two SOAW forms “Vacancy notice”. They are the work permit application forms: one for an employer who is an individual and one for a company.

September 23, 2026

Toelatingsorganisatie address. The procedure pages placed it at its temporary office at Saliña 127 (Eurobuilding), and the objection and appeal page told readers to post their letters there. It moved back to Prinsenstraat 90, in Punda, on November 24, 2025 (immigrationcur.org). Saliña 127 houses the government's Vergunningenloket, which is a different counter.
Road tax. The page on buying and registering a car gave XCG 288.50 for half a year for a petrol car, 2018 model or newer. According to the Ontvanger Curaçao's 2026 rates it is XCG 228.50 (XCG 419 a year).

September 22, 2026

Contact details. The footer of every page and “About” gave a WhatsApp number missing a digit (+5999 625640) and an email address without the 95, which was not Roger's. They are +5999 692-5640 and contacto@rutacuracao.com.

September 21, 2026

Consulates. A consulate email address was wrong.
Driving test. The rule was the wrong way round (“if you fail, you lose the money”).
Photos. Four images showed another country (the United Kingdom) in articles about Curaçao; they were removed.
Fees for 2 and 3 years. The procedure pages and the page on the April 2026 changes (in Spanish) multiplied the fee by the number of years (work, 3 years: 655 × 3 = XCG 1,965). In a first application, the first year is charged at the first-application fee and each extra year at the renewal fee (655 + 615 + 615 = XCG 1,885), as on the Rib'e Lugá payment order. On September 30, 2026 the Toelatingsorganisatie sent us its general payment order in writing, with the same totals.
Days without a visa. The article on what they check on arrival gave the 90 days without a visa to Dutch, Belgian and Luxembourg nationals and countries with a visa-exemption treaty, and the fact of the day on the Spanish home page gave them to Dutch and Belgian nationals and countries with an exemption treaty. According to the Toelatingsorganisatie, Dutch and US nationals can stay up to 6 months a year; nationals of the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, 90 days a year; and all other nationalities, with or without a visa, 30 days.
Theory test in another language. The article on getting a driving licence said that the oral version of the theory test, which you can formally request if you do not speak the exam languages, normally means paying an official translator: the official page does not mention a translator. It also only named Spanish and English; the oral test can also be in Papiamentu, and you request it in writing, with proof. This entry also said a medical justification was needed and that it was not a general option: that was wrong, corrected on November 2, 2026 (Loket Digital).
Van Rechtswege on the home page. It said that rentiers, pensioners, students and interns qualify by law, without applying for a permit, as if coming for those reasons were enough. The Van Rechtswege declaration is for people to whom the law already gives that right: Dutch and US nationals, staff sent by a government, consuls and military personnel stationed in Curaçao, among others.
Illustrations. Eight more AI-generated illustrations had no label, while the site footer credited the photos to Wikimedia Commons, so they passed for photos of Curaçao. Now, under the image at the top of its article, each one says “AI-generated illustration”, and the footer mentions it.

If you see another error

Write to contacto@rutacuracao.com or on WhatsApp at +5999 692-5640. We check it against the source and, if it is an error, we correct it and record it here.

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