Question 1

Do I need to provide a short-stay caribbean visa, unless you qualify for an exemption?

Accepted Answer

If your nationality is not on the Kingdom of the Netherlands' visa-exemption list, you need a visa for Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius. Jamaica is on the list for Curaçao only, so Jamaican passport holders need a visa here unless they hold a valid multiple-entry US or Canada visa (not an ESTA). Guyana's exclusion is for St Maarten only, and Peru's exception in the regulation's table is for St Maarten only, so both are visa-free here. You are also exempt if you hold a valid multiple-entry short-stay Schengen visa, or a valid multiple-entry visa for the United Kingdom or Ireland, or a valid residence permit for the Schengen area, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom or Ireland (or one for at least six months for a Caribbean part of the Kingdom, or for French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Barthélemy or Saint Martin), or a proof of return or return visa issued by the Caribbean Netherlands or by those places. If you are a national of Bolivia, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Jamaica or Venezuela, a valid multiple-entry US or Canada visa (not an ESTA) also exempts you. Air passengers in transit within 48 hours with an onward ticket, and cruise passengers who stay no more than 48 hours, are covered too. Check the ministry page's wording before you rely on one of these.

Question 2

Do I need to provide completed and signed caribbean visa application form?

Accepted Answer

Print the form, sign it, and bring it with your other documents (original).

Question 3

Do I need to provide passport photo to dutch requirements?

Accepted Answer

A colour photo no more than 6 months old, 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, on a white or light-coloured background. If you apply through an external service provider you don't bring a photo, because a digital one is taken at the appointment.

Question 4

Do I need to provide proof of legal residence in the country where you apply?

Accepted Answer

For example a passport or other travel document, a residence permit (valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom), a visa or a work permit. Bring the original and a colour copy. If you don't live in the country where you apply, you must show why you can't apply in your country of residence.

Question 5

Do I need to provide valid travel document?

Accepted Answer

Your passport must be no more than 10 years old, have at least 2 empty visa pages, be valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, and carry your signature. Bring the original.

Question 6

Do I need to provide proof of who pays for your travel and stay?

Accepted Answer

You must show who pays for your international travel and your stay. If you pay yourself, bring your bank statements for the previous 3 months and, if you are employed, 3 recent payslips (colour copies). The checklist does not give a minimum amount.

Question 7

Do I need to provide visa application fee?

Accepted Answer

A fee is charged when you apply, and it is not refunded if the application is rejected as incomplete. This checklist page gives no amount, so ask the embassy or consulate where you apply.

Question 8

Do I need to provide a work permit if you want to work?

Accepted Answer

A short-stay Caribbean visa and the visa-free stay do not let you do paid work. The Caribbean Netherlands' national office says Dutch and US citizens who want to work or do an internship are limited to 90 days in 365 without a Declaration of Admittance by Law. For anyone else who wants to work, the ministry says to contact the local authorities.

Question 9

Do I need to provide be ready for the entry checks at the border?

Accepted Answer

Whether or not you need a visa, the Kingdom's foreign ministry lists the entry checks: a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid for your whole stay, proof you can return to your country of departure or travel on, proof of why you are visiting (such as a hotel reservation or an invitation), enough money (USD 150 to 200 a day in a hotel, USD 100 a day with family, or a sponsor who takes financial responsibility), and medical or travel insurance covering at least USD 15,000. You must not be seen as a threat to public order, public health, national security or international relations. The Caribbean Netherlands' national office adds that the border officers (Royal Netherlands Marechaussee) may shorten your stay depending on the purpose of your visit and your means of existence. The ministry says there may be other requirements depending on the island, such as registering with the local authorities or yellow fever vaccination, and that the local authorities may still refuse you entry; this app found no official page that spells those out for the BES islands.

Question 10

Do I need to provide proof of where you will stay?

Accepted Answer

A hotel reservation or rental agreement for the whole trip, or proof that you own a home or other immovable property in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Bring a colour copy.

Question 11

Do I need to provide travel medical insurance?

Accepted Answer

Proof of insurance in your name. It must cover all the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom for your whole stay and at least USD 15,000 of medical costs, including a hospital stay and treatment, emergency care, prescription medication, and repatriation to your country of residence (including if you die). Bring a colour copy.

Question 12

Do I need to provide proof of social or economic ties to the country where you live?

Accepted Answer

Employed: a recent statement from your employer with your job title, contract length and salary (or a certificate of employment), plus bank statements or payslips from the previous 3 months. Self-employed: a business permit or a copy of your income tax return, plus 3 months of bank statements. Student: proof of enrolment that states your field of study and the length of the programme. Otherwise you can use, for example, proof that you are a caregiver, that you own a home or other immovable property, or that your children go to school there. Bring a colour copy.

Question 13

Do I need to provide apply in person, at a dutch embassy or consulate?

Accepted Answer

The Kingdom's foreign ministry says how and where you apply depends on the country you are in: choose your country of residence on its page. In most cases you apply in person (children too), and it says you apply no earlier than 3 months before you travel and are told within 15 calendar days in most cases. If your visa for Bonaire, Saba or St Eustatius is rejected, the rejection letter explains how to lodge an objection.

Question 14

Do I need to provide get the visa before you travel?

Accepted Answer

A short-stay Caribbean visa lets you travel to and between Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. On Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius you can stay up to 90 consecutive days in a 180-day period. It does not let you work, and it is not valid for the European Netherlands or any other Schengen country. If you will travel to these islands more than once in the next 4 years, the ministry says you may qualify for the Caribbean Carpet Programme, which makes applying easier. Even with a visa or an exemption, officers may refuse entry.

Question 15

Do I need to provide reservation for your travel to and from the caribbean parts of the kingdom?

Accepted Answer

A reservation in your name, or another document showing your travel plans. You don't need a paid ticket. Bring a colour copy.

Question 16

Do I need to provide attend the appointment prepared, and sign the declaration?

Accepted Answer

The Netherlands foreign ministry's checklist says that in most cases you must apply in person, babies and children too. At the appointment you sign a declaration that you understand you must hand in all the documents for your application to be processed, and that an incomplete application may be rejected without a refund of the fee. The ministry may ask for an interview or for more documents.

Question 17

Do I need to provide if you're under 18 and travel without one or both parents or guardians: consent and family documents?

Accepted Answer

The ministry's checklist asks for a recent extract of the child's birth certificate (original and colour copy) and a consent form signed by the parent or guardian who is not travelling. It also asks for colour copies of that parent's or guardian's signed, valid travel document; if one of them holds a valid Caribbean visa, the data pages of their passport and visa; a death certificate if a parent has died; proof of guardianship if a guardian was appointed; and permission from the court if a court order is in place. Children under 18 also apply in person.

Nigeria → Caribbean Netherlands: Short-stay tourist

Required documents

Identity

Financial

Purpose of travel

Accommodation

Insurance

Employment

Travel

Other

Why applications on this route get refused

Sources