Aruba Reopens Its Borders to Travellers

The Government of Aruba has announced the country will officially reopen its borders and once again welcome inbound travel for visitors, from Bonaire and Curaçao on 15 June, the Caribbean (with the exception of Dominican Republic and Haiti), Europe, and Canada on 1 July, followed by visitors from the United States beginning 10 July 10. Official opening dates for other markets, including South America and Central America have yet to be determined.

The decision to reopen borders, which were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions in early-March, was made in conjunction with the Department of Health and took into consideration the ongoing guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States.

“The safety and well-being of our residents and visitors is our highest priority. As we prepare to reopen our borders, Aruba has put in place advanced public health procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 on the island,” said Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes. “We have taken careful and deliberate steps to assess the current situation and make certain it is as safe as possible and appropriate to begin the reopening process.”

Aruba considered a range of factors in the reopening decision-making process, including:

• Local Containment: An aggressive response to identifying and managing potential cases of COVID-19 was impactful and reduced the effect on Aruba.
• Gradual Easing of On-Island Restrictions: As conditions improved, restrictions on the island have been carefully rolled back without significant concerns.
• Stringent Health Standards in Place: New health and safety protocols have been implemented island-wide, with a heavy emphasis on tourism and hospitality businesses to ensure visitors feel safe.

Each year, more than a million visitors come to Aruba from all around the world. Like many destinations whose economies are driven by tourism, reopening borders is a critical milestone and ushers in a “new normal” for the time being.

Travellers will be required to follow a new embarkation and disembarkation process to enter the country. Mandatory travel requirements will soon be available on Aruba.com.

In addition to social distancing, Aruba is placing temporary capacity limits on some of the more popular tourist destinations to decrease the flow of visitors at peak times in more heavily trafficked areas, without limiting overall access.