The Venezuelan authorities have closed the borders with Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. There is currently no air or sea traffic between Aruba and Venezuela. If you’re planning to travel on these routes, contact your tour operator for further advice.

The hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June to November. You should monitor local and international weather updates from the US National Hurricane Center and follow the advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders.

UK health authorities have classified Aruba as having a risk of Zika virus transmission. For more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre website.

Aruba is used as a drug passageway from South America to Europe and North America. Do not leave bags unattended or agree to carry a package for anyone. 

Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Aruba, attacks can’t be ruled out.

Consular support may be limited in Aruba. However, the British Consulate General Amsterdam in the Netherlands can provide consular support to British nationals.

If you need to contact the emergency services, call 100 (police), 911 (ambulance and fire) or 913 (coastguard).

Crime

Most visits to Aruba are trouble-free. However, petty theft and street crime occur. There is violent crime in association with drugs, but this rarely affects tourists. The main tourist areas are generally safe, but you should take sensible precautions:

• avoid remote areas at night.
• don’t take valuables to the beach or leave any valuables in your vehicle.  
• make sure purses and handbags are closed and not easy to snatch.  

Local travel

When taking a taxi, always check that it is a registered one and negotiate the price before taking the ride. Most taxis do not have meters.

Road travel

Driving is on the right. Main road conditions are relatively good, but roads can become slippery when wet.

Air travel

Safety concerns have been raised about INSEL Air. The US authorities have prohibited their staff from using the airline while safety checks are being carried out. UK government officials have been told to do the same as a precaution.

Political situation

Aruba is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It shares the same status as Curaçao and St. Maarten.

Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Aruba, attacks can’t be ruled out.

There’s a heightened threat of terrorist attack globally against UK interests and British nationals, from groups or individuals motivated by the conflict in Iraq and Syria. You should be vigilant at this time.

By Dutch law, you must always carry your ID. You should have a copy of your passport with you at all times.

English is the dominant language in Aruba although Dutch, Papiamento, and Spanish are also spoken. The Creole language, Papiamento, is a mixture of Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, English and French.

The information on this page covers the most common types of travel and reflects the UK government’s understanding of the rules currently in place. Unless otherwise stated, this information is for travellers using a full ‘British Citizen’ passport.

The authorities in the country or territory you’re travelling to are responsible for setting and enforcing the rules for entry. If you’re unclear about any aspect of the entry requirements, or you need further reassurance, you’ll need to contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the country or territory you’re travelling to.

You should also consider checking with your transport provider or travel company to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.

Visas

British passport holders do not need a visa for stays of up to 3 months. For further information about entry requirements, contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Further information on visa requirements can be found at the Netherlands and You website.

Passport validity

Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay in Aruba. You will be permitted entry as long as your passport does not expire before the end of your stay.

UK Emergency Travel Documents

UK Emergency Travel Documents (ETDs) are accepted for entry, airside transit and exit from Aruba.

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the latest country-specific health advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Each country-specific page has information on vaccine recommendations, any current health risks or outbreaks, and factsheets with information on staying healthy abroad. Guidance is also available from NHS (Scotland) on the FitForTravel website.

General information on travel vaccinations and a travel health checklist is available on the NHS website. You may then wish to contact your health adviser or pharmacy for advice on other preventive measures and managing any pre-existing medical conditions while you’re abroad.

The legal status and regulation of some medicines prescribed or purchased in the UK can be different in other countries. If you’re travelling with prescription or over-the-counter medicine, read this guidance from NaTHNaC on best practice when travelling with medicines.

While travel can be enjoyable, it can sometimes be challenging. There are clear links between mental and physical health, so looking after yourself during travel and when abroad is important. Information on travelling with mental health conditions is available in our guidance page. Further information is also available from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC).

UK health authorities have classified Aruba as having a risk of Zika virus transmission. For more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre website.

Cases of Chikungunya virus have been confirmed in Aruba. You should take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid in Aruba. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.

If you need emergency medical assistance during your trip, dial 911 and ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

The hurricane season in the Dutch Caribbean normally runs from June to November. Monitor local and international weather updates from the Meteorological department of Curacao and the National Hurricane Centre, and follow the advice of the local authorities. See our Tropical cyclones page for advice about what to do if you are caught up in a hurricane.

Most hurricanes pass well to the north of Aruba, which has no record of a recent major hurricane. There are occasional tropical storms.

The official local currency is the Aruban Guilder (AWG), fixed to the US dollar at approximately 1.80 AWG to 1 US dollar. US dollars are accepted throughout the Island. Local currency and US dollar ATM machines (Maestro/Cirrus) are situated all over the islands. Major credit cards are accepted in most tourist establishments.

Foreign travel checklist

Read our foreign travel checklist to help you plan for your trip abroad and stay safe while you’re there.

Travel safety

The FCO travel advice helps you make your own decisions about foreign travel. Your safety is our main concern, but we can’t provide tailored advice for individual trips. If you’re concerned about whether or not it’s safe for you to travel, you should read the travel advice for the country or territory you’re travelling to, together with information from other sources you’ve identified, before making your own decision on whether to travel. Only you can decide whether it’s safe for you to travel.

When we judge the level of risk to British nationals in a particular place has become unacceptably high, we’ll state on the travel advice page for that country or territory that we advise against all or all but essential travel. Read more about how the FCO assesses and categorises risk in foreign travel advice.

Our crisis overseas page suggests additional things you can do before and during foreign travel to help you stay safe.

Refunds and cancellations

If you wish to cancel or change a holiday that you’ve booked, you should contact your travel company. The question of refunds and cancellations is a matter for you and your travel company. Travel companies make their own decisions about whether or not to offer customers a refund. Many of them use our travel advice to help them reach these decisions, but we do not instruct travel companies on when they can or can’t offer a refund to their customers.

For more information about your rights if you wish to cancel a holiday, visit the Citizen’s Advice Bureau website. For help resolving problems with a flight booking, visit the website of the Civil Aviation Authority. For questions about travel insurance, contact your insurance provider and if you’re not happy with their response, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Registering your travel details with us

We’re no longer asking people to register with us before travel. Our foreign travel checklist and crisis overseas page suggest things you can do before and during foreign travel to plan your trip and stay safe.

Previous versions of FCO travel advice

If you’re looking for a previous version of the FCO travel advice, visit the National Archives website. If you can’t find the page you’re looking for there, send the Travel Advice Team a request.

Further help

If you’re a British national and you have a question about travelling abroad that isn’t covered in our foreign travel advice or elsewhere on GOV.UK, you can submit an enquiry. We’re not able to provide tailored advice for specific trips.