Curaçao insurance for nomads

Curaçao has one main hospital and a handful of private clinics, and nomads use both.

The Curaçao Medical Center

The Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) in Willemstad, opened in 2019, is the island's acute and trauma centre: it has the only intensive care unit, a 24-hour emergency room, trauma and neurosurgeons, and, useful for the dive crowd, a hyperbaric (decompression) chamber on site. For day-to-day care there are private options including the Antillean Adventist Hospital (Advent Hospital) and Taams Clinic, plus clinics that do consultations, house calls and telemedicine for visitors.

Language and the evacuation reality

English is widely spoken alongside Dutch and Papiamentu, so navigating care is straightforward. The ambulance number is 912 (you will also see 911 cited locally, so save both). Pharmacies, known as botikas, are well stocked and easy to find, with rotating after-hours service; basic medicines are over the counter, but antibiotics and controlled drugs need a prescription, so bring enough of anything essential with a doctor's letter. The island caveat is the one that matters most: the US Consulate states plainly that access to quality medical care is limited and that critically ill patients needing services not offered on Curaçao are normally transferred to Colombia at the patient's expense. European EHIC and GHIC cards are not valid here. That is the evacuation reality this page keeps coming back to.

For short visits, US, British, Canadian and Australian travellers all enter visa-free. US citizens get up to 180 days per calendar year; British, Canadian and Australian visitors get up to 90 days (Canadians within a 180-day window). Everyone must complete the free online Digital Immigration card before arrival and hold an onward ticket plus proof of funds. Travel insurance is not a legal entry requirement for tourists, but given that serious cases leave the island, it is strongly advised.

@HOME in Curaçao permit

To stay longer and keep working, Curaçao offers the @HOME in Curaçao remote-work permit, for people working remotely for an employer or clients outside the island (you cannot work for a local employer). It grants six months, extendable by another six, with an application cost of ANG 535 (about US$294), and holders are not liable for Curaçao income tax. There is no officially published minimum income figure, only a requirement to show a livable income and sufficient funds, so treat the monthly thresholds you see quoted online as unofficial. Insurance, by contrast, is explicit: a valid international travel and medical insurance, including COVID-19 coverage, is a stated prerequisite for approval. No minimum sum is set and there is no requirement to buy from a local insurer, which leaves the choice to you, and on this island the part worth getting right is medical evacuation. We lay out the details on the Curaçao digital nomad visa page.

• Off-island evacuation. The island's own US Consulate calls local care limited and says critically ill patients are normally flown to Colombia at the patient's expense, so insurance with strong medical evacuation cover is the headline here, not a nicety.
• Mosquito-borne disease. Dengue is present year-round and peaks in the October-to-January rains; Zika and chikungunya also circulate. The mosquitoes bite by day, so use repellent.
• Sun and dehydration. The Caribbean sun is intense and the island is dry, so heat and dehydration are easy to underestimate, especially on long days outdoors or diving.
• Rip currents. Strong currents cause drownings every year; swim at lifeguarded spots and respect local warnings rather than untested coves.
• Diving accidents. Curaçao is a major shore-diving destination, and decompression illness is a real risk; the CMC chamber treats it on-island, but confirm your policy covers diving.
• Petty crime. Curaçao is a low-risk destination (US Level 1), but pickpocketing and theft from cars and unattended bags happen, so take normal precautions.