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Aruba

Visa Aruba

Amériques · Caraïbes

In Aruba, the admission of foreign nationals falls to DIMAS, a service of the ministry responsible for Labor, Energy and Integration. The pages and the 2023 admission manual read on 2026-09-18 describe the Caribbean visa, applied for at an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or at a designated external provider, its two periods of validity, a stay of 30 consecutive days at most, and the residence permit application filed online or at the DIMAS counter, processed within six weeks at most when complete.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 18 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Departamento di Integracion, Maneho y Admision di Stranhero (DIMAS), attached to the ministry responsible for Labor, Energy and Integration
Submission channel
Visa: embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, or designated external provider. Residence permit: online form or DIMAS web portal, or filing in person at Paardenbaaistraat 11, Oranjestad
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted: the manual describes a digital form and a DIMAS web portal for permits, and filing in person as a rule for the visa
Length of stay on a visa
30 consecutive days at most; the period of admission is set at the border, according to the 2023 admission manual
Processing time
Six weeks at most for a complete application filed with DIMAS, according to the 2023 admission manual (article 7, paragraph 10, LTU)
Portal language
Dutch, Papiamento, English and Spanish depending on the page; admission manual written in Dutch

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Caribbean visa valid 180 days
Allows several trips to Aruba, for a stay of a continuous duration of 30 days at most, according to the 2023 admission manual. Official page (new tab)
Caribbean visa valid 4 years
Allows several trips to Aruba, for stays of a continuous duration of 30 days at most and of 180 days in total per calendar year, according to the 2023 admission manual. Official page (new tab)
Visa with limited territorial validity (T.B.G.V.)
Where the entry T.B.G.V. appears under "valid for", the visa is valid only for the country shown as the main destination, and not for the whole Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Official page (new tab)
Caribbean Carpet Programme visa
Open to frequent travelers to the Caribbean, ship crew members, travel groups and holders of a privileged passport. Maximum validity of 4 years, unlimited entries, within the limit of the tourist stay allowed. Official page (new tab)
Emergency visa (nood- of spoedvisum)
In particular cases: coordinated fast-track issuance, local issuance of the visa where an embassy is present in the country of departure, or a letter serving as a visa exemption. Each situation is assessed separately. Official page (new tab)
Temporary residence permit (vergunning tot tijdelijk verblijf)
Issued as a rule for one year, up to five years in certain cases. For a stay of less than one year, it is granted for the duration of the activity, the event or the project. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

Since 1 July 2006, DIMAS has carried out the admission and integration policy for foreign nationals on behalf of the government of Aruba. It processes applications for temporary or permanent residence permits, with or without a work authorization, declarations for exempt persons, guarantee certificates intended for embassies and consulates, and the monitoring of tourist and short stays.

The 2023 admission manual states that the Caribbean visa has replaced the visa for Aruba: where it is not territorially limited, it holds for Aruba and for the rest of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is an authorization, issued in the name of the minister responsible for foreign nationals and integration, to travel to Aruba and to apply for admission there. It must be valid for at least one day on entry and gives no right to admission.

The visa application must be filed and obtained before the trip, as a rule in person, at an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or at a designated external provider. For the formalities, the manual refers to the sites nederlandwereldwijd.nl and netherlandsworldwide.nl. It announces that the processing of visa applications will shortly leave DIMAS for another service, attached to another ministry.

Applications for temporary residence permits and declarations are filed online, through the DIMAS form or web portal, or in person at the DIMAS office, Paardenbaaistraat 11 in Oranjestad. The document lists by type of application and by purpose of stay are published on the DIMAS site. The visa rule applicable to a given nationality is shown with the nationality selector on this page; only the Aruban authority is authoritative.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Determine whether this is a short stay, subject to the Caribbean visa, or a long stay with a view to residing, working or studying in Aruba, subject to a permit.
  2. For a short stay, apply for the Caribbean visa before departure, as a rule in person, at an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or at a designated external provider.
  3. For a long stay, consult the document list (checklist) matching the purpose of stay, published on the DIMAS site.
  4. Complete the application form, on paper or digital; the applicant and the guarantor or employer must both fill in and sign the guarantee declaration.
  5. For salaried work, first obtain the positive opinion of the Departamento di Progreso Laboral or the notification letter waiving the labor market test.
  6. Before filing, pay the charges, the issuance fees and, where applicable, the deposit, at the DIMP cash desk, at an auxiliary administrative office or at a Multi Functionele Accommodatie.
  7. File the complete file online, on the DIMAS form or web portal, or in person at the Oranjestad office; a digital proof of filing is issued.
  8. Await the decision: a complete application is processed within six weeks at most, DIMAS being able to request additional documents or information.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the type of application and the purpose of stay; only the lists of requirements published by DIMAS are authoritative. An incomplete application is as a rule not taken up.

Stated fees and processing times

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: the charges, issuance fees and deposits due for each application and each type of permit are paid in advance and must in any event be settled before issuance. Payment is made at the DIMP cash desk, at an auxiliary administrative office or at a Multi Functionele Accommodatie. No amount is published in the pages and the manual read.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: in the event of a rejection, the issuance fees and the deposit are refunded where this was a first permit application, the rejection decision being accompanied by a restitution decision. The charges are not refunded, except for a payment not due.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: an application filed complete with DIMAS is processed as a rule within a maximum of six weeks, under article 7, paragraph 10, of the LTU. An incomplete application is not taken up and gives rise to an immediate written decision.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-18: no amount and no time are published for the Caribbean visa application, which the manual refers to the embassies, consulates and external providers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Not stated on the portal consulted.

After the decision

The visa gives no right to admission: it allows travel to Aruba and an application for admission there, the period of stay being set at the border. A visa already issued may be withdrawn or annulled by a reasoned decision; the person must then submit a new application to the embassy or the external provider.

Temporary residence permits are as a rule issued for one year, and up to five years in certain cases. For a stay of less than one year, the duration matches that of the activity, the event or the project. A person admitted on the basis of salaried work may change employer only after three years, subject to the exceptions provided for by the manual.

The holder of a permit must report to DIMAS any change of address or of personal circumstances and keep their email address up to date. The guarantor answers for the person's departure from Aruba, within thirty days, where the permit expires, is refused or where the guarantee ends.

The admission manual exempts from a visa, whatever the nationality, travelers in transit leaving for another destination within 24 hours of their arrival, cruise ship passengers disembarking for 24 hours at most, travelers arriving by plane between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. to board a cruise ship within that window or the reverse, the crews of seagoing vessels calling at port and aircraft landing for 48 hours at most.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for Aruba to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required for Aruba?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. The 2023 admission manual also provides for exemptions independent of nationality, in particular for transit of less than 24 hours and cruise ship passengers disembarking for 24 hours at most. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

The Caribbean visa is applied for before departure, as a rule in person, at an embassy or consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or at a designated external provider. Residence permit applications are filed online, on the DIMAS form or web portal, or in person at Paardenbaaistraat 11, Oranjestad.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The 2023 admission manual describes a digital form and a DIMAS web portal for residence permits, but states that the visa application is as a rule filed in person at a representation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands or at an external provider.

How long can one stay on a visa?

According to the 2023 admission manual: 30 consecutive days at most. The 180-day visa allows several trips with stays of 30 days at most; the 4-year visa adds a limit of 180 days in total per calendar year. The period of admission is set at the border.

How long does processing take?

An application filed complete with DIMAS is processed as a rule within a maximum of six weeks, under article 7, paragraph 10, of the LTU. An incomplete application is not taken up and gives rise to an immediate written decision.

What happens if the application is refused?

According to the 2023 admission manual, the issuance fees and the deposit are refunded where this was a first permit application, the rejection decision being accompanied by a restitution decision. The charges are retained, except for a payment not due.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.