Importing Personal Effects into Aruba: Documents & Customs Rules

Source: FIDI Customs Guide · Updated 2025 · Download the Aruba Import Guide (PDF)

Household goods

• For import duties free:
• Certificate from your last place of residence confirming that you have lived there for at least 6 months prior to the move. (1 year in case you are importing a motor vehicle, boat or airplane and would like to get exemption).
• Completed customs form (to be provided by our agent).
• Certificate of residence.
• Original invoices for all new items.
• Bill of lading / Air waybill.
• Inventory list.
• Copy of the passport.
• Certificate of registration (Title) of motorized vehicles.
• Insurance Certificate of insured period of vehicle with start and termination date.

• Immigrants moving to Aruba, with the intention of establishing a residence may import free of duty and taxes household and personal effects that were owned and used by him in his former country of residence.
• Also included for duty free import are cars, motorcycle and pets.
• Prior to moving to Aruba shipper is to make sure that residence permit will be granted to him.
• To obtain exemption of duties the applicant should be in possession of the goods, at least six (6) months prior to arrival on Aruba.
• It is necessary that the applicant appears personally at destination agent’s office immediately upon his/her arrival to sign the necessary custom forms.
• Client must be on the island during the customs procedure.

• Original documents are needed for the customs clearance. Please send copies by fax or e-mail to start the customs clearance procedure and original by courier service.
• Customer must be on the island for customs clearance as he will have to go to customs in person.

Motorized vehicles

• Certificate from your last place of residence confirming that you have lived there for at least 6 months prior to the move. (1 year in case you are importing a motor vehicle, boat or airplane and would like to get exemption).
• Completed customs form (to be provided by our agent).
• Certificate of residence.
• Original invoices for all new items.
• Bill of lading / Air waybill.
• Inventory list.
• Copy of the passport.
• Certificate of registration (Title) of motorized vehicles.
• Insurance Certificate of insured period of vehicle with start and termination date.

• To obtain exemption of duties the applicant should be in possession of and have used the vehicle, boat and or airplane at least 6 months prior to the shipping date.
• Definition of a passenger car is: Motor vehicles not being sport cars and cars for pursuing a hobby, on two or more wheels, including trailers for other than business
• transportation of persons, goods or livestock and suitable for the public road.

Restricted / Prohibited items

• Vaccination passport (for pets).
• License (for firearms)

• Domestic animals:
• Must comply with health regulations and have appropriate vaccination documents.
• The pet passport must contain the following information:
• A statement from the vet (in Dutch or English) that your pet has been vaccinated with an approved vaccine against rabies.
• The date of vaccination.
• Pet’s description including its breed, sex, age, color and type of fur and its marks.
• The name of the owner.
• Important! Dog or cat must have been vaccinated within 1 year and at least 30 days before the move.
• Take into account that applying for such a passport will take some time.
• Client should, therefore, apply for it at the vet no later than 10 days before the move.
• If client does not have a pet passport, dog or cat will be vaccinated upon entering the country after which it will have to remain in quarantine for 30 days.
• Firearms:
• Subject to license.
• Drugs and narcotics.
• Prohibited items.

• It is recommended to contact the Veterinary dept if clients would like to import other domestic animals. Veterinary dept can be reached by telephone: (297) 850400, fax (297) 851828 or by e-mail: vetservice@setarnet.aw

Fumigation of imported wooden materials

• Shipments in wood packing material will have to have a Seal, which certifies that the shipment has received the required treatment (HT) Heated Treatment (a minimum wood core temperature of 56 degrees C for a minimum of 30 minutes) or Methyl Bromide Treatment (the minimum temperature should not be less the 10 degrees C and the minimum exposure time should not fall below 16 hours)
• The wood packing material must be marked in a visible location on each article, on at least two opposite sides of the article with a legible and permanent mark in black ink. Labels and adhesives are not allowed.
• The mark should be as follows: Where XX is the country code, 000 the producer number, YY the treatment type and AAA the inspection agency logo.

Exporting Personal Effects from Aruba: Documents & Customs Rules

Source: FIDI Customs Guide · Updated 2025 · Download the Aruba Export Guide (PDF)

Household Goods/PE

• Copy of client's passport
• Client's tax ID (persons number)
• Value of household goods and vehicle (if applicable)
• If taking a vehicle:
• Car registration
• Proof of insurance

• If the client is taking seashells or corals, they should take these to the department of public health at Barcadera 1 or send an e- mail to vetservice@dvg.aw to get approval before packing day.

Aruba Moving Guide: Documents, Duties & Shipping Notes

Source: IAM Country Guide · Updated 2026-09-05 · Download the Aruba Country Guide (PDF)

Documents

Documents required for importing used household goods, personal effects, and related shipments.

• Certificate from last place of residence confirming the applicant lived there for at least 6 months prior to the move (1 year if importing a motor vehicle, boat, or airplane and seeking duty exemption)
• Completed customs form (provided by the destination agent)
• Certificate of residence in Aruba
• Original invoices for all new items
• Bill of lading (OBL) / air waybill (AWB)
• Inventory list
• Copy of passport
• Certificate of registration (title) of any motorised vehicles
• Insurance certificate of insured period of vehicle with start and termination date (if importing a vehicle)

Specific Information

Residence permit prerequisite: Prior to moving, the shipper must ensure that a residence permit will be granted. Without a valid residence permit, the duty-free exemption cannot be applied.

Ownership duration: The applicant must have been in possession of the goods for at least 6 months prior to arrival in Aruba. For motor vehicles, boats, and airplanes, the ownership and use period must be at least 6 months prior to the shipping date to obtain exemption.

Personal appearance required: The applicant must appear personally at the destination agent's office immediately upon arrival in Aruba to sign the necessary customs forms. The client must be on the island during the entire customs clearance procedure.

Original documents: Original documents are needed for customs clearance. Copies may be sent by fax or email to start the process, with originals sent by courier service.

Traveller duty-free allowances (per Departamento di Aduana): For goods brought in personal luggage, a maximum value of Afl. 900 per person is exempt from duty. Goods must be personal and not intended for trade.

Customs declaration system: Aruba uses the ASYCUDA World system for written declarations.

Duties & Taxes

Duty-free conditions: Confirmed by the Aruba government (gobierno.aw), immigrants moving to Aruba with the intention of establishing residence may import household goods and personal effects duty-free, provided the goods were owned and used by the applicant in their former country of residence. Vehicles, motorcycles, and pets are also included in the duty-free exemption.

Import duties (non-exempt goods): Per the Government of Aruba, import duties for basic goods range from 0% to 12%. Luxury goods are subject to higher rates. Raw materials for manufacturing are duty-free. Alcohol, tobacco, and products thereof are subject to excise duties in addition to import duties.

Prohibited & Restricted Items

• Drugs and narcotics — Strictly prohibited; customs checks flights from known risk areas
• Firearms, explosives, and ammunition without licence — Prohibited
• Counterfeit currency and goods — Prohibited
• Endangered species and their products CITES — Prohibited without CITES permit (conch shells, sea turtles, parrots, iguanas, sea stars, coral)
• Pets from high-rabies-risk countries — Prohibited
• Pets from South and Central America — Prohibited unless part of household effects with Veterinary Service approval

Per the Departamento di Aduana, the following may be brought to Aruba in personal luggage without duty:

• Personal goods up to a maximum value of Afl. 900 (approximately USD 500) per person
• Goods must be for personal use, not for trade

• Meat and meat products PERMIT REQUIRED — Must be declared and presented to the Veterinary Service with health certificates, invoice, and cargo bill. Only from approved slaughterhouses in approved countries. 5% import quality fee on customs value.
• Plants PERMIT REQUIRED — Must be declared with health certificates and related documentation.
• Telecommunications equipment PERMIT REQUIRED — Import licence required from the Department of Telecommunications Business. Exceptions: household phones (not wireless), modems (not wireless), and fax machines do not require a licence.
• Medicines PERMIT REQUIRED — Licence from the Inspection for Medicinal Products required. Carry a medical passport or doctor's note for personal medications.
• Firearms and ammunition PERMIT REQUIRED — Import, export, and transit prohibited unless licensed.
• Precious jewellery, cameras, laptops — Customs may request proof of prior ownership (receipts, guarantee certificates) for luxury/expensive items.

Shipments in wood packing material must have a seal certifying required treatment: either Heat Treatment (HT — minimum wood core temperature of 56°C for minimum 30 minutes) or Methyl Bromide Treatment (minimum temperature 10°C, minimum exposure 16 hours). The mark must be in a visible location on each article, on at least two opposite sides, in black ink (labels and adhesives are not allowed). The mark must show: country code, producer number, treatment type, and inspection agency logo.

Consignment Instructions

Recommended: Contact the destination agent to ensure all requirements have been met prior to import, especially for differences regarding air / sea shipments.

Personal appearance: The owner must appear personally at the destination agent's office immediately upon arrival and must be on the island during the entire customs procedure. This is a strict requirement.

Original documents: Required for clearance. Send copies in advance to start the process; originals must follow by courier.

Routing / port of entry: Aruba is a small Caribbean island approximately 15 miles north of Venezuela. Queen Beatrix International Airport (Oranjestad) for air freight. Barcadera port for sea freight. Aruba has direct flights from the US, Europe, and the Caribbean.

Currency: The Aruban florin (AWG/Afl.) is the official currency. Exchange rate: approximately Afl. 1.80 = USD 1.00. US dollars are widely accepted. Cash declarations required for amounts exceeding USD 10,000 or equivalent.

Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with its own customs authority (Departamento di Aduana). It is NOT part of the European Union and EU customs rules do not apply. Aruba has its own import duty structure separate from the Netherlands and the other Dutch Caribbean islands (Bonaire, Curacao, Sint Maarten).

Regulatory Updates

• August 2025: The customs procedure for digital submission of objections to customs decisions went into effect.
• 2023: ISPM 15 requirements and pet import details updated.
• Ongoing: The Veterinary Service continues to update pet import requirements; the electronic pre-notification system (email PDF documents to vetservice@dvg.aw) is the current standard process.