Declaration by Operation of Law (Verklaring van Rechtswege)

Who does this apply to?

• Adult Dutch nationals and their family members (as long as they hold Dutch nationality)
• US citizens (treated the same as Dutch nationals since the Joint Court ruling of December 15, 2014, Dutch-American Friendship Treaty)
• Professional diplomatic/consular staff and military personnel stationed in Curaçao, and their family members (under Art. 3 letter G of the LTU)
• Staff posted by the Government of Curaçao, for as long as they are in government service
• People employed (or who were employed before October 10, 2010) by the Government of Curaçao or the former Netherlands Antilles who receive a pension for it, and the widows of those people who have not remarried
• Spouse and minor children not legally separated from people in the government/pension/consular/military categories
• People born in Curaçao, provided they have turned 16 and have been continuously admitted to Curaçao since birth
• Dutch citizens of legal age (not covered by the categories above) who can prove: a certificate of good conduct covering the last 5 years (issued within the 2 months before arriving in Curaçao) AND adequate housing + sufficient means of subsistence
• US citizens: admitted by operation of law since a ruling of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire/Sint Eustatius/Saba of December 15, 2014

Costs

• First application: XCG 615 ≈ US$ 344
• Other costs: Payment at Maduro & Curiel's Bank (MCB).
• Fee per year of validity. Since 1 April 2026 you can request the permit for 1, 2 or 3 years and pay each year's fee up front (for example, 3 years = XCG 1.845). See what changed on 1 April 2026 (Spanish) →

Dollar amounts are approximate, at the fixed rate of US$ 1 = XCG 1.79. You pay in XCG.

Decision time

4 months.

Requirements

• Proof of payment of fees and charges
• Identity/nationality documents according to category (adult Dutch national: art. F; minor: art. H)
• All documents scanned as PDF, in color, without staples or translucent backgrounds

Steps to apply

1. Check which category you fall under (special/diplomatic-military, Dutch, or American under the DAFT treaty).
   How to get this done

   Review the 'Who applies?' section of this same page: if you are diplomatic/consular/military personnel, art. 3-G LTU applies to you; if you are an adult Dutch national, the general route applies (with 6 free months before you need to file, see notes); if you are American, you apply under the DAFT treaty (2014). If you're unsure which one applies to you, write to info@immigrationcur.org before applying.

2. Scan all requirements as PDF.
   How to get this done

   How to scan your documents correctly

   The scan (or photo) of each document must meet ALL these criteria, or the system may reject your application: (1) it must be a scan of an ORIGINAL document, not a copy of a copy; (2) scanned as straight as possible, not tilted; (3) no staples, paper clips or fingers visible in the image; (4) not edited or retouched; (5) avoid folds and creases; (6) all data must be sharp, legible and not blurry; (7) no crossed-out, covered or overwritten data; (8) for identity documents the image must show the WHOLE document in colour (passport: top and bottom page; cédula: front and back); (9) leave about 2 cm of margin around the image; (10) the document must NOT have a translucent/transparent background.

   • Use a real scanner if you have access to one (office, library, copy shop): it gives better results than a phone photo.
   • If you use your phone, do it in good daylight, without direct flash, with the document on a flat, dark surface so the edges are clearly visible.
   • Save each document as a PDF (not a loose JPG) when the procedure explicitly asks for PDF format.
3. Submit the application online.
   How to get this done

   How to submit your application online

   The vast majority of Toelatingsorganisatie procedures are submitted by EMAIL to intake@immigrationcur.org (some objection/appeal procedures go to info@immigrationcur.org; check which applies to your case on the relevant page). Attach ALL documents, scanned according to the official criteria, plus the proof of payment. If an authorised representative submits the application (not you), a signed authorisation and a copy of their ID must also be attached. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt by email; keep it as proof. Rib'e Lugá is the EXCEPTION: that procedure goes through the www.ribeluga.cw portal, not by email.

   • Write a clear email subject (e.g. 'Application VTTV - [your full name]') so it is processed faster.
   • Attach files with descriptive names (e.g. 'passport.pdf', 'birth-certificate.pdf') instead of generic names like 'scan001.pdf'.
   • Keep a copy of everything you send: you will need it if you later have to object to a negative decision.
4. Wait for the decision (4 months).
   How to get this done

   What to do while you wait for the decision

   The standard term is 4 months from the moment you submit the COMPLETE application (the clock does not run while something is missing). If this is your FIRST application for most procedures, you must wait for the decision OUTSIDE Curaçao (except renewals/changes, which may be awaited in the country). The decision is sent by email to the address you gave on the form; check your spam folder too. You can check the status of your application at any time (see the 'Check the status of an application' page).

   • If you move or change your email address while waiting, report it immediately to info@immigrationcur.org: if they cannot reach you, they may refuse your application for 'failure to cooperate'.
   • Do not buy final return tickets until you have the decision in hand if your plan depends on approval.
5. If positive, schedule an appointment to collect the permit. If negative, 6 weeks to object.
   How to get this done

   Toelatingsorganisatie Curaçao (Admission Office)

   Prinsenstraat 90, Punda, Willemstad, Curaçao — Google Maps

   Monday to Thursday 08:00–15:00, Friday 08:00–12:00

   +5999 733-2000

   info@immigrationcur.org

   Since Monday 24 November 2025 the office has been back in its renovated building at Prinsenstraat 90, Punda: the information desk and the issuing of residence titles (passport stamps) are there. The temporary location at Saliña 127 (Eurobuilding), used since September 2024, is no longer the Toelatingsorganisatie's address. The phone number is 733-2000; the old numbers 733-2080, 733-2081 and 733-2083 are no longer in use. Appointments to collect a passport stamp, proof of return, refund or final departure are booked through www.immigrationcur.org. For questions, email info@immigrationcur.org or message 'Admission Office Curaçao' on Facebook/Instagram.

   How to object to a negative decision

   You have 6 WEEKS from notification of the decision to file your objection (bezwaar) by email to info@immigrationcur.org. Your objection must include: your full name and address, a clear description of the decision you are challenging, why you disagree, what outcome you want, your signature, and an address in Curaçao if you live abroad. Attach a copy of the decision and any new evidence. If your objection is rejected (or you prefer to skip this step), you can appeal directly to the Court of First Instance of Curaçao; see the 'Objection and appeal' page for full details, including the legal strategy of asking for a 'provisional measure' (voorlopige voorziening) if you do not want to wait outside the country.

   • Do not let the 6 weeks pass: after that deadline you lose the right to object this way.
   • If your objection is against the refusal of a RENEWAL, by default you still have to wait outside the country, as with a first application, unless you EXPLICITLY ask the court for a provisional measure.

Downloadable forms

• Payment order DOCX · 712 KB Fill it in here
  How to fill out this form

  Betalingsopdracht / Orden de pago: the same form in different languages.

  Form 910. This is the payment order you use at Maduro & Curiel's Bank (MCB) to pay the procedure fees BEFORE you submit your application. You only tick the box for your procedure: the amount is already fixed, you don't have to calculate anything.

  Section single — Select your product/service: Mark (with an X or a circle) the line that matches your procedure EXACTLY. The amounts are already set per category; you don't have to add anything up yourself.

  Proof of return	XCG 225
  Niet-van-Toepassing declaration	XCG 225
  Van Rechtswege declaration	XCG 615
  First application (study)	XCG 625
  First application (rentier/investor/own business/pensioner)	XCG 635
  First application (work/family reunification)	XCG 655
  Renewal (work/study/rentier/investor/pensioner/own business)	XCG 615
  Renewal (family reunification)	XCG 625
  Change of permit	XCG 615
  Internship stay	XCG 525
  Short stay	XCG 535
  Tourist stay	XCG 525
  Final departure	XCG 145
  Duplicate	XCG 195

Important notes

What the official rules say

• Dutch nationals (and by extension, Americans via DAFT) have 6 FREE MONTHS in Curaçao WITHOUT needing to process any Van Rechtswege declaration — they already have automatic admission by operation of law during that time. You only need to process it if:

  1. you want to WORK within those 6 months, or
  2. the 6 months have already passed.

  It is your responsibility to keep track — the government does not notify you when the time is up.

• Additional category not previously documented: anyone BORN IN CURAÇAO (regardless of nationality) admitted uninterruptedly since birth and who is already 16 years old, obtains automatic admission by operation of law. This is lost after 3+ continuous years outside Curaçao (except for study/medical treatment, returning within 1 year of finishing it). (Art. 3-i, 4, 5b LTU)
• Anyone with Van Rechtswege admission is EXEMPT from the security deposit (waarborgsom) — an exemption not mentioned on the deposit page. Also exempt: minor children of a woman born in Curaçao with Dutch nationality before marrying, and children born in Curaçao with a parent who has been a legal resident for 10+ continuous years. (Art. 11(2) LTU)
• 'Definitive departure' for someone with Van Rechtswege occurs if you move permanently outside Curaçao, or if you settle outside for MORE THAN 3 YEARS (having been established in Curaçao for at least 3 years before). The declaration is automatically voided, you must deregister with Immigration, and if you return afterward you must apply for a new declaration from scratch. (Section 3.6, 2016 policy)
• If you qualify by operation of law and are coming to live off your income or pension, to study or to do an internship, the declaration has its own requirements for each purpose: rentier, pensioner, study and internship. Consuls, military staff and personnel posted by a government have their own page.

What real court cases teach

• The Van Rechtswege (VRW) is NOT the same as the 'Verklaring Niet van Toepassing' (NVT): only Dutch nationals BORN in Curaçao/the Antilles (or their children) have automatic access to the NVT. A European Dutch national, even after years of residing on the island, remains under VRW (ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:220).
• The 'by operation of law' route for providing services to the government (art. 3-G LTU) only applies to SPECIALIZED personnel that is hard to find locally (doctors, teachers); it does NOT cover unskilled work such as cleaning, even for a government body (ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:263 · Sint Maarten).

Related real case law (2)

Real cases from the courts of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands, which share the Joint Court of Justice. We show the island of each one, because each island's rules can differ. Each number links to the original text.

Legal review: pending This page summarises court rulings and has not yet been reviewed by a lawyer. It is not legal advice. What this means

• ECLI:NL:OGEAC:2023:220CuraçaoGovernment won

  Clarifies the key difference between VRW and NVT for Dutch nationals — a frequently asked and confusing topic: only those born in the region have automatic NVT.

• ECLI:NL:OGHACMB:2025:263Sint MaartenGovernment won

  Important limit: the 'by operation of law' route for government services only applies to specialized expertise that is hard to find locally, not to any job for a public entity.

Frequently asked questions