Aruba Passport Requirements

Aruba has a special relationship with the United States, Canada, Mexico and other Caribbean countries as it is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). WHTI countries have slightly different rules toward passports with regard to one another than other countries. Any citizen of these countries needs only a government-issued photo ID and proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate or green card in order to enter Aruba by sea. You need a passport to enter by air. Citizens of all other countries need at least a valid passport, and maybe a visa, to enter Aruba.

If you aren't a resident of one of the WHTI countries, you need to do a little more research as to whether you need to obtain a visa to supplement your passport. Aruba tends to require visas of people from two different regions: Africa and the Middle East. If you are coming from one of those regions, it is best to double-check your need for a visa. Aruba also requires visas from Asian and European countries such as China, India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Romania. No matter what, though, in order to stay for longer than 3 months to work or study, you always need to have a visa.

The visa application process for Aruba is pretty similar to most other countries. For the tourist visa, Aruba requires the visa application form; a passport; two passport photos; the application fee; proof of self-sufficiency, such as a bank statement; and proof of wanting to return home. It goes without saying that proof of not being a danger to a state is also required. If you wish to enter Aruba for study or work, you have to go through a slightly longer and more complicated process in order to obtain a visa that includes proving the reason for coming through an acceptance letter to a university or a letter from a boss.