Guide

Practical Curaçao

Entry requirements: the Digital Immigration Card

The official name is the Digital Immigration Card (DI card), filed at dicardcuracao.com. It replaced the paper Embarkation and Disembarkation (ED) card, which is why the U.S. State Department still calls it the "ED card".

Fill in the Digital Immigration Card before you fly

Every visitor fills in Curaçao's Digital Immigration Card online before arriving. It takes a few minutes, and it's per person, children included.

• When: up to 7 days before departure, and as late as one hour before arrival.
• Who: every foreign visitor; one card per person, including children (a parent can use their own email for a child's card). Curaçao residents are exempt.
• Show it twice: at airline check-in and to immigration on arrival, on your phone or printed.
• Passport: the passport on the card must be the one you travel with. For U.S. citizens, the passport must be valid for the length of the stay, with one blank page per stamp.
• Coming back? Edit your existing card with the new trip; don't file a new one.
• Flight delayed or cancelled? Don't re-apply. The card stays active for at least a day after the original arrival date.
• Faster arrival: adults 18+ with a chipped U.S., Canadian or European passport can use the eGates once the DI card is done; families with children under 18 go to the officer line. The optional Curaçao Express Pass adds the Airside app for a dedicated lane.
• Also required for U.S. citizens: no visa for stays of 180 days or less, a return or onward ticket, and proof of funds for your stay. The DI portal defines a visitor as staying up to 90 nights, and no more than 180 days per calendar year.
• Don't pack: marijuana, CBD or THC products, even if prescribed at home; guns, ammunition, or even spent casings.
• Minors traveling without both parents: bring a notarized consent letter and proof of relationship.
• Cash: amounts over $10,000 (or Cg 18,000) must be declared on entry and exit.

Arriving and leaving made easy

Our tip: "Getting in is easy with Airside." Here's what that means, exactly.

• Airside is for getting INTO Curaçao, not back into the US. The free Airside Digital Identity app runs the Curaçao Express Pass: after your DI card, you scan your chip passport and face on your phone (starting 7 days before arrival), and on landing at Hato you use the signed Express Pass lane and its eGates instead of the officer queue. You can save the pass to Apple or Google Wallet.
• Order of steps: DI card first (required for everyone) → Airside Express Pass (optional) → eGates on arrival.
• Who qualifies: Airside says 16+ with a chip passport from the US, Canada, the UK, the EU and some other listed countries; the tourist board says the eGates are for 18+, and families with children under 18 go to the officer line. Conflict: plan for the officer line if you travel with kids.
• Still carry your passport. It's legally required. If your flight slips past the next day, resubmit in the app with the new date: shared data is deleted the day after your stated arrival.
• Full step-by-step, taxis, lounge and departure-tax details: our Curaçao airport guide.

Money and tipping

Dollars work. Guilders are the change.

• Currency: the Caribbean guilder (Cg, code XCG) became legal tender on March 31, 2025, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder one for one.
• Rate: fixed by the central bank at US$1 = Cg 1.79. Shops and restaurants often settle at about 1.82, the tourist board's commercial rate, per one guide .
• Dollars and cards: U.S. dollars are widely accepted, and all major credit cards are taken. Expect change in guilders.
• ATMs: U.S. bank cards work at ATMs with Cirrus, Mastercard, Maestro or Visa logos. Watch for skimmers; ATM skimming is on the State Department's list of tourist scams.
• Small cash: for taxis, beach entry, chairs, shower coins and $1 restrooms.
• Medical bills: hospitals and doctors generally want payment up front, often in cash, and most U.S. plans don't cover care abroad.

Tipping (per the tourist board): | Where | Norm | |---|---| | Restaurants | A service charge of about 10% is usually included in the bill. Tipping is extra and up to you; 5–10% for waiters | | Hotels | Service charge of about 12% included | | Taxis | About 10% of the fare | | Porters | Cg 1 per bag |

Check the bill before you tip. If service is already on it, round up or leave a little extra for great service. The tourist board is clear that tipping is always at your discretion.

Safety

Normal precautions, one real risk

• Advisory level: the U.S. State Department rates Curaçao Level 1: Exercise normal precautions (issued Sep 9, 2026).
• The real risk is opportunistic theft: crimes against visitors are mostly theft of unsecured property and car break-ins, and the State Department notes that car break-ins are increasing. Leave nothing in the car, and nothing alone on the beach.
• Remote spots: some thefts and assaults have been reported near nature areas, remote beaches and small, informal parking areas used by divers. Go with others, and park where people are.
• Scams to know: overcharging on taxis and bar bills, fake car and vacation rentals, unsolicited "tour guides," and jet-ski overcharging. Book rentals and tours through established operators.
• Tourist police: Politur offers 24/7 support and patrols in the main tourist areas.
• Night driving: many roads are less well lit than in the U.S., and animals cross rural roads.
• Nightlife: the drinking age is 18 and not always enforced; don't leave drinks unattended.
• Carbon monoxide: the State Department suggests bringing a CO detector, since not all rentals have one.

Emergency numbers: 911 police and fire · 912 ambulance · 913 coast guard · 9247 roadside assistance. U.S. Consulate General: J.B. Gorsiraweg 1, Willemstad; +5999-433-2200.

Best time to visit

Dry most of the year, with a short rainy season

• Climate: semi-arid, warm and windy year-round.
• Rainy season: roughly October to January. At Hato Airport, average monthly rainfall peaks in November (141 mm), then October (90.9 mm) and December (86.4 mm); the driest months are March to May (15–18 mm). Average rain days per month run from 2 (April, May) to 10.8 (November).
• Temperature: the average daily high runs from 30.0 °C (86 °F) in January to 33.0 °C (91 °F) in September.
• Wind: trade winds blow from the east almost all year, strongest from January through August. They keep it pleasant and can make boat crossings choppy, such as the ride out to Klein Curaçao.
• Hurricanes: Curaçao sits south of the main hurricane belt, so direct hits are rare, but tropical systems can bring wind, rough seas and heavy rain from June to November, with the peak from August to October.
• Big dates: Carnival in January–February, Fuikdag on the first Sunday of January, and Thursday nights in Punda year-round.

Fahrenheit conversions are calculated from the Celsius figures.

Getting around

A car for the west, your feet for town

• Taxis: no meters; fixed rates by destination, so agree the price before you get in. Official taxis have "TX" on the plate. Regulated fares cover up to 4 passengers, with a surcharge for more, per a taxi platform. we don't publish fares; no regulator publishes a rate card.
• Uber and Lyft: limited or no presence.
• Buses: they don't cover the whole island and aren't always reliable for visitors; they run hourly from about 6 AM to 10 PM. The Otrobanda terminal is six minutes' walk from the cruise gate; fares are Cg 2.00 in the city and east, Cg 2.50 to the west end, in coins.
• Driving: on the right. A valid U.S. license works. No right turn on red unless signed; seat belts required; children ride in the back, with child seats by age. Speed limits are in km/h. More in our car rental guide.
• On foot: Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai and Scharloo are walkable; the Queen Emma Bridge links Punda and Otrobanda, with a free ferry when it swings open.
• Time zone: Atlantic Standard Time, no daylight saving; one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern in winter.

Language

English works everywhere you'll go

• Official languages: Papiamentu, Dutch and English, under the 2007 official-languages ordinance.
• What you'll hear: Papiamentu, a creole spoken across the island; you'll be answered in English in Punda and at the cruise terminal.
• Five words worth knowing: Bon bini (welcome) · Bon dia (good morning) · Danki (thank you) · Dushi (sweet, lovely; used for food, people and places) · Poko poko (take it easy)

Power plugs

U.S. plugs fit; check the voltage

• Plugs: Types A and B, the same shapes as in the U.S..
• Supply: 127 V, 50 Hz. The utility's terms also mention 110 V and 220 V supplies, so some buildings may differ.
• What that means: phone and laptop chargers rated 100–240 V are fine. Single-voltage U.S. appliances (some hair tools) are built for 60 Hz and 120 V; check the label before plugging in .

Water

Drink the tap water

• Safe to drink: the tourist board says Curaçao's tap water is safe and of very good quality; it's desalinated seawater, produced by Aqualectra. The State Department agrees: tap water is generally safe to drink and to cook with.
• History: the island's seawater distillery opened in 1928.
• Practical: bring a refillable bottle for beach days; most beaches have little shade.

See also (added Oct 24, 2026, additive): (emergency numbers, hospital, on-duty pharmacies, doctors for visitors, insurance) · ·.