Entry Requirements

Citizens of most countries in the world do not need a visa for their entry to our island. However, effective January 1, 2005, visitors from the following countries are required to have a visa for stays of up to 3 months (90 days) in the Netherlands Antilles, since beginning in 2005, the Dutch Kingdom synchronized visa requirements among Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles.

Afghanistan

Fiji Rwanda Albania Gabon Salomon Islands Algeria Gambia Sao Tome and Principal Angola Georgia Saudi-Arabia Armenia Ghana Seychelles Azerbeidzjan Guinea Senegal Bahrein Guinea-Bissau Servia and Montenegro Bangladesh Haiti Sierra ***** Belarus India Soedan Benin Indonesia Somalia

Bhutan Iraq Sri Lanka

Bosnia Iran Swaziland Botswana Jemen Syria Burkina Faso Jordania Tadzjikistan Burundi Kazakhstan Taiwan Cambodia Kenya Tanzania Cameroen Kirgizia Thailand Cape Verdia Kiribati Turkmenistan

Central African Rep. Kuwait Togo China (except for Laos Tonga Hong Kong SAR and

Lesotho Tsjaad BNO holders) Libanon Tunesia Colombia Liberia Turkey Comores Libia Tuvalu Congo-Brazzaville Macedonia United Arab Emirates Congo-Democrat Rep. Madagascar Vanuatu Cote d’Iviore Malawi Vietnam Cuba Maldives West-Samao Dominican Rep. Mali Yugoslavia Djibouti Morocco Zambia Egypt Peru Zimbabwe Equatorial Guinea Philippines South Africa Eritrea Qatar Ethiopia Russian Federation

Maximum total days that one can stay on the island is 90 days! The latter can be used in one period or during different visits in one year.

Prolongation of Stay:

Visitors from countries that either appear or do not appear on the above list are required to request prolongation of their stay after a 14 days period (2 weeks). For visitors from countries other than those appearing above, visits of up to 14 days (2 weeks) are allowed without any permit.

Citizens of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, along with any other countries with whom the Netherlands has reached an agreement on visa requirements, are allowed to stay up to 90 days (3 months), without having to apply for a visit extension.

To prolong your visit, present the following documentation in person at the immigration office at Kaya Libertador ***** Bolivar #7 (behind Tourist Corporation Bonaire's office):

• Passport
• Visa (in passport), if required
• Return ticket
• You may be required to provide proof that you have the financial resources to stay up to your new desired date. This information may also be requested upon entry into Bonaire, but is up to the discretion of Immigration.

Nationals of the United States and Canada may submit for their entry to Bonaire, either:

• A valid Passport
• An official birth certificate or an affidavit of birth, plus a valid driver's license
• A certificate of naturalization for citizens born outside the United States, plus a valid driver's license
• A re-entry permit to the US, a valid non quota immigration visa or an Alien Registration (green card) for non USA citizens residing in the USA, plus a valid driver's license

However, for travel beginning December 31, 2005, there are new United States Re-Entry Rules:

In an effort to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, beginning December 31, 2005 the U.S. Department of State will require that travelers to and from the Caribbean have a valid passport or other secure, accepted document (Border Crossing Card, SENTRI, NEXUS or FAST cards) to enter or re-enter the United States. This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all U.S. citizens entering the United States from countries like Bonaire, who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the U.S. Check back to this site for any changes to the proposed regulations, or for more information and updates visit the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html.

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Moderator - St. James Forum

currently when the students arrive the school takes care of their immigration documents within 2-3wks of their arrivals....
for both new comers and current students it is important to note the new changes to the immigration rules...
the following documents are needed to obtain a temporary residency permit
a valid passport
two photo ids
birth certificate translated in dutch and notarized by the dutch embassy
single/married certificated translated in dutch adn notarized by the dutch embassy
health insurance

once u have a residency permit u do not require a reentry permit to leave and enter bonaire...

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Moderator - St. James Forum

The recent overhaul of immigration protocol in Bonaire, is this vital to their national security or just an avenue of generating extra levies through tourism. Which ever reason holds, extra caution should be exercised to avoid enacting any anti-tourists legislation.

They should focus on ideas that would attract more visitors from abroad.

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Keep the faith no matter what the turbulence may seem like. Tough times do not last but tough people do and have every reason to laugh at last.

Now the new regulations as of late are No one can stay over 30 days at a time, they told this to the New MD1 students this August. But all the immigration papers go to the School's office in Chicago and then come here to Bonaire where the Admin takes them to Immigration to be logged in, then after the new students are here for a few weeks they go to immigration to show the health insurance cards/certificates and finalize the status.

Please do the immigration as soon as you are accepted, get the Apsotiles done as asked for please.

New requirement is to bring your bank statements with you to show you have at least $500 in the account. You will need recent statements so be prepared.

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As a student on Value MD not attending one of the Covenanted schools there is no pleasure in posting anymore.

Hi,
So is the maximum stay still 30 days? I'm a little confused about how I should set up my airline ticket. Supposedly they check at immigration to make sure you have a return ticket. They didn't when I came down to visit a couple of weeks ago, but than I did look like a tourist. Any suggestions about airline tickets? Is it best to get a round trip for 30 days than push the date back to the end of the August? Or best to get a round trip ticket for the dates I want (more than 90 days) and hope they don't question it?
Any feedback would be great. Thanks....

As a student you do not have to worry, it is officially 90 days for a tourist, this is due to the island has no way to support "street People" so they have rules and with 12,000 pop they know who is who anyway.

Just book the tickets like you need to, you may get a hassle one way or another, it's the Government not the school just the way it is.

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As a student on Value MD not attending one of the Covenanted schools there is no pleasure in posting anymore.

where and how can i get single/married certificated translated in dutch ang notarized by the dutch embassy??? if i dont speak dutch or know dutch how do i make this certificate???

why arent there any visit visa or student visa's available for the people/students on the island??? is there any such thing in the works or something???

You will get temp residence so have no need of a visa as a student. I don't believe you to translate into Dutch, I didn't have anything translated and never had a problem.