Aruba to welcome visitors from Europe, Caribbean, Canada from July 1

Aruba has announced that the country will welcome tourists from the Caribbean (with the exception of Dominican Republic and Haiti), Europe, and Canada from July 1. Visitors from the United States will be allowed from July 10. Official opening dates for other markets, including South America and Central America are yet to be determined.

The decision to reopen borders, which were closed due to COVID-19 restrictions in early-March, was made in conjunction with the Department of Health, taking into consideration the ongoing guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States.

“The safety and well-being of our residents and visitors is our highest priority. As we prepare to reopen our borders, Aruba has put in place advanced public health procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 on the island,” said Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes. “We have taken careful and deliberate steps to assess the current situation and make certain it is as safe as possible and appropriate to begin the reopening process.”

Aruba considered a range of factors in the reopening decision-making process, including:

• Local Containment: An aggressive response to identifying and managing potential cases of COVID-19 was impactful.
• Gradual Easing of On-Island Restrictions: As conditions improved, restrictions on the island have been carefully rolled back without significant concerns.
• Stringent Health Standards in Place: New health and safety protocols have been implemented island-wide, with a heavy emphasis on tourism and hospitality businesses to ensure visitors feel safe.

Each year, more than a million visitors come to Aruba from all around the world. Like many destinations whose economies are driven by tourism, reopening borders is a critical milestone and ushers in a “new normal” for the time being.

Travelers will be required to follow a new embarkation and disembarkation process to enter the country. Mandatory travel requirements will soon be available on Aruba.com.

The ‘Aruba Health & Happiness Code’, which outlines stringent cleaning and hygiene standards, is mandatory for all tourism-related businesses throughout the country. This protocol will ensure tourism businesses adhere to the strict guidelines for health, sanitation, and social distancing protocols. Each business will go through a checklist of new rules and regulations on how to operate in a COVID-19 world. Upon completion, businesses will be inspected by the Department of Public Health and receive a Code Gold Certification once approved.