Curaçao questions, answered

The currency is the Caribbean guilder (Cg, code XCG), legal tender since March 31, 2025, fixed at US$1 = Cg 1.79. U.S. dollars are widely accepted and major credit cards are taken.

Yes, at ATMs with Cirrus, Mastercard, Maestro or Visa logos. Watch for skimmers.

Restaurants usually include a service charge of about 10%; extra tipping is up to you. Hotels include about 12%. Taxi drivers are usually tipped about 10%.

All foreign visitors need one to clear immigration; residents of Curaçao are exempt. It's per person and per trip, and children need one too; parents or guardians use their own email address for the children traveling with them.

Nothing. The DI card is free, and you don't need to make any payment to complete it.

Within 7 days before your departure, online only. The tourist board says it can be filled out up to one hour before you arrive in Curaçao, but we do ours well before the flight.

When you submit, you can download a PDF or get a confirmation email with the PDF attached. Keep it on your phone or printed: the airline checks it at check-in, and you should have it ready when you arrive.

Every visitor files the Digital Immigration Card (DI card) online at dicardcuracao.com, per person, children included, and shows it at check-in and on arrival. It replaced the old paper ED card.

No visa for stays of 180 days or less. Your passport must be valid for your stay, and you need a return or onward ticket and proof of funds.

We use the Curaçao Express Pass every trip, and it's very easy. The steps, per Airside's official page:

1. Complete the Digital Immigration Card first.
2. Download the free Airside Digital Identity app (iPhone or Android; not tablets or computers).
3. Starting 7 days before arrival, verify your chip passport and biometrics in the app and submit to immigration.
4. Add the pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
5. At CUR, follow the Curaçao Express Pass signs to the dedicated lane and its eGates. Keep your physical passport with you.

Who can use it: travelers 16 and older with a chip e-passport from one of 39 listed countries, including the United States, each on their own phone. Families with young children use the standard process.

Official Curaçao Express Pass page

Licensed taxis have TX on the plate and the rank is outside arrivals. There are no meters; agree the price before you get in.

The State Department says Uber and Lyft have limited or no presence.

A valid U.S. license works. See our car rental guide for desks and insurance.

The airport says to ask your airline.

It is usually included in your ticket; the tourist board lists the airlines that include it.

No. CBP's preclearance list does not include Curaçao, so you clear U.S. customs when you land. CBP's Mobile Passport Control app can speed that up.

The right, like the U.S. No right turn on red unless signed, seat belts are required, and speed limits are in km/h.

Types A and B, the same shapes as in the U.S.; the supply is 127 V, 50 Hz. Check the label on single-voltage appliances.

See Stock your fridge on our Where to stay page.

Yes. It is desalinated seawater and safe to drink.

Papiamentu, Dutch and English are the official languages.

The State Department rates Curaçao Level 1, exercise normal precautions. The main risk is opportunistic theft, including car break-ins, so leave nothing in the car. Emergency: 911 police and fire, 910 medical emergency, 912 ambulance.

It is dry most of the year. The rainy season runs roughly October to January, and the driest months at Hato Airport are March to May.

No. Unlike in the Netherlands, marijuana is illegal in Curaçao, and using or having even the smallest amount is punishable by law. Other drugs carry very severe sentences.

Besides personal items, visitors over 18 can bring 1 liter of liquor, 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars and 125 grams of tobacco; declare anything above that. We keep prescription drugs, especially narcotics, clearly labeled, and we never take coral or conch shells home.

File a police report and contact the U.S. consulate, which can help with emergency documents. The U.S. Consulate General is at J.B. Gorsiraweg 1, phone +5999 461 3066.

Yes, with an official veterinary health certificate valid no more than 2 weeks, an ISO microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days (and within 12 to 36 months, per the vaccine) before departure, and treatment for internal and external parasites within 14 days of departure. Animals under 15 weeks and pit-bull-type dogs aren't allowed.

Bring a passport in good, readable condition with at least one blank page for stamps. Damaged documents can mean being refused entry.

Generally no. A yellow fever vaccination is required only for travelers 9 months and older arriving from a yellow-fever-risk area.

911 police and fire, 910 medical emergency, 912 ambulance, 913 coast guard, 917 police for non-emergencies, and 9247 roadside assistance.

At a resort or hotel, start with the front desk. H2Care and MedPoint treat tourists. The Huisartsenpost (HAP) handles urgent GP care on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays, and Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) is the main hospital. If a life is in danger, call 910.

The tourist board says care is on par with North America and Europe and works with any international health insurer. There are 3 local hospitals; CMC is the largest, with the island's only intensive care unit.

Pharmacies are called botika, and there's one in almost every neighborhood, selling over-the-counter and prescription medicines. Most close at 5 or 6 PM. At least 2 on-duty pharmacies, Botika na Warda, are always open for emergencies; the front desk can tell you which.

Mosquito-borne illnesses (dengue, Zika and chikungunya) are the main health risk. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. You'll see more a day or two after rain. Put sunscreen on first, then repellent; it's sold in all supermarkets and drugstores, so we don't pack it. Use DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus; 20–25% DEET protects for 6 to 8 hours.

No predators dangerous to people. There are harmless snakes and a few scorpions with a sting milder than a bee's. The worst is a centipede a few inches long: its sting is painful but not lethal.

Yes. Most restaurants now have vegetarian options and many have vegan dishes. Vita Vegetarian Cuisine is fully vegetarian.

Kabritu stoba (goat stew), keshi yená (cheese stuffed with meat), yuana (iguana, usually stewed) and pastechi from the roadside snek stands. For lunch, Marsche Bieuw (the Old Market) in Willemstad: seating is first come, first served, so get there early. Ayaka is mostly a Christmas dish.

Our beach guide lists snorkeling for each beach. The turtle beach is Playa Piskadò, where fishermen clean their catch at the pier; Playa Lagun suits beginners along the rocky edges of the bay; Tugboat is a classic shore snorkel near Caracasbaai. Give turtles space, don't touch or feed them, and wear water shoes where the entry is rocky.

We have not found an official, current source for visitor fishing rules, so we don't state one here. Ask your charter operator before you book, and check with the Curaçao Tourist Board.

Drive on the right, like in the U.S. No right turn on red unless signed, seat belts are required, and speed limits are in km/h. Leave nothing in a parked car. More in our car rental guide.

From the cruise gate to Handelskade in Punda is about 856 m, roughly 11 minutes on foot. Taxis wait near the pier; agree the fare first. Our cruise planner works back from your all-aboard time with a buffer, and our cruise day page has the basics.

Use our cruise day planner: it works back from your all-aboard time and builds in a buffer.