Immigrate

Steps to immigrate to Curacao

De-registration from the Netherlands: If you leave the Netherlands, you are the first to deregister from the population register. You do that at the municipality. Ask for proof of de-registration. This is not provided automatically! You also need an extract from the population register, a copy of the marriage certificate or registered cohabitation contract. You can apply for all this at the town hall.
If you have Dutch nationality, you need a De Rechtswege declaration to live or work in Curaçao. For this you need, among other things; birth certificate, marriage certificate (if married) and proof of good conduct. It is also important to be able to demonstrate that you have a job, or at least are working on it. They may ask for proof of your employment contract from your current or future employer.
Registration in Curaçao: As soon as you have been granted permission to emigrate to Curaçao by law, you can be registered in the population register. In addition to the usual documents such as the Van Rechtswege statement, passport, birth extract and marriage certificate, you also need proof of de-registration from your last place of residence.

Permits must be applied for and approved before your final arrival in Curaçao

Even if you have made the decision to emigrate, please contact an international moving company 3 months in advance. Think carefully about what you want to take with you and what you want to leave behind. For example, taking a lot of furniture with you can be pricey, but bear in mind that despite the increasing number of (home) shops on the island, you may not (yet) have your taste.

Work permit

People with Dutch nationality may stay in the Netherlands Antilles for a maximum of 6 months, without performing work for remuneration.
If you or one of your parents was born on Curaçao or one of the other islands of the Netherlands Antilles or Aruba (before January 1, 1986), you can live and work on Curaçao without a permit.
As a (European) Dutch citizen you will have to apply for a ‘by operation of law’. (you can find more about this under moving)
As a yu di Korsou or as a Dutch person, you do not need a work permit.

If your partner does not have Dutch nationality, he/she will need a work permit.
The work permit or work permit must be applied for by the employer.
Before processing an application for a work permit, a number of data and documents must be submitted. Such as company and personal data of the employer and the foreign national respectively, information about the position to be fulfilled by the foreign national (i.e. nature, place, education and experience requirements), the employment contract (for the first application, a draft will suffice) will be entered into by the foreigner.
Documents you will need to submit:

Copies of relevant Diplomas, certificates and letters of reference

2 matching passport photos, not older than 60 days

Copy of full passport

The employer must first apply for the work permit and then the residence permit.
The Executive Council decides on the granting of the work permit.
The Lieutenant Governor decides on the admission (residence permit) of the foreigner and must await the BC decision.
Both decisions must be positive.

The application is registered and processed in accordance with the National Ordinance on the Employment of Foreign Nationals (LAV).

Purchase notes

When you bring your belongings from the Netherlands, please make sure that you have purchase invoices / receipts for those goods so that you are exempt from import duties. For exemption, these invoices must be older than 6 months. When purchasing new goods from certain companies, no VAT has to be paid if you take them with you and have them delivered directly to the mover. Private individuals can only reclaim VAT on traveler’s luggage. So one must show the purchase and VAT invoice to customs at Schiphol upon departure. It also applies that you must be deregistered from the Netherlands. If you have a private individual deliver goods to a mover, reclaiming VAT is not possible. If you buy new goods before leaving the Netherlands, you must pay import duties on Curaçao for these new goods.

If your car has been in your own name and has been used for more than 12 months, it will be exempt from import duties. If the car is not in your name for 12 months, you pay 27% import duties on the C.I.F. value and 9% OB (turnover tax).

Shipping of household goods takes an average of four to six weeks. Once you have arrived at Curacoa, you should take into account that it will take another one to two weeks before you can dispose of your household effects, due to customs formalities. Please note around the Christmas period it may take even longer due to the extra “Christmas” pressure