Aruba Announces Reopening Dates for International Travelers

Aruba will begin a phased reopening for international visitors in July.

The country will welcome inbound travel for visitors from Bonaire and Curaçao on June 15, the Caribbean (with the exception of Dominican Republic and Haiti), Europe, and Canada on July 1, followed by visitors from the United States beginning July 10. Official opening dates for other markets, including South America and Central America have 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 and took into consideration the ongoing guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States.

“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.”

Travelers will be required to follow a new embarkation and disembarkation process to enter the country. These mandatory travel requirements will be announced at a later date.

At the Aruba Airport Authority, new measures put in place include screening, capability to PCR test visitors upon arrival, temperature checks, on-site medical professionals, social distance markers, additional shields and safeguards, and mandatory PPE training for all staff.

Aruba will also place temporary capacity limits on some of the more popular tourist destinations to decrease the flow of visitors at peak times in more heavily visited areas.

The Aruba Tourism Authority recently introduced the ‘Aruba Health & Happiness Code’, which outlines cleaning and hygiene standards that is mandatory for all tourism-related businesses throughout the country. [link]