Frequently asked questions

Carry a policy: the Aruba Tourism Authority says travel insurance is not required but strongly recommended, while Dutch government entry guidance requires it. That guidance, published on NetherlandsWorldwide, calls for medical or travel insurance covering at least US$15,000, including hospital care, emergency treatment and repatriation. What ended, for arrivals on or after 8 July 2022, was the mandatory purchase of the specific Aruba Visitors Insurance product. Travelers who ask to extend a tourist stay still have to show insurance covering the extra time. What to check in a policy is on the travel insurance and safety page.

February through August is the Aruba Tourism Authority's broad recommendation, and March is a good dry-season option within it. March falls in the dry season that Aruba's national meteorological service, Departamento Meteorologico Aruba, defines as approximately February through June. The tourism authority instead labels December through April the dry season, so the two sources define it differently. December through April is also peak tourism season, when the authority says accommodation and activity prices tend to be higher. September through November is the off-season: fewer crowds and potential savings, with more sporadic rainfall and a higher heat index. Weigh the months in the best time to visit Aruba guide.

No visa is required for ordinary passport holders from the US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands and EU countries, according to the Dutch government's NetherlandsWorldwide list. Your passport must stay valid for the whole stay, and an exemption does not guarantee admission. Official sources differ on length of stay: Aruba's immigration authority, DIMAS, says admission is normally up to 30 days per visit, decided by the immigration officer, while NetherlandsWorldwide lists 90 days in any 180-day period, or 180 consecutive days in any 365-day period for Dutch and US nationals. For longer trips, go by the DIMAS tourist stay rules, and see our visa and entry requirements page.

Public buses, taxis with government-set fares and rental cars are your options; Uber and Lyft do not operate in Aruba, according to the operator of ArubaTaxiApp, which advertises licensed-taxi booking. Arubus Line 10A serves the Oranjestad-to-Arashi corridor, Line 2 links Oranjestad and San Nicolas via the airport, and Line 900 connects San Nicolas with Baby Beach. On the Arubus fares page on 9 October 2026, a single trip costs US$2.60 (AWG 4.50) and a day pass US$15. Taxis have no meters: the government taxi fare table, in effect since 20 May 2026, sets a US$10 minimum fare for up to four passengers. Compare the options in the guide to getting around Aruba.

Choose Palm Beach for high-rise hotels, Eagle Beach for low-rise hotels, and Oranjestad for a downtown base. The Aruba Tourism Authority describes Palm Beach as home to the island's high-rise hotels, with casinos, watersports, piers, shops and restaurants along the beach. At Eagle Beach, it says, low-rise hotels sit nearby or across the road from the beach. Oranjestad puts you beside the cruise port, the shops and the pedestrian Main Street, where a trolley connects the cruise terminal with the center of town. Compare the three areas in the where to stay in Aruba guide.

It can be, especially from December through April, the peak season when the Aruba Tourism Authority says prices for accommodation and activities tend to be higher. Several everyday costs are published, though. On the Arubus fares page on 9 October 2026, a single bus trip costs US$2.60 and a day pass US$15. The government taxi tariff in effect since 20 May 2026 has a US$10 minimum fare, and hourly hire costs US$60 with a two-hour minimum. Public beaches charge no admission fee; rented loungers and umbrellas are a separate purchase. Ways to trim the total are in the Aruba on a budget guide.

Dial 911. The Aruba government lists 911 as the general emergency number, covering police (through the central post), ambulance and the fire department. It also lists direct numbers for the district police stations, which are for non-urgent contact. The hospital is Dr. Horacio Oduber Hospital, and its published main telephone number, +297 527 4000, is separate from emergency dispatch, so call 911 for an ambulance. The full list is on the emergency contacts page.

Official advisories call for normal precautions: the US State Department rates Aruba Level 1, Exercise normal precautions, in an advisory issued 20 August 2026 and checked on 9 October 2026, and Canada says to take normal security precautions. San Nicolas is the caveat: US travel guidance identifies an increased risk of crime in the San Nicolas district, especially at night, and says crimes against tourists are more common there. UK government travel advice warns of petty theft and occasional street crime, and advises against walking in remote areas at night or leaving bags in vehicles. The district itself is described in the San Nicolas destination guide.

From the cruise port you can walk into downtown Oranjestad, shop along Main Street, ride the trolley or reach a beach without a long transfer. The Aruba Tourism Authority places the port on the northern side of downtown, about five to ten minutes on foot from Lloyd G. Smith Boulevard, depending on your dock. For a beach, the authority estimates about 15 minutes of walking to Surfside Beach, or about a ten-minute drive to Eagle Beach, for which it recommends a bus or taxi. Palm Beach is north of Eagle Beach and is also reached by bus or taxi. Plan the stop with the Aruba cruise port guide.

Yes, the Oranjestad trolley is free of charge, and you can hop on and off along the way, according to the Aruba Tourism Authority. It connects the cruise terminal with the center of town and runs through the pedestrian Main Street. The authority's attraction listing describes six stops serving monuments, museums and shopping areas. A current operating timetable was not confirmed for this page, so do not count on a set departure interval or on daily service. Background on the line is on the Oranjestad streetcar page.

SMAC, the Carnival organizer, has published a schedule for Carnival 73, and the government's 2026/27 school calendar sets the Carnival school holiday for 2 through 8 February 2027. That week is a school closure, not a list of parade dates, so confirm each 2027 parade on the organizer's Carnival schedule. Carnival Monday, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Ascension Day are public holidays whose dates move each year. Fixed-date holidays are 1 January, 25 January (Betico Croes Day), 18 March (Flag and Anthem Day), 27 April (King's Day), 1 May (Labor Day), and 25 and 26 December. The event itself is explained in the Aruba Carnival guide.

Only just: Aruba lies on the southern fringes of the hurricane belt, according to Departamento Meteorologico Aruba, the national meteorological service, so it is not fully outside it. The service says the rainy season starts in September and ends in January, and it defines the dry season as approximately February through June. Passing tropical systems can still cause beach erosion and coastal flooding, so a southern location does not mean zero storm risk. Match your dates to the seasons with the guide to when to visit Aruba.

You need an approved ED card, Aruba's online Embarkation-Disembarkation form, and visitors arriving by air pay a US$20 sustainability fee, as listed by the Aruba Tourism Authority on 9 October 2026. Aruba Airport's guidance requires it for arriving travelers, including infants and children; complete it within seven days before travel at the official portal, edcardaruba.aw. Payment is by credit card only, inside the ED process; children under eight are exempt. Official repeat-visit wording conflicts (same calendar year versus once per 365 days), so you may have to pay again and request reimbursement. Cruise passengers usually do not need the card. See the Queen Beatrix International Airport guide.

All of Aruba's beaches and coves are public, with no admission fee, according to the Aruba Tourism Authority, but public access does not give you the hotel setups on the sand. Under the authority's guidance published 29 April 2026, palapas, loungers and umbrellas assigned by hotels count as in use even while the guest is temporarily away, and some hotel-use sections operate under official permits. Renting a lounger or umbrella is a separate purchase. Sunscreen is regulated too: a 2019 ordinance prohibits the import, manufacture, sale or free distribution of sunscreen containing oxybenzone. How palapas work on one hotel-lined beach is covered in the Palm Beach guide.

A conservation day pass costs US$22 per adult, and children under 17 are free, as listed by the park operator, ACF, on 9 October 2026. Published daily visitor center hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at San Fuego and 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Vader Piet. ATVs are not allowed: ACF prohibits ATVs, UTVs and motorbikes in protected nature areas, so an off-road excursion booked elsewhere on the island does not entitle you to ride one into the park. Plan the visit with the Arikok National Park guide.

Dutch and Papiamento are the two official languages, and English and Spanish are also widely spoken, according to the Aruba Tourism Authority. Papiamento, the local language, became an official language alongside Dutch in 2003. The authority translates two phrases worth learning before you land: bon bini means welcome, and danki means thank you. Widely spoken is not universal, so do not assume every resident speaks every language. A few useful phrases are on the local tips page.

Aruba's currency is the Aruban florin (AWG, also written Afl.), and US dollars are widely accepted, according to the Aruba Tourism Authority. The Centrale Bank van Aruba lists the official peg at US$1 = Afl. 1.79, as checked on 9 October 2026. That peg does not fix the exchange rate or conversion charge a particular shop or bank will apply. The tourism authority also says major credit cards are accepted. Widely accepted is not a guarantee that every business takes dollars. Money-saving specifics are in the guide to Aruba on a budget.

The tap water is safe to drink, says WEB Aruba, the utility that produces it. WEB makes drinking water by desalinating seawater, including with seawater reverse-osmosis technology, and describes a remineralization step after treatment. The utility says the water is chemically tested daily and complies with World Health Organization guidelines. What comes out of the tap is therefore treated drinking water, which makes a refillable bottle a practical thing to pack. Refilling from the tap is one of the tips in the Aruba budget travel guide.

Passengers flying to the US clear US immigration and customs in Aruba before departure, and Aruba Airport recommends arriving three hours ahead, as listed on 9 October 2026. The sequence is airline check-in, Aruba passport control, security screening, US Customs and Border Protection, then your gate. The US check-in terminal admits you no earlier than three hours before departure, and if your flight is delayed the airport still tells you to follow the original scheduled departure time. Mobile Passport Control is no longer available; US passport holders should follow the Enhanced Passenger Processing queue instructions. More on the terminal is in the Queen Beatrix International Airport guide.

Sockets in Aruba take Type A and Type B plugs, the US standard, at a frequency of 60 Hz. Official documents vary on the voltage wording: a European Commission logistics note for an April 2026 event in Aruba lists 120 to 127 volts, while a March 2022 Aruba Convention Bureau guide lists 110 volts AC. Both give 60 Hz. Bring a plug adapter for US sockets if your devices need one, and check each appliance's input rating, because an adapter does not change the voltage. Other practical basics are in the first-trip guide to Aruba.