Updates: real changes detected in Curaçao immigration rules
The official immigration website is automatically checked every week. When a real change is confirmed (not a wording adjustment), it is published here with its date, since when it applies, what you should do and a link to the official source, so you know whether anything has changed since the last time you reviewed your procedure.
Every week, the blog's Migrant Radar summarizes island news that affects you. View the blog →
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Rib'e Lugá registration closed on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the last date the Toelatingsorganisatie had announced, and no further extension has been announced. Applications filed in time continue: under the policy, the decision comes within 6 months of filing the application, and if more time is needed, the Minister of Justice announces it.
Since when:
What you should do: If you registered, wait for the decision and keep the proof of your application; for questions, Rib'e Lugá answers by phone and WhatsApp (+5999 511-9984) and at info@ribeluga.cw. If you are approved, the permit is collected by appointment only, with proof of payment of the guarantee deposit. If you did not register, distrust anyone who offers you a “late registration” for money.
Official sources: Toelatingsorganisatie: «Laatste maand om u te registreren voor het legalisatietraject Rib’e Lugá», published on · Beleidstuk Rib’e Lugá (Landscourant), published on · Toelatingsorganisatie: «Afhalen verblijfsvergunning» (Rib’e Lugá)
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That was the last month of Rib'e Lugá registration, which closed on October 31, 2026, and no further extension has been announced. The Toelatingsorganisatie opened in Punda on Saturdays in October to help people register, except Saturday October 10. The first decisions were handed out on July 30, 2026 to three underage siblings: minors get priority.
Since when: until
What you should do: Registration closed on October 31, 2026 and no help sessions have been announced after that date. If you registered, your application is still in process: the decision is made within up to 6 months from when you submitted it (if more time is needed, the Minister of Justice announces it), and for questions about it the contact is Rib'e Lugá on WhatsApp (+5999 511-9984) or at info@ribeluga.cw. If you did not register, the blog article “Rib'e Lugá after October 31” explains what changes for you.
Official sources: Toelatingsorganisatie: «Laatste maand om u te registreren voor het legalisatietraject Rib’e Lugá», published on · Toelatingsorganisatie: «Eerste beschikkingen Rib’e Lugá uitgereikt; registratieperiode wordt verlengd», published on · Toelatingsorganisatie: «Rib’e Lugá verlengd: registratie blijft mogelijk», published on
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Since September 7, 2026 the population register (Kranshi) only handles registrations by appointment. This applies to anyone registering for the first time and to anyone who has to register again when settling in or returning to Curaçao; for example, someone who has just collected their residence permit, including a Rib'e Lugá one.
Since when:
What you should do: Book the appointment before you go: at sita.gobiernu.cw, by phone at (+5999) 434-1600 or by email at info.bsbv@gobiernu.cw. Check on the Loket Digital which documents to bring, so you hand in a complete application.
Official sources: Gobiernu di Kòrsou: «Kranshi ta introdusí un sistema di sita pa registrashon den registro sivil», published on · Loket Digital: «Inschrijven in het bevolkingsregister van Curaçao»
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The Council of Ministers extended the Rib'e Lugá registration, which started on May 1, 2026, by three months: it remained open until October 31, 2026, that day included. The government explains that part of the people concerned need more time and support to complete their registration.
Since when: until
What you should do: Registration closed on October 31, 2026 and no further extension has been announced. If you registered, your application is still in process; if not, the procedure page explains what changes for you after that date.
Official sources: Gobiernu di Kòrsou: «Periodo di registrashon di Rib’e Lugá prolongá te ku 31 di òktober 2026», published on · Toelatingsorganisatie: «Registratieperiode Rib'e Lugá verlengd tot en met 31 oktober 2026», published on
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Since April 1, 2026 you can apply for a permit of 1, 2 or 3 years, paying for all the years in advance: in a first application, the first year at that fee and the others at the renewal fee, and when renewing, all of them at the renewal fee (Toelatingsorganisatie payment order, September 30, 2026), except for short stay, remote worker and tourist extension. Family members joining you get the same duration as the main applicant. An application without at least the form, a copy of a valid passport and proof of payment is not processed, and the 6-week period to complete it no longer exists. The criteria for an indefinite permit are also set out.
Since when:
What you should do: When you apply or renew, decide how many years (up to 3) and pay for all of them in advance. Hand in at least the form, a copy of your valid passport and proof of payment, plus the documents for your procedure: without them a negative decision is almost certain. If your last permit was already for 2, 3 or 5 years, renew on time to keep that same duration; if you apply after the 3-month tolerance period, you lose it.
Official source: Toelatingsorganisatie: «Implementatie beleidswijzigingen per 1 april 2026» (PDF)
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Since June 20, 2025 no new work permits are issued for only 6 jobs: low-skilled administrative staff, security guards, warehouse workers, shelf stockers, salespeople and shop staff. The 2021 moratorium on low-skilled work (P.B. 2021, no. 44) was repealed: cooks, waiters, gardeners and construction workers are no longer on the list.
Since when:
What you should do: If your job is not one of those 6, the moratorium no longer blocks the permit: your employer applies for it and the Ministry of Labour (SOAW) still reviews each application. If it is one of the 6, no new permits are issued for that job. The regulation requires an evaluation no later than one year after it took effect; if the list changes, we will publish it here.
Official source: Publicatieblad 2025, no. 78: «Regeling moratorium tewerkstellingsvergunning voor specifieke beroepen en functies» (PDF), published on