---
title: "Aruba visa-free workation stay 2026: requirements and cost"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/aruba
description: "Aruba has no digital nomad visa. fee about $20, 0 days to 1 days to process. Official sources cited."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Aruba visa-free workation stay 2026: requirements and cost

Aruba has no digital nomad visa. The Tourism Authority's One Happy Workation is a hotel-package label on the ordinary visa-free stay: US passport holders get up to 90 days with nothing beyond the online ED card, other visa-exempt nationals get 30 days extendable to 90 at immigration, and nobody may stay more than 180 days a calendar year. Longer stays need a DIMAS residence permit.

Long-stay route. Official name: One Happy Workation (Aruba Tourism Authority programme); tourist admission under the Landsverordening Toelating, Uitzetting en Verwijdering (LTUV). Facts updated 2026-10-13. Not yet reviewed by a person.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Who can apply | Visa-exempt nationalities only |
| Minimum income | no fixed minimum |
| Fee | about $20 (No visa or programme fee; the online ED card is free but air arrivals aged 8 and over pay a US$20 Sustainability Fee with it) |
| Processing time | 0 days to 1 days |
| Initial stay | 3 months, not renewable |
| Renewable | no |
| Leads to permanent residence | no |
| Where to apply | Online: Online at edcardaruba.aw (the Aruba Migration and Border Protection ED card platform) within 7 days of arrival; choose 'One Happy Workation' as purpose of visit if you are a US national on a workation package. Extensions of stay are handled in person by IASA (Immigration Department), J.G. Emanstraat 39, Oranjestad; residence permits are applied for online through the DIMAS customer portal (dimasaruba.aw). |

## Who can apply

The One Happy Workation programme itself is open only to US nationals with a valid passport who are employed or self-employed in their home country; they may not work for or be paid by an Aruban company or person. Every other visa-exempt nationality (Dutch Kingdom, EU/EEA, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, most of Latin America and about 90 countries in all, listed by the Dutch government) can do the same thing on the standard tourist admission of 30 days, extendable to 90. Nationals who need a Caribbean visa must get it from a Dutch embassy first and are admitted on the same tourist terms.

## What you need

- Passport valid for the whole stay and not more than 10 years old (a Caribbean visa sticker if your nationality requires one)
- Approved online ED card for each traveller, including children, with the US$20 Sustainability Fee receipt (air arrivals aged 8 and over)
- Return or onward ticket, or a visa or residence permit for your next destination
- Proof of the purpose of the stay: hotel or apartment reservation, workation package confirmation, or an invitation from family or friends
- Proof of funds if requested: about US$150 to 200 per person per day in a hotel or US$100 a day with family, or a declaration of guarantee from an Aruban resident
- Medical insurance covering at least US$15,000 including hospital care, emergency treatment and repatriation (listed by the Tourism Authority as a requirement; the workation FAQ calls insurance recommended rather than mandatory)
- For an extension beyond 30 days at IASA: travel insurance (medical and liability) and sufficient means for the extended period
- For a later DIMAS rentier permit: application form, passport copy and photo, bank statement showing AWG 100,000 a year of asset or rental income, a legalised or apostilled police certificate not older than six months from every country of residence in the last five years, and a medical check within 30 days of arrival

Income proof: No income threshold for the workation or the visa-free stay. Immigration may ask for proof of means: the Tourism Authority quotes US$150 to 200 per person per day when staying in a hotel or US$100 a day when staying with family, unless an Aruban resident has signed a guarantee. The DIMAS rentier permit, the realistic route beyond 180 days, requires a bank statement showing an average balance or asset income of at least AWG 100,000 a year (about US$55,900, or US$4,656 a month at the florin's fixed rate of AWG 1.79 per US dollar) from rental property or funds held at a recognised bank in the EU, US, Canada or similar; the pensioner permit requires a gross pension of AWG 50,000 a year (about US$2,328 a month).

Fee: There is nothing to pay for the workation programme, the ED card or the tourist admission. The only compulsory charge is the US$20 Sustainability Fee introduced on 1 July 2024 and collected by credit card inside the ED card form (integrated 'effective December 1st', year not stated on the page); it is paid once per 365 days (repeat visitors reclaim it from AWSS) and children under 8 are exempt. A later DIMAS rentier or pensioner permit costs AWG 2,065 for a first application (AWG 65 handling plus AWG 2,000 leges, about US$1,154) and AWG 2,040 per renewal, plus a refundable deposit for some nationalities of AWG 700 to 2,500 (US$391 to 1,397); the florin is pegged at AWG 1.79 per US dollar.

Processing: The ED card can only be filed within 7 days of the arrival date, takes about 20 minutes and the approval arrives by email, normally the same day; admission is decided by the immigration officer at the airport. A tourist extension is requested in person at IASA in Oranjestad during the first 30 days. DIMAS decides residence-permit applications within a statutory 12 weeks, extendable by a further 12 weeks, and a first application must in principle be awaited abroad.

## How to apply

Online. Online at edcardaruba.aw (the Aruba Migration and Border Protection ED card platform) within 7 days of arrival; choose 'One Happy Workation' as purpose of visit if you are a US national on a workation package. Extensions of stay are handled in person by IASA (Immigration Department), J.G. Emanstraat 39, Oranjestad; residence permits are applied for online through the DIMAS customer portal (dimasaruba.aw).

1. Check whether your passport is on the Dutch government's visa-free list for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom; if not, obtain a Caribbean visa from a Dutch embassy or consulate (holders of a multiple-entry Schengen, UK, Irish, US or Canadian visa or residence permit are often exempt).
2. Book accommodation (US nationals can book a One Happy Workation package with a participating hotel or villa, which adds rates, Wi-Fi and local perks but no immigration status) and buy travel insurance; the Tourism Authority lists medical cover of at least US$15,000 including repatriation among the entry requirements.
3. Within 7 days of your flight complete the online ED card for each traveller with passport, travel and accommodation details, select the purpose of visit, pay the US$20 Sustainability Fee by credit card and keep the emailed approval.
4. At the airport show your passport (valid for the whole stay and issued less than 10 years ago), the ED card approval, a return or onward ticket and, if asked, your accommodation booking and proof of funds; US nationals are admitted for up to 90 days, others for 30.
5. Non-US nationals who want to stay longer apply to IASA within the first 30 days for an extension to 90 days with passport, return ticket, travel insurance (medical and liability), proof of accommodation and means; anyone needing more than 180 days in a calendar year applies to DIMAS for a residence permit, normally from abroad.

## After you arrive

Stay and renewal: US nationals are admitted for up to 90 days without requesting an extension; the workation programme states a minimum of one week and a maximum of 90 days. Everyone else is admitted for 30 days and can ask immigration (IASA) within those 30 days for an extension to a total of 90 days, with travel insurance and proof of means. Stays of up to 180 consecutive days are reserved for Dutch Kingdom nationals and for visa-exempt visitors who own property in Aruba (a house, condominium, timeshare or a yacht of at least 14 m) or hold a legalised declaration of guarantee from an Aruban resident. The ED card rules cap any tourist at 180 days per calendar year, so there is no renewal beyond that; a longer stay needs a residence permit.

Residence: Tourist days do not count toward residence. The long-stay fallback is a DIMAS temporary residence permit, in practice the 'rentier' permit (no local work allowed, one year at a time, renewable on the same conditions) or, from age 55, the pensioner permit. DIMAS issues a permit for an indefinite period only after at least 120 months (ten years) of legal residence on temporary permits with registration in the population register.

Family: There is no family scheme: a spouse, partner and children travel as tourists on the same terms, each with their own ED card (one application per person per trip, grouped family members must be from the same household). Children under 12 travelling with a parent do not need a visa even if their nationality normally does, and children under 8 are exempt from the Sustainability Fee. On a DIMAS residence permit, family members apply for their own permits under the family-reunification rules.

Taxes: The Tourism Authority states that workation visitors pay no Aruban income tax because they are not registered as Aruban residents and their income comes from a company in their home country; the tourist admission also forbids paid work for any Aruban company or individual. A DIMAS residence permit changes this: holders register with the population register (Censo) and need an Aruban tax number (DIMP) for renewals, so take tax advice before switching to a permit.

## In practice

- Aruba has not created a digital nomad visa: One Happy Workation is marketing by the Aruba Tourism Authority, which calls itself only an intermediary for hotel packages, and the programme's official FAQ says no governmental documentation is needed because 90 days is already allowed for US passports. The nomadVisa flag is therefore false.
- The programme has been open only to US nationals since its 2020 launch; the FAQ says it 'may be extended in the future' but as of October 2026 no other nationality has been added, and package availability depends on each hotel's booking windows.
- The 180-days-per-calendar-year ceiling is applied across all visits, so two back-to-back 90-day stays in one year exhaust it; a property purchase, timeshare or a legalised guarantee from a resident unlocks the 180 consecutive days.
- Admission is at the officer's discretion and the ED card is 'not a visa nor a guarantee of entry'; carry the accommodation booking, insurance and means because they can be asked for.
- DIMAS moved to online-only applications; the rentier and pensioner checklists (DIMAS/31-7-2025) require a first application to be awaited abroad and a medical check within 30 days of arrival, and permits run one year at a time.

## By passport

| Passports | Note |
| --- | --- |
| US | Admitted for up to 90 days with no extension request, and the only passport the One Happy Workation programme accepts: book a package, select 'One Happy Workation' on the ED card and stay up to three months, but no more than 180 days in a calendar year. |
| NL | Nationals of the Kingdom of the Netherlands can request a stay of up to 180 consecutive days; the Dutch Caribbean visa rules do not apply to you, but you still need the ED card and are not allowed to work for an Aruban employer without a DIMAS permit. |
| EU, EEA, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP, KR, SG, AE | Visa-free, but outside the workation programme: standard admission is 30 days, extendable at IASA within those 30 days to a total of 90 (travel insurance and funds required), and up to 180 consecutive days only with property in Aruba or a resident's guarantee. |
| AR, BR, CL, CO, CR, MX, PA, PE, PY, UY | On the Dutch visa-free list for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom: 30 days on arrival, extendable to 90 at IASA, 180 per calendar year maximum. Venezuelans, Bolivians, Cubans, Dominicans and Haitians need a Caribbean visa unless they hold a valid multiple-entry US or Canadian visa or a residence permit for the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland or a Schengen state. |
| All other passports | Check the Dutch government's Caribbean visa list: nationals of China, India, Russia, Türkiye, South Africa and most of Africa and Asia need a Caribbean visa from a Dutch embassy before travelling (multiple-entry Schengen visa holders and residents of the US, Canada, UK, Ireland or Schengen are exempt), then get the same 30-day admission and extension rules; the One Happy Workation label is not available to you. |

## Cities in Aruba

- [Oranjestad](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/oranjestad): Dutch Caribbean capital outside the hurricane belt

## FAQ

### Who can apply for the Aruba visa-free workation stay?

The One Happy Workation programme itself is open only to US nationals with a valid passport who are employed or self-employed in their home country; they may not work for or be paid by an Aruban company or person. Every other visa-exempt nationality (Dutch Kingdom, EU/EEA, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, most of Latin America and about 90 countries in all, listed by the Dutch government) can do the same thing on the standard tourist admission of 30 days, extendable to 90. Nationals who need a Caribbean visa must get it from a Dutch embassy first and are admitted on the same tourist terms. Aruba has no digital nomad visa. The Tourism Authority's One Happy Workation is a hotel-package label on the ordinary visa-free stay: US passport holders get up to 90 days with nothing beyond the online ED card, other visa-exempt nationals get 30 days extendable to 90 at immigration, and nobody may stay more than 180 days a calendar year. Longer stays need a DIMAS residence permit.

### How much income do you need for the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days)?

No income threshold for the workation or the visa-free stay. Immigration may ask for proof of means: the Tourism Authority quotes US$150 to 200 per person per day when staying in a hotel or US$100 a day when staying with family, unless an Aruban resident has signed a guarantee. The DIMAS rentier permit, the realistic route beyond 180 days, requires a bank statement showing an average balance or asset income of at least AWG 100,000 a year (about US$55,900, or US$4,656 a month at the florin's fixed rate of AWG 1.79 per US dollar) from rental property or funds held at a recognised bank in the EU, US, Canada or similar; the pensioner permit requires a gross pension of AWG 50,000 a year (about US$2,328 a month).

### How much does the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days) cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $20 (No visa or programme fee; the online ED card is free but air arrivals aged 8 and over pay a US$20 Sustainability Fee with it); There is nothing to pay for the workation programme, the ED card or the tourist admission. The only compulsory charge is the US$20 Sustainability Fee introduced on 1 July 2024 and collected by credit card inside the ED card form (integrated 'effective December 1st', year not stated on the page); it is paid once per 365 days (repeat visitors reclaim it from AWSS) and children under 8 are exempt. A later DIMAS rentier or pensioner permit costs AWG 2,065 for a first application (AWG 65 handling plus AWG 2,000 leges, about US$1,154) and AWG 2,040 per renewal, plus a refundable deposit for some nationalities of AWG 700 to 2,500 (US$391 to 1,397); the florin is pegged at AWG 1.79 per US dollar. Processing time: 0 days to 1 days. The ED card can only be filed within 7 days of the arrival date, takes about 20 minutes and the approval arrives by email, normally the same day; admission is decided by the immigration officer at the airport. A tourist extension is requested in person at IASA in Oranjestad during the first 30 days. DIMAS decides residence-permit applications within a statutory 12 weeks, extendable by a further 12 weeks, and a first application must in principle be awaited abroad.

### How long can you stay in Aruba on the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days), and can it be renewed?

3 months, not renewable. US nationals are admitted for up to 90 days without requesting an extension; the workation programme states a minimum of one week and a maximum of 90 days. Everyone else is admitted for 30 days and can ask immigration (IASA) within those 30 days for an extension to a total of 90 days, with travel insurance and proof of means. Stays of up to 180 consecutive days are reserved for Dutch Kingdom nationals and for visa-exempt visitors who own property in Aruba (a house, condominium, timeshare or a yacht of at least 14 m) or hold a legalised declaration of guarantee from an Aruban resident. The ED card rules cap any tourist at 180 days per calendar year, so there is no renewal beyond that; a longer stay needs a residence permit.

### Does the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days) lead to permanent residence in Aruba?

Not by itself. Tourist days do not count toward residence. The long-stay fallback is a DIMAS temporary residence permit, in practice the 'rentier' permit (no local work allowed, one year at a time, renewable on the same conditions) or, from age 55, the pensioner permit. DIMAS issues a permit for an indefinite period only after at least 120 months (ten years) of legal residence on temporary permits with registration in the population register.

### Can family members come with you on the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days)?

There is no family scheme: a spouse, partner and children travel as tourists on the same terms, each with their own ED card (one application per person per trip, grouped family members must be from the same household). Children under 12 travelling with a parent do not need a visa even if their nationality normally does, and children under 8 are exempt from the Sustainability Fee. On a DIMAS residence permit, family members apply for their own permits under the family-reunification rules.

### Do you pay tax in Aruba on the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days)?

The Tourism Authority states that workation visitors pay no Aruban income tax because they are not registered as Aruban residents and their income comes from a company in their home country; the tourist admission also forbids paid work for any Aruban company or individual. A DIMAS residence permit changes this: holders register with the population register (Censo) and need an Aruban tax number (DIMP) for renewals, so take tax advice before switching to a permit.

### Where do you apply for the One Happy Workation (visa-free stay up to 90 days)?

Online: Online at edcardaruba.aw (the Aruba Migration and Border Protection ED card platform) within 7 days of arrival; choose 'One Happy Workation' as purpose of visit if you are a US national on a workation package. Extensions of stay are handled in person by IASA (Immigration Department), J.G. Emanstraat 39, Oranjestad; residence permits are applied for online through the DIMAS customer portal (dimasaruba.aw).

### Is the One Happy Workation a visa?

No. It is an Aruba Tourism Authority promotion with participating hotels; the official FAQ says you will not receive any governmental documentation because the 90-day stay is already permitted for US passports. Your legal status in Aruba is that of a tourist on the ED card, with the same rules as any other visitor.

### Can I stay in Aruba for six months as a remote worker?

Only if you are a Dutch Kingdom national, own property in Aruba or have a legalised guarantee from an Aruban resident; those visitors can ask for up to 180 consecutive days. Everyone else is limited to 90 days per stay and 180 days per calendar year. For a settled stay apply to DIMAS for a residence permit, in practice the rentier permit with AWG 100,000 a year of asset income.

### Can I work remotely for my foreign employer while in Aruba as a tourist?

The Tourism Authority's workation FAQ requires you to be employed or self-employed in your home country and forbids providing services to or receiving income from an Aruban company or individual, which needs a work or business permit. The Government of Aruba likewise bars tourists from paid employment with an Aruban employer. Remote work for a foreign employer is what the programme is built on, but nothing in the immigration law expressly authorises it, so keep your work and income entirely abroad.

## Sources

- [One Happy Workation: work remotely from paradise (programme page and FAQ)](https://www.aruba.com/us/one-happy-workation), Aruba Tourism Authority (aruba.com), retrieved 2026-10-13 (US nationals only; one week to 90 days; no forms and no governmental documentation; employed or self-employed abroad, no income from Aruban companies; no Aruban income tax; select One Happy Workation on the ED card; insurance recommended)
- [Immigration Regulations Aruba](https://www.aruba.com/us/plan-your-visit/getting-to-aruba/immigration-regulations), Aruba Tourism Authority (aruba.com), retrieved 2026-10-13 (Entry requirements (passport under 10 years old, return proof, funds of US$100 to 200 a day, US$15,000 medical insurance, ED card); 30-day standard stay, 90 days for US nationals, 180 days for Dutch nationals or property owners or with a guarantee; extension within the first 30 days; visa exemptions)
- [Sustainability Fee](https://www.aruba.com/us/sustainability-fee), Aruba Tourism Authority (aruba.com), information supplied by Aruba Wastewater Sustainable Solutions N.V., retrieved 2026-10-13 (US$20 fee for air arrivals since 1 July 2024, paid by credit card inside the ED card since 1 December; exemptions for residents, children under 8 and repeat visitors within 365 days)
- [Aruba Online ED Card (welcome text and FAQs)](https://edcardaruba.aw/), Aruba Migration and Border Protection, Government of Aruba (edcardaruba.aw), retrieved 2026-10-13 (ED card required of all visitors, not a visa; arrival date within 7 days; one application per person per trip; definition of a tourist (30 consecutive days, 180 days per calendar year, no paid work for an Aruban resident or entity); entry requirements and extension at the immigration office, J.G. Emanstraat 39; US$20 fee and under-8 exemption. The page is a JavaScript application: the text is in its English language file)
- [Do I need a visa for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom?](https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/caribbean-visa/visa-needed-caribbean), NetherlandsWorldwide, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, retrieved 2026-10-13 (List of nationalities that do not need a visa for Aruba and the visa-exemptions for holders of Schengen, UK, Irish, US and Canadian visas or residence permits)
- [Short Stay](https://www.dimasaruba.aw/en/applicants/short-stay/), DIMAS, Departamento di Integracion, Maneho y Admision di Stranhero, retrieved 2026-10-13 (Tourist stays and extensions are handled by IASA (Immigration Department), not DIMAS)
- [Retiree / interest rate earner](https://www.dimasaruba.aw/en/applicants/living/retiree-interest-rate-earner/), DIMAS, retrieved 2026-10-13 (Rentier permit: AWG 100,000 a year from assets or rents, one-year permit, no paid work; pensioner permit from age 55 with AWG 50,000 gross pension, renewable yearly)
- [Lijst van vereisten: Rentenier (DIMAS/31-7-2025)](https://www.dimasaruba.aw/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rentenier-1.pdf), DIMAS, retrieved 2026-10-13 (Document checklist, first application awaited abroad, medical check within 30 days, DIMP tax number on renewal; fees AWG 65 handling plus AWG 2,000 leges (AWG 40 plus 2,000 on renewal) and deposits of AWG 700 to 2,500 by nationality)
- [FAQ](https://www.dimasaruba.aw/en/faq/), DIMAS, retrieved 2026-10-13 (Statutory decision period of 12 weeks, extendable by a further 12 weeks)
- [Stay for an indefinite period](https://www.dimasaruba.aw/en/applicants/living/stay-for-an-indefinite-period/), DIMAS, retrieved 2026-10-13 (Permit for an indefinite period after at least 120 months of legal residence on temporary permits)
- [Work and residence permit](https://www.gobierno.aw/en/work-and-residence-permit), Government of Aruba (gobierno.aw), retrieved 2026-10-13 (Foreign nationals may not be in paid employment with an Aruban employer while visiting as a tourist; work permits via DPL and DIMAS under the National Ordinance on Admission and Expulsion)

Not yet reviewed by a person. Not legal advice; confirm with the issuing authority before you book.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/aruba