Travel with identity cards Pilot in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom
Many families and companies have spread out over the years within the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. There is therefore a great need to make travel as accessible as possible in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
The vast majority of residents residing in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom hold a local identity card (sédula/ID Card). Some of them do not have a passport. Currently, only a passport is considered a valid travel document to travel within (and outside) the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. The costs and the process of applying for a passport can be experienced as a obstacle to travel.
In order to promote travel within the Kingdom, Curaçao, the Netherlands and St. Maarten have decided that as of the 1st of May 2022, residents with the Dutch nationality may travel in the Dutch Caribbean, Curaçao and St. Maarten on the basis of their local ID card only. However, the usual local entry conditions will apply, including having sufficient means for the stay on the island.
For travel between the participating islands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba, Curacao and Sint Maarten) and Aruba, a passport is still required. This measure is also not applicable for travelers between the participating islands and the Netherlands. A passport is still required for this travel. Also, the European Netherlands ID Card will not be considered a valid travel document for travelling within the participating islands.
In the autumn of 2022, the participating islands will jointly examine whether this measure contributes significantly to the optimisation of passenger traffic between the countries of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and should be structurally regulated in that respect.