According to healthvv, Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea (North America) that has been an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 1986. In addition, Aruba is part of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao). The capital of Aruba is Oranjestad. A number of large cities in Aruba are: Babijn and Angochi.

Aruba is known as a popular holiday destination. This can be seen in the many hotels on the island. Tourists often come for the pearly white beaches and the clear blue sea water with the beautiful underwater world. The sea near Aruba is also often used for diving to this underwater world. In addition, it is a popular golf destination (4 golf courses) and tourists can visit the many clubs, bars and beach bars. In terms of culture, there are the brightly colored buildings, the nature bridge (which unfortunately collapsed in 2005) and the only lighthouse on the island (California Lighthouse). The colorful capital Oranjestad is known for the many festivals that are organized there. See rrrjewelry for Caribbean islands west Indies.

Where is Aruba located?

Travel information of Aruba

Official name: Aruba
Continent: North America
Area: 180 km²
Capital: Oranjestad
Country code: AW, ABW
Population: 119,428 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Highest point: 188 m (Jamanota)
Distance (Amsterdam – Oranjestad): 7,894 km
Flight time: approximately 9 hours

Travel advice
Current status: No special security risks.
Current color code: Green.

Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Aruba may have (temporary) measures that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Aruba, please visit Countryaah.

Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Aruba. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.

Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Aruba?

Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Aruba at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.

Weather and climate
Aruba has a tropical climate. Throughout the year the temperatures are between 25 and 35 degrees. October, November and December are seen as the rainy season, although there are years in which there is no precipitation.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Aruba can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Aruba can be found at Climate info.

Best time
April, May, June, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Aruba. You avoid the rainy season and mass tourism.

Language
Dutch and Papiamento are both an official language in Aruba.

Travel documents
You must have a valid passport.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Aruba for less than 30 days.

Embassies and Consulates
Aruba is a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
There is therefore no embassy and/or consulate for the Netherlands.
In the Netherlands, you can contact the cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba: arubahuis.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.

Vaccination (inoculation)
You do not need any vaccinations for a visit to Aruba.
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for Aruba if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Aruba.

Money and Currency
In Aruba, payment is made with the Aruban florin (AWG).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Aruba can be found on our ATMs page.

Price level
The prices in Aruba are a lot higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +30% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (24% cheaper), food (30% more expensive), imported beer in catering (8% more expensive), cigarettes (14% more expensive) and public transport (18% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.

Tipping
In Aruba it is customary to tip. If no service charge has been calculated yet, the tip is approximately 15%. Keep in mind that wait staff in Aruba is almost entirely dependent on tips.

Time difference
During our summer time it is 6 hours earlier in Aruba.
During our winter time it is 5 hours earlier in Aruba.
Aruba has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Aruba can be found on our time difference page.

Traffic and route
In Aruba you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Aruba.
Information about public transport in Aruba can be found on Arubas.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Aruba.

Electricity In Aruba you may need an adapter plug and/or converter
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Aruba can be found on our electricity page.

Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 911
– Fire Department: 911
– Ambulance: 911
– Coast Guard: 913 or VHF channel 16

Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.

News and newspapers
The latest news regarding Aruba can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Aruba can be found on Abyznewslinks.

Internet
Websites from Aruba end in.aw.
Official websites of Aruba: government.aw and nl.aruba.com.

Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in Aruba is 00297 or +297.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Aruba? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Aruba Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Aruba.

Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Aruba.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Aruba.

Holidays
Aruba’s national holiday falls on March 18 (Flag and National Anthem Day).
An overview of all other holidays in Aruba can be found on Beleven.org.

Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Aruba, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.

Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Aruba?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Aruba. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.

Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Aruba can be found on Protected Planet.
Aruba is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Places of interest
A number of well-known and frequently visited places of interest in Aruba are as follows:
– Eagle Beach
– Arikok National Park
– Streetart San Nicolas
– Renaissance Island
– Butterfly Garden Palm Beach
– Casibari rock formations
– Aloe museum
– California lighthouse
– Alto Vista chapel
– Donkey sanctuary Aruba

Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Aruba? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.

Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business on or do business with Aruba, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information regarding Aruba, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.

Studying and internship
Are you considering a study, internship or gap year in Aruba? You are by no means the only one and certainly not the first. To help you on your way, Nuffic (the Dutch organization for internationalization in education) has set up the WilWeg.nl website. On this website you will find all the information that can help you on your way, such as admission requirements, forms of education, housing, scholarship, internships, health insurance, study costs and of course experiences.

Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Aruba.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed

Did you know that…
…All Aruban license plates bear the words ‘One Happy Island’?
…Many Dutch-style houses have been built in the capital Oranjestad?
…Eagle beach ranks 9th in the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world?
…In Aruba the same products are available in the supermarket as in the Netherlands?

Our verdict on Aruba as a travel destination

Bonaire is also called one happy island. You will find this slogan everywhere on the island. The pace is a bit slower than you are used to in the Netherlands, but that means you can relax optimally. Aruba is the sunniest Caribbean island because it falls just outside the hurricane belt. In addition to the many beautiful white sandy beaches, where you can relax with a cocktail, the island also has a rugged north coast. This area is ideal for exploring by 4×4. Aruba is ideal for the active vacationer. The island has good diving, hiking and climbing spots. There are regular festivals and parties in the Antillean atmosphere in the colorful capital Oranjestad.