Investor/Shareholder Residence Permit

Aruba's Investor/Shareholder Residence Permit allows foreign nationals to reside in Aruba based on significant equity ownership in an Aruban company. Unlike standard employment-based permits, investor and shareholder applicants are exempt from the DPL (Departamento di Progreso Laboral) labour market test and apply directly to DIMAS (Department for the Integration, Management and Admission of Foreign Nationals), although they must still register with DPL. The program operates under the Landsverordening Toelating en Uitzetting (LTU) and the Handboek Toelating 2023, which entered into force on 1 February 2023 and significantly revised eligibility thresholds.

Applicants must qualify under one of two categories defined in chapter 3.1 of the Toelatingshandboek 2023:

Investeerder (Investor):

• CEO, CFO, or other formally designated trusted person (vertrouwenspersoon) of a company who can demonstrate a minimum investment of Afl. 150,000 in shares, OR
• Foreign national who qualifies for a director's licence under the Landsverordening Vestiging Bedrijven (Establishment Ordinance, administered by DEACI) and holds shares with a minimum value of Afl. 150,000
• Investors establishing in the designated Oranjestad or San Nicolas downtown ("binnenstad") zones benefit from a reduced Afl. 0 investment threshold under the favourable policy

Aandeelhouder (Shareholder):

• Foreign national who does not qualify for a director's licence but holds at least 40% of the issued share capital of an Aruba-based company
• Company must have a minimum capital of Afl. 50,000 (or comparable invested capital where statutory share capital is not legally required)
• Investment proven by deposit on a local company bank account or by an accountant's statement plus an up-to-date shareholders register

A separate vertrouwenspersoon incentive allows trusted persons of companies investing Afl. 1,000,000+ to be admitted without labour market testing (1 person per Afl. 1 million, up to 5 for Afl. 5 million+).

• Valid passport (minimum 3 months validity)
• Recent passport-style photograph (35 x 45 mm)
• Original police clearance certificate covering the last 5 years, legalised or apostilled, not older than 6 months
• Proof of investment (company registration, share certificates, notarial deeds, accountant's statement)
• Director's licence from DEACI (if applicable)
• Proof of company turnover/capital
• Medical certificate following examination by the Dienst Besmettelijke Ziekten (DBZ) after arrival
• Proof of health and accident insurance
• Bank references demonstrating financial self-sufficiency
• Proof of payment of retributie, leges, and waarborgsom

Documents not in Dutch, English, Spanish, or Papiamento must be translated by a sworn translator.

The permit is initially issued for 1 year and is renewable annually. Shareholders may request a multi-year permit of up to 5 years against a corresponding fee. At renewal, the qualifying investment (shareholding) and any director's licence must still be in effect. From the second application onward, the full investment threshold must be demonstrated even where a first permit was granted under formation-phase relief.

After 10 years of continuous legal residence and registration in the Bevolkingsregister (at least 120 calendar months of valid temporary or article-3 residence), holders may apply for an indefinite residence permit under article 7a LTU.

Spouses, registered partners, and minor children may apply for family reunification residence permits under chapter 1.1.1 of the Toelatingshandboek 2023. The general family-reunification income test is set provisionally at Afl. 2,040/month gross income for up to three persons. For investors and CEO/CFO-class applicants, dependants' first applications may be filed simultaneously with the main applicant given the presumed level of income. Each dependant requires a separate application with their own documentation.

Aruba tax residents are subject to worldwide income taxation at progressive rates; non-residents pay tax only on Aruba-source income. Income from business activities, dividends, interest, rent, and capital gains from 25%+ shareholdings sold within 5 years is taxable. Transfer tax on property is 3% for values up to Afl. 250,000 and 6% above. Annual property tax is 0.4% above an Afl. 60,000 exemption threshold for residents, 0.6% for properties above Afl. 750,000 and for non-resident-owned property. Business turnover tax (BBO) of 1.5% applies to commercial transactions.

Director-category investors must first obtain a director's licence from DEACI under the Landsverordening Vestiging Bedrijven before applying for the DIMAS residence permit. Applications are filed online through the DIMAS customer portal at portal.dimasaruba.aw. Since 24 April 2025, prior appointments are no longer required and document uploads can be completed through the portal at any time. In-person submission at the DIMAS office in Oranjestad remains possible.

A first investor/shareholder application may be awaited in Aruba on tourist status, provided lawful entry. Upon a positive first decision, a Voorlopige Toelating tot Aruba (VTA) valid for 3 months is issued; within 30 days of arrival the applicant must report to a local huisarts and submit medical results to the DBZ/DVG to receive the actual VTV residence permit.

Fees: First application: AWG 65 retributie + AWG 2,500 leges = AWG 2,565. Renewal/change: AWG 40 + AWG 600 = AWG 640. A waarborgsom (security deposit) varying by nationality must be paid before issuance — ranging from AWG 1,000 (Caribbean and Central/South America) to AWG 4,500 (Asia/Africa/Australia/Oceania). Processing typically takes 3–6 months in practice, including medical screening, though the LTU mandates decisions within 6 weeks.

Aruba is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Holders may apply for Dutch citizenship through naturalisation under the Rijkswet op het Nederlanderschap after 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence, subject to Dutch language proficiency (A2 level), civic integration examination, clean criminal record, and generally renunciation of prior nationality.

• Reserved business activities are exclusively available to local entrepreneurs; foreign investors are excluded from these sectors
• Foreign managing directors require a separate director's licence from DEACI in addition to the DIMAS residence permit
• A first shareholder permit may be issued with a work prohibition if the company is still in formation
• Shareholders have the option of a multi-year permit (up to 5 years) at a corresponding fee, useful for established businesses
• The Handboek Toelating 2023 introduced the harmonised Afl. 150,000 threshold (replacing the former Afl. 125,000 director-only threshold) and the redefined 40% / Afl. 50,000 shareholder test (replacing the former Afl. 250,000 share-value test)