Entry Requirements & Customs

Passports

U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport. Citizens of a member country of the European Union need a passport and an E.U. Travel Card. A valid passport is required of all other nationalities. When you arrive in Aruba, be prepared to show an onward or return ticket or proof of sufficient funds for your stay.

Before leaving home, make two copies of your passport, driver's license, airline ticket, and hotel vouchers. Leave one copy with someone at home; carry the other with you separately from your passport. If you lose your papers, you'll be glad you took the trouble.

Visas

Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and E.U. nationals can stay in Aruba for up to 3 months without a visa. If you plan to stay longer, get a visa application from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Aruba (tel. 297/583-4705; fax 297/583-8108) or at a Dutch embassy or consulate.

Medical Requirements

There are no vaccinations required for entry.

Customs

U.S. Customs regulations allow $800 worth of duty-free imports per person every 30 days. The next $1,000 worth of items is taxed at a rate of 3%. Members of a family traveling together can make joint Customs declarations, so if you're a couple with two children, you can bring back purchases worth up to $3,200 without paying any duty.

You also can send packages home duty-free -- up to $200 worth per person for personal use -- but the procedure is cumbersome. Customs Form CBP 3299 (Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles) must accompany all packages sent to you at home. You can sometimes get this form from Aruban shopkeepers or at the post office; if you can't, you can write the contents of the package and the value (up to $200) directly on the wrapper and write "personal purchases."

If you'd like to send friends or relatives back home a little something, mark the package "Unsolicited Gift." The limit is one package per addressee per day, and the value of the contents must not exceed $100.

Returning U.S. citizens at least 21 years old are allowed to bring in 1 liter of alcohol duty-free. Regardless of age, you can bring back 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars (no Cubans).

Collect receipts for all purchases made abroad. You're also required to declare on your Customs form the nature and value of all gifts received during your stay abroad. It's prudent to carry proof that you purchased expensive cameras or jewelry in the U.S., if you did. If you purchased them during an earlier trip abroad, carry proof that you previously paid Customs duty on them.

If you use any medication that contains controlled substances or requires injection, carry the original prescription or a note from your doctor.

For more specifics, contact the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (the post-Homeland Security name for the old Customs Service), 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20229 (tel. 202/354-1000), and request the free pamphlet Know Before You Go. It's also available on the Web at www.cbp.gov (click on "Publications").

Canadian Customs regulations allow C$500 worth of duty-free imports if you've been out of the country for 7 days or more; the limit is C$200 after a 2- to 6-day absence. A written declaration may be required. Anyone age 16 or older can bring back up to 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars. If you're old enough to possess alcohol in the province through which you reenter Canada, you may include up to 1.14 liters (39 oz.) of wine or liquor or 24 12-ounce containers of beer or ale. You can send an unlimited number of gifts valued at less than C$60 back to Canada duty-free if you mark the packages "Unsolicited Gift -- Value Under $60." Not alcohol or tobacco, though.

For a summary of Canadian rules, contact the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (tel. 800/461-9999; www.cra-arc.gc.ca).

United Kingdom residents can receive detailed regulations by contacting HM Customs & Revenue (tel. 0845/010-9000; www.hmce.gov.uk).

Australians should request the helpful brochure Guide for Travelers -- Know Before You Go, available from the Australian Customs Service (tel. 1-300/363-263 from within Australia, or 61-2/6275-6666 from abroad; www.customs.gov.au).

For New Zealand customs information, contact the Customs Service (tel. 0800/4-CUSTOMS; www.customs.govt.nz).

Aruba Customs regulations allow incoming visitors to bring articles for personal use. Persons over age 18 can also bring in 2.25 liters of wine, 3 liters of beer, or 1 liter of liquor; and 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars, and 250 grams of tobacco.