Aruba Business and Investor Residence in 2026

Aruba does not publish a single residence-by-investment programme where buying any property or depositing a generic amount automatically grants residence. The relevant DIMAS business route is tied to actual company roles, director licensing, investment/shareholding evidence and, where applicable, an exemption from labor-market testing.

DIMAS investor exemption

The DIMAS investor/shareholder page says qualifying investors and shareholders can be exempt from the DPL labor-market test and submit their residence request directly to DIMAS. The published investor cases are:

  1. CEO or CFO of a company with annual net sales of at least AWG 10 million; or
  2. a foreigner who qualifies for a director’s license under the business-establishment rules and holds shares with a value of at least AWG 125,000.

For the specified shareholder exemption, DIMAS describes a foreigner who does not qualify for the director’s license but owns at least 40% of the issued capital of an Aruba company, with a value of at least AWG 250,000.

These are exemption tests for the DIMAS business/work process, not a promise that any investment at those levels automatically creates residence rights.

Documents

DIMAS lists investor documentation such as judicial documentation, Form A, employer declaration, SVB employer/employee registrations, Chamber of Commerce evidence, director and establishment licences where applicable, and a certified notarial deed. A shareholder must document the ownership percentage and statutory shareholder register.

The 2025 DIMAS checklist also requires ordinary identity/sponsorship documents and specifies how first-application judicial documentation must be issued, legalized/apostilled where required and translated where necessary.

Current published fees

The current investor/shareholder checklist publishes:

  • first application retribution: AWG 65;
  • renewal/change retribution: AWG 40;
  • permit fee: AWG 2,500; and
  • a nationality-based deposit where applicable.

For a multi-year permit, the checklist says the retribution and permit fees are multiplied by the number of years, subject to a maximum of five years. Do not assume that every applicant automatically qualifies for the maximum term.

Property purchase is not the same as investor residence

Owning Aruba real estate can be relevant to finances or accommodation, but the official investor/shareholder criteria above are company and ownership-role tests. DIMAS does not state on this route that any residential property purchase price by itself creates investor residence.

Professionals and self-employed activity

DIMAS separately says qualifying professionals / knowledge-based immigrants are not subject to a labor-market review. For self-employed regulated professions such as medical professions, DIMAS points to the applicable professional legislation. This is another example of why “start a business” is not one universal immigration category: licensing and professional regulation may sit alongside DIMAS residence approval.

Work rights and company activity

A labor-market-test exemption is not a blanket exemption from residence or work conditions. A director, investor or shareholder should ensure that the approved DIMAS status covers the actual role being performed. Company formation, Chamber of Commerce registration, establishment licensing, immigration residence, social-security registration and tax residence are separate compliance steps.

Family and long-term residence

Qualifying family members may need their own family residence. A business permit also does not automatically become indefinite residence; the indefinite route requires the published long-residence history and continuity conditions.

Processing

DIMAS FAQ gives a general legal handling period of 12 weeks, with an additional 12 weeks possible if DIMAS formally extends the decision period. The investor checklist should be complete at filing because missing company, shareholding or licensing evidence can delay substantive review.

Tax residence

An Aruba company or DIMAS investor permit does not automatically determine the individual’s fiscal residence. Departamento di Impuesto uses the durable-personal-connection analysis for individual tax residence. Business owners should address corporate, payroll and personal tax compliance separately.

Return to the Aruba residence hub, compare the work-residence route, or browse the Caribbean region.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Aruba