N°04 · Field note · Before you fly

The Curaçao Digital Immigration Card, step by step

One free form stands between you and the island. When to fill it in, what it asks, and the mistakes that cost travellers money or time at the airport.

Curaçaooo Field NotesPublished 17 October 20266 minute read

Poster illustration of a blank travel card with a teal halftone check mark stamp, tilted on cream paper, while a black airplane pictogram flies along a dotted path toward a large ochre sun and a green island over a blue sea. — Editorial illustration.

Before you board a flight to Curaçao, the airline will ask for one thing that is easy to forget: the confirmation of your Digital Immigration Card, the DI card for short. It is a free online form that replaced the paper immigration card once handed out on the plane. It takes a few minutes, but it has rules about timing, names and children that catch people out, and there are websites that will happily charge you for something that costs nothing.

This note walks through the card in the order you will meet it, using only what the official card website and the Curaçao Tourist Board publish. Both are listed at the end with the date we checked them.

Who needs a card

The official site states that all international visitors must complete the card before arriving. It defines a visitor as someone staying at least 1 night and at most 90 nights, and no more than 180 days in a calendar year. The tourist board adds that this covers leisure, business and family visits, as long as you are not doing paid work for a local resident or a company based in Curaçao.

Residents are exempt. According to the official site, if you are registered in Curaçao with a valid residency registration, you do not fill it in.
Born in Curaçao, living abroad? You still need a card.
Children need their own card. It is required per person and per trip. Parents or guardians can put their own email address on each child's card.
Transit passengers need a card if they have to check in again with a different airline.

The official pages we checked do not address cruise passengers. If you are arriving by ship, ask your cruise line.

When to fill it in

The window is easy to get wrong. The official site says to complete the card within 7 days before your departure. Older articles from when the card launched, such as a 2015 Caribbean Journal report, give other timings; go by the official site.

Once submitted, the card is valid from the moment you complete it until your flight lands and you are granted entry. If you extend your stay on the island, you do not need to edit the card.

Chart titled The card in four moves. Four pictograms in a row: a grid of seven teal days ending in a red square with a plane, a blue screen with a form, an ochre envelope, and a check in desk with a traveller. Numbered captions read: fill it in within 7 days of departure; use the official site, one card per person; keep the confirmation email or PDF; show it at check in and on arrival. — Editorial illustration. Steps from dicardcuracao.com.

Step by step

Go to dicardcuracao.com. Type the address yourself rather than clicking an advert. The card can only be completed online.
Have your passport and an email address ready. You need a valid passport and an email address you can open while travelling.
Enter your personal details exactly as in your passport. The site is strict: nicknames are not allowed, and the details must match. Uploading a photo of your passport is optional.
Add your travel and contact details, then accept the disclaimer.
Save the card. You can download the confirmation as a PDF, receive it by email, or both. The email comes from curacaoimmigration@curacao.com; if it does not arrive, check your spam folder.
Show it at check in. The official site says the confirmation is mandatory and will be checked at your airline check in.
Show it again on arrival. Immigration in Curaçao will ask for it, on your phone or printed.

It is free. The official site does not charge for the card. In December 2025 the Curaçao Chronicle reported travellers paying tens of euros to websites that imitate government services, for a card that costs nothing. If a site asks for payment, close it and go to dicardcuracao.com.

Fixing a mistake, and changes of plan

You can only submit one card per person per trip, so if something is wrong, edit rather than start again. Use the option to edit a submitted card on the official site (dicardcuracao.com/dicard). You will be asked for three pieces of information exactly as you first entered them, then you can correct the card, save it, and download the updated PDF.

Flight missed or cancelled? No need to reapply. The card stays active for at least one day after your original arrival date.
Coming back again later? The tourist board says frequent visitors update their existing card for each new trip, using the same edit process.
Questions the FAQ does not answer? The official site gives dicardsupport@curacao.com as its support address.

The card across a whole trip

It helps to see the card as a thread that runs through the journey rather than a box to tick once.

A week out. Once you are inside the 7 day window, fill in one card for each traveller and save every confirmation where you can find it offline.
At the airport. The airline checks the confirmation before you board. Have it open on your phone or printed, along with the passport you used to fill it in.
On landing. Immigration asks for it again. Its job ends here: the card is valid until your flight lands and you are granted entry.
During your stay. Nothing to do, even if you decide to stay longer.
Your next visit. Open your existing card with the edit option and update it for the new trip, instead of creating a second one.

A short checklist

Within 7 days of your flight, not earlier.
One card for every traveller, including children.
Names exactly as in the passport.
Confirmation saved on your phone, and ideally printed too.
Only dicardcuracao.com, and never pay.

After you land

With the card done, the island is the easy part. For the basics on climate, language and currency, see Good to know. In Willemstad, our note on the Queen Emma Bridge and the free ferry explains how to get between Punda and Otrobanda. For a day out west, start early with the Christoffel National Park hike and finish on the north coast at Shete Boka National Park.

Good to know

When should I fill in the Curaçao Digital Immigration Card?

The official site says to complete it within 7 days before your departure. You must show the confirmation at airline check in and again to immigration on arrival.

Does the Curaçao Digital Immigration Card cost money?

No. The card is free when you use the official site, dicardcuracao.com. Lookalike websites have charged travellers for it, so do not pay anyone for this form.

Do children need their own Digital Immigration Card?

Yes. The card is required per person and per trip, children included. Parents or guardians can enter their own email address on each child's card.

What happens if my flight is cancelled or I miss it?

You do not need to apply again. According to the official site, your card stays active for at least one day after your original arrival date.

Do residents of Curaçao need the card?

No. People registered as residents of Curaçao are exempt. People born in Curaçao who live abroad do need to fill it in.

Sources

Checked on 17 October 2026. Hours, fees and rules can change without much notice, so confirm with the official source before you go.