Aruba Work and Residence Permit in 2026

Foreign nationals generally may not work for an Aruban employer while present only as tourists. The ordinary employment route is a combined immigration/work process administered by DIMAS, with labor-policy input and employer documentation. The permit is not a generic open work visa: the standard route is tied to a particular employer and job.

Standard DIMAS employment model

The DIMAS paid-employment page describes paid employment as requiring a work-and-residence permit and says the worker normally works for one Aruban employer in a specified job title. Its standard description still refers to a DPL labor-market review followed by a DIMAS residence application.

The live DIMAS application portal, however, carries a temporary policy notice effective April 24, 2025 saying applicants no longer need to visit DPL for the labor-market test and may submit directly to DIMAS. That is expressly described as temporary. Applicants should therefore follow the live portal and current DIMAS instructions rather than assuming the older static sequence is still mandatory.

2026 first-application restriction

A Government of Aruba notice dated February 13, 2026 said the regular route was not yet open for most first applications while Aruba prioritized people already registered under the Hunto pa Progreso transition. The same notice said academic/scientific specialists, domestic workers and cooks could still submit first applications. A June 2026 update confirmed that Hunto pa Progreso had ended and DIMAS was continuing to process transition cases while the government reviewed exemption policy.

No later official source located for this September 2026 verification clearly announces a universal reopening date. Treat this as a live administrative-policy question and confirm the current DIMAS portal position before making relocation commitments.

Hunto pa Progreso is not an open relocation route

Hunto pa Progreso was a temporary regularization programme for people already in Aruba under specified historical conditions. Registration deadlines in 2025 have passed. It should not be marketed to a new overseas applicant as a current Aruba work-visa option.

Published documents

DIMAS lists items such as:

  • employment contract;
  • judicial/legal documentation for first applications;
  • Form A / sponsorship documentation;
  • employer declaration;
  • employer and employee SVB registration statements;
  • Chamber of Commerce company statement; and
  • business/director licensing documents where applicable.

The exact checklist depends on the employer, occupation and whether an exemption applies.

Medical stage

In February 2026 DIMAS publicly clarified that the work-permit process includes a mandatory medical examination stage. Once the file reaches that stage, the Communicable Diseases Department / Department of Public Health handles the medical evaluation. DIMAS cannot formally grant the work permit until the health authority has completed and registered the medical data.

This matters for “processing time” estimates: a complete DIMAS file can still depend on another authority before final approval.

Fees and validity

Government of Aruba’s first-work-residence page states:

  • temporary work residence can be issued for up to one year;
  • AWG 65 is charged when filing;
  • the permit fee is AWG 1,200; and
  • a deposit may also apply.

Those figures come from the published first-application category and should be rechecked against the current payment order before filing, especially while temporary policy changes remain in effect.

Processing time

The same Government of Aruba page publishes a 10-week wait for the first work-residence permit. DIMAS FAQ separately states a general legal handling period of 12 weeks, with an additional 12 weeks possible when DIMAS issues notice that more decision time is needed.

Use the route-specific 10-week figure as the published work-category reference, but plan around the broader statutory/administrative window and the medical stage.

Professional and investor exemptions

Not every worker follows the same labor-market review. DIMAS says qualifying professionals / knowledge-based immigrants are not subject to the labor-market review, and qualifying investors/shareholders can also be exempt. Exemption from the labor-market test is not the same as exemption from immigration residence requirements.

Family members

A worker’s family may have a separate family-residence basis, but the family permit does not automatically confer work permission. Each adult dependent who wants to work should verify the necessary work authorization.

Renewal and job changes

Because the standard permit is employer/job specific, changing employer or role should not be treated as automatically covered by the existing permit. Confirm whether DIMAS requires a change application before the new work starts. Renewal should be filed before expiry and under the policy in force at that time.

Tax and payroll

A work permit does not itself determine fiscal residence. Aruba tax residence depends on durable personal ties under Departamento di Impuesto guidance. Employers also have separate payroll and social-security obligations.

Return to the Aruba residence hub, compare business/investor residence, or browse the Caribbean region and work visa routes.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Aruba