According to topschoolsoflaw, Curaçao (Papiamento: Kòrsou) is an island and independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the Caribbean Sea (North America). Curaçao, together with Aruba and Bonaire, is also called the ABC islands of the Lesser Antilles. The capital of Curaçao is Willemstad. A number of major cities in Curaçao are: Barber, Boca Sami (Sint Michiel), Buena Vista, Santa Rosa, Sint Willibrordus and Westpunt.

Curaçao is known for the historic center of Willemstad with old forts, such as Fort Amsterdam in Punda, where the government of the Antilles is located, and the Rif Fort in Otrobanda with shops and restaurants. Curaçao also has many large and luxurious resorts. The urban residential area from Willemstad to the Caracas Bay consists of (brightly) colored houses and buildings containing larger and smaller shops and businesses. Curaçao has a large number of bays with beaches of coral stone and sand. The sand has been raised on some bays. The water in the bays is clear and turquoise; with countless fish species and colorful coral. There are several diving schools on Curaçao and you can swim with dolphins. See ezinesports for North and Central America political overview.

Where is Curacao located?

Travel information of Curaçao

Official name: Curaçao
Continent: North America
Area: 444 km²
Capital: Willemstad
Country code: CW, CUW
Population: 155,000 inhabitants (2021)
Form of government: Democratically elected Island Council
Highest point: 372 m (St. Christoffelberg)
Distance (Amsterdam – Willemstad): 7,854 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), there may be (temporary) measures in Curaçao 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 Curaçao, 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 Curaçao. 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 Curaçao?

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 on Curaçao 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
Curaçao has a tropical climate. The temperatures on Curaçao are around 30 degrees all year round. Curaçao has no winters, the difference between summer months and winter months is at most 5 degrees.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Curaçao can be found on our extensive weather page.
Extensive information about the climate of Curaçao can be found at Climate info.

Best time
January, February, March and April are the best months to travel to Curaçao. In these months the temperatures are most pleasant and you also avoid the rainy season.

Language
Papiamento and Dutch are both an official language on Curaçao.

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

Embassies and Consulates
Curaçao is part of 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 Curaçao: presentationcuracao.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 Curaçao.
Vaccination against yellow fever is mandatory for Curaçao if you have visited a yellow fever country in the seven days before you visit Curaçao.

Money and Currency matters
In Curaçao, payment is made with the Antillean guilder (ANG) and the American dollar (USD).
The current state of these currencies (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs on Curaçao can be found on our ATMs page.

Price level
The prices on Curaçao are a lot higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +28% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (17% cheaper), food (56% more expensive), imported beer in catering (39% cheaper), cigarettes (11% cheaper) and public transport (31% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.

Tipping
In Curaçao it is customary to give a tip. If no service charge has been calculated yet, tip approximately 10%.

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

Traffic and route
On Curaçao you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Curaçao.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Curaçao.

Electricity
On Curaçao you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets on Curaçao 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: 912
– Coast Guard: 913 or VHF channel 16

Tap water
Tap water is safe to drink.

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

Internet
Websites from Curaçao end in.an.
Curaçao official websites: gobiernu.cw and curacao.com.

Telephony
The country code (international access number) to call someone in Curaçao is 00599 or +599.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Curaçao? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the first 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Curaçao.

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

Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Curaçao 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 on Curaçao, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.

Travel reports
Are you looking for a travel report about Curaçao?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Curaçao. 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) on Curaçao can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites on Curaçao can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Curaçao? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and money, 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 intend to do business on or do business with Curaçao, 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 about Curaçao, 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 Curaçao? 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 Curaçao.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: Unknown
– Homosexuality: Allowed

Did you know that…
…Curaçao is still used to pay with the Antillean guilder?
…A space airport for space flights is being built on Curaçao?
…There are many flamingos to be spotted on the salt pans of Curaçao?
… Sinterklaas is also celebrated on Curaçao?
…There are many Dutch retail chains on Curaçao (including Hema, AH and Bruna)?
… Do all children in Curaçao go to school in uniform?