Aruba

Aruba does not issue a digital nomad visa. Remote workers choose between two short-stay routes, and anyone planning a real move needs a residence permit from DIMAS, Aruba's immigration department.

U.S. nationals: One Happy Workation

The Aruba Tourism Authority's One Happy Workation package is open only to U.S. nationals with a valid passport. Participants book a participating hotel or rental, select "One Happy Workation" on the online ED card and stay for up to 90 days as visitors. There is no program fee and no government application, and the package gives no right to work for Aruban companies or clients.

Everyone else: tourist entry

DIMAS admits regular tourists for 30 days per visit. That rule covers visa-exempt visitors, for example U.S., Canadian, U.K. and Schengen nationals. DIMAS allows longer stays in a few cases, such as with a resident guarantor, for Dutch nationals and for owners of property on the island.

Nationals of countries that need a visa apply for a Caribbean short-stay visa through Netherlands Worldwide before travel, since Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Whether a visa is needed depends on nationality, and holders of certain other visas or residence permits are exempt. Applications are made in person.

Before any trip

Every route runs through the online ED card. Visitors arriving by air also pay the $20 Sustainability Fee once per calendar year through the same form.

Staying longer

Beyond a visitor stay, DIMAS issues residence permits under fixed categories, including one for retirees and people living on interest income. None of them is built for remote workers, and working for an Aruban employer needs a work permit.

In short: U.S. remote workers who want up to 90 days can use the workation package; other nationalities plan around the standard tourist stay.

Aruba is a resort island, and no official or survey-based monthly budget for a single remote worker was available for this guide. Costs depend above all on accommodation, which drives the total far more than food or transport.

Housing

One Happy Workation runs through participating hotels, apartments and rentals, and each sets its own rates. Prices for the same length of stay can differ widely between beachfront resorts and smaller apartments, so comparing several offers for the full stay is the most reliable way to set a budget.

Currency and payments

The official currency is the Aruban florin, and U.S. dollars are widely accepted. The tourism authority notes that businesses apply their own exchange rates, from about Afl 1.75 to Afl 1.80 per U.S. dollar, and that all major credit cards are accepted.

Fixed entry cost

Visitors arriving by air pay the $20 Sustainability Fee once per calendar year.

Getting around

The tourism authority describes the Arubus public bus as an inexpensive way to get around. Taxis are widely available, and cars can be rented at Queen Beatrix International Airport. Remote workers based away from the bus routes usually budget for a rental car.

Aruba is small, so the choice is less about cities than about which part of the island suits a working routine. The site has no city guides for Aruba yet.

Oranjestad

The capital is the practical choice. It has the island's coworking space, government offices and the main shopping streets, and the Arubus network connects it with the hotel areas.

Palm Beach and Noord

The high-rise hotel strip and the district behind it hold much of the island's resort accommodation, restaurants and nightlife. They suit people who want the beach on the doorstep and are willing to pay resort prices.

Eagle Beach

The low-rise hotel area between Oranjestad and Palm Beach is quieter than the high-rise strip while staying close to both.

San Nicolas

The island's second town, in the southeast, is more local in character and far from the main hotel areas. It suits people with a rental car who prefer a quieter base.

Speedtest's Global Index has no page for Aruba, so there is no independent median speed to quote. Connection quality varies by property, and checking the speed with the host before booking matters more here than in larger markets.

Wi-Fi and mobile data

The tourism authority lists free Wi-Fi at hotels, the airport, shopping malls, bars and restaurants. Two mobile providers operate on the island, Digicel and Setar, and Setar sells a prepaid wireless service called WIFI Aruba. Visitors with eSIM-compatible phones can also buy data plans online before or during the trip.

Coworking

Impact Hub Aruba runs a coworking space in Harbour House, Weststraat 2, in downtown Oranjestad. It opens Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and membership includes access to the wider Impact Hub network of more than 100 locations.

Outside Oranjestad, remote workers rely mainly on their accommodation and on cafes, so a mobile data plan is a sensible backup for calls.

The government's note on the OECD portal sums up how Aruba decides who is tax resident. No day-count test: residency depends on facts and circumstances (closer connection, center of vital interests).

The government's note on the OECD portal lists the factors that matter, including where a person spends most of the time, keeps a permanent home, works and is registered. A long stay therefore raises the question of residence even without a day threshold, and a 183-day rule does not apply.

One Happy Workation

For participants in the U.S.-only package, the tourism authority states: Participants do not pay Aruba income tax on income supplied by a company in their home country, because they are not registered as Aruba residents. That is a tourism-board statement rather than a ruling from the tax department.

What to check

• Whether the home country taxes income earned while abroad.
• Whether the stay, a lease or local registration could create ties that point to Aruba.
• That no income comes from Aruban clients or employers, which needs a work or business permit.

People who plan to move to Aruba should get advice from a tax adviser familiar with Aruban law before they register.

Arrival

Complete the online ED card before travel, and pay the Sustainability Fee through it when it applies. Carry a passport valid for the whole stay and proof of return travel. DIMAS can ask visitors to show enough money for their stay.

Money

U.S. dollars and major credit cards are widely accepted, so many visitors never change money. Shops and restaurants set their own florin exchange rates.

Phone and data

Digicel and Setar sell local SIM cards, and eSIM data plans can be bought online before arrival.

Health insurance

The tourism authority recommends travel insurance that covers medical costs. For stays of several weeks or more, a policy that includes medical evacuation is worth checking, since some care may not be available on a small island.

Getting around

Buses cover the main routes between Oranjestad and the hotel areas, taxis are easy to find and rental cars are available at the airport.