Are you planning to visit Curaçao? In this article, we will cover everything that you need to know before you plan your trip to the beautiful island country in the Dutch Caribbean. The visa requirements for Curaçao will depend on your home country. Individuals from some nationalities don’t require a visa to travel to Curaçao, but might need one to travel to the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
However, even for people from certain nationalities that need a visa to enter Curaçao, there are exceptions: for instance, an individual having a multiple entry visa for a Schengen country or a residence permit of US or Canada doesn’t require any visa to enter the island country.
In short: whatever your nationality, before you book your ticket to Curaçao, carefully check the Curaçao Visa Requirements.
Documents needed
If you are a tourist with a valid passport, you can visit Curaçao with a Curaçao tourist visa and stay there for a period of 90 days without a written permit. This rule doesn’t apply to citizens from nationalities like Cuba and Haiti, where they need to showcase their tourist visa to enter Curaçao. If you require a visa, you must apply for one at least one month before your scheduled travel date at any consulate of The Netherlands. If you are from the US, you will also require your passport to go back to the United States of America.
Citizens from India, China and the Dominican Republic with multiple entry visas for the United States, Canada or Schengen countries don’t require any visa to enter Curaçao .
All tourists visiting Curaçao should have the following documents:
- A valid passport that is not older than ten years.
- Applicant’s passport should be valid for the entire stay period in the Caribbean country.
- You should be able to prove that you can return to your country of origin – You can provide your passport, visa or residence permit to show proof of this.
- You need to show proof of your reason for visiting and staying in the country. This can be in the form of your hotel reservation bill or proof of an invitation from your friends or family.
- You need to prove your financial stability – proof that you can cover the expenses during your stay in Curaçao.
- You need to have an operational medical insurance or travel insurance that will be sufficient to take care of your medical expenses in the country. The travel/medical insurance should cover the following – hospitalizations, emergency care and repatriation.
- You should have no criminal record and should not be considered as a potential threat to the country.
If you are traveling to Curaçao from Venezuela, you might have to provide a few extra documents. For more information, you can check out this brochure.
Requirements for areas with risk of Yellow Fever
- Visitors traveling to Curaçao from areas with a risk of Yellow Fever and who are more than six months old need to be vaccinated.
- Individuals need to showcase their vaccination status upon their entry to the island country.
- Individuals unable to receive vaccination owing to medical reasons need to share their official documents mentioning the reason for exception.
Visa-free access to Curaçao
Countries that do not require a visa to enter Curaçao
If you are a national from one of the below mentioned countries, then you do not require a visa to enter Curaçao. Here is the complete list of Curaçao visa free countries.
| Albania
Andorra Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Australia Austria Bahamas Barbados Belgium Belize Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Jamaica Japan |
Dominica
Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Grenada Guatemala Guyana Honduras Hong Kong (holders of British National Overseas Passport) Hong Kong (holders of Special Administrative Region Passport) Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy United Arab Emirates United Kingdom (UK) |
Lithuania
Luxembourg Macedonia Macao (holders of Special Administrative Region Passport) Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands, The Nicaragua New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Peru Korea (South) Latvia Liechtenstein United States of America (USA) |
Poland
Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Seychelles Singapore South Korea St. Christopher (St. Kitts) & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Suriname Taiwan Trinidad & Tobago Ukraine – holders of a biometric passport Uruguay Vatican City |
Valid visa or Residence Permit
If you are an individual from the following places , then you can visit Curacao without a visa.
Countries in the Schengen area
Individuals who have a multiple entry short stay Schengen visa or a residence permit for the Netherlands or any other country in the Schengen area are not required to apply for a Curaçao visa.
Overseas France
If you hold a residence permit for (French) Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthelemy or Saint Martin, you don’t require a Curaçao visa application to enter the country.
St Maarten
Individuals in possession of a residence permit or proof of return for St Martin (the French side of the island) don’t require a visa to enter St Maarten (the Dutch side of the island).
Therefore, if you hold a visa to St Martin, you are not required to apply for a visa for St Maarten. But do note that you might have to produce a visa to visit the parts of the island that are part of the kingdom of The Netherlands.
United Kingdom or Ireland
You don’t need a Curaçao visa, if you have a multiple entry visa or residence permit for the United Kingdom or Ireland.
United States or Canada
If you possess a resident permit for the United States or Canada, you will not be asked to apply for a Curaçao visa. If you have a multiple entry visa for the United States or Canada and are a citizen of one of the countries stated in the table below, you will not require a visa.
Country |
No visa required; with a multiple entry visa, for: |
| Bolivia | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| China | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| Cuba | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| Dominican Republic | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| Guyana | St Maarten; No visa required for the other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, even without a visa or residence permit for the US or Canada |
| Haiti | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| India | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
| Jamaica | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom, apart from Curaçao |
| Venezuela | all the Caribbean sections of the Kingdom |
Transit
You don’t need a visa if you are doing one of the following things:
Airport transit: You are in transit via an airport in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and have a departure ticket. If you are transiting through Curaçao, then you need to do so within 48 hours. But you must note that citizens of Haiti are required to produce their Curaçao visa while transiting through the country’s airport.
Cruise ship – If you are in a cruise ship and are not staying at the port more than 48 hours, then you don’t require a visa.
Special travel document
- Laissez-passer -You don’t require a visa, if you are a holder of the Laissez-passer issued by the United Nations or one of its organizations
- Accredited diplomat – If you are an accredited diplomat in The Netherlands, you will not be required to produce a visa
- Special passport- You don’t require a visa if you are a special passport holder, for example you have the diplomatic passport or service passport.
Refugee travel document
- If an individual is in the possession of the refugee or stateless persons’ travel document that has been issued and verified by the Kingdom of The Netherlands, then he/she doesn’t require a visa.
- A person doesn’t require a visa, if he/she is a holder of the refugee travel document issued by the United States (Form I-571).
- An individual doesn’t need a visa, if he/she has an alien’s travel document issued by US or Canada, as per the 1951 convention with regards to the status of refugees.
Proof of return
You don’t need a visa if you have a proof of return or you are a return visa holder that has been issued by one of the following countries:
- A Schengen member state
- Canada
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- United States
- (French) Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy or Saint Martin
If you have a residence permit allowing you to stay in Curaçao for at least six months, then you don’t require a visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to apply for a short-stay Curaçao visa?
If you want to travel to Curaçao for a short period of time, then you must first complete and submit the Curaçao visa application form and then provide all supporting documents to respective authorities.
Is a Curaçao visa for Philippines nationals needed?
Citizens of the Philippines need to get a Curaçao visa to travel to the country and stay for a specified period of time.
Is a visa needed to travel to Curaçao from US?
US green card holders don’t need a visa to travel to Curaçao.
Curaçao visa for Indian travelers?
If you are an Indian citizen and want to travel to Curaçao, you need to apply for a Curaçao visa by reaching out to your nearest embassy or consulate.
Can I travel to Curaçao with a Schengen visa?
You cannot travel to the island country of Curaçao with your Schengen Visa.
Is Curaçao a part of The Netherlands?
Yes, Curaçao is a part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. The kingdom consists of the four countries – Aruba, Curaçao, St Maarten and the Netherlands.
For further information on Curaçao, you can visit our articles:
Citizenship by Investment in Curaçao
Curaçao Investor Permit Program – The Ultimate Guide By Experts | GCS
