Netherlands Antilles customs
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• The Netherlands Antilles were dissolved on 10 October 2010 and no longer exist. Customs rules now differ by territory: Curaçao and Sint Maarten are autonomous countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (the Caribbean Netherlands) are special municipalities of the Netherlands.
Free import
• Curaçao: personal goods, souvenirs and gifts worth up to XCG 200 (XCG 65 for travelers under 15). Purchases above this amount must be declared verbally to customs on arrival; a single item worth more than the limit is taxed in full.
• Curaçao, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 125 g of smoking tobacco, and 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 1 L of sparkling or fortified wine or 2 L of still wine (or a proportional mix). Residents of Curaçao get half these quantities.
• Caribbean Netherlands: goods for personal use worth up to USD 500 per person (USD 150 for travelers under 15) are free of general expenditure tax (ABB). Alcohol and tobacco are not included in this amount, and a single item worth more than the limit is taxed in full.
• Caribbean Netherlands: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 125 g of smoking tobacco (aged 17 or older); 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 1 L of drinks up to 22% (including sparkling or fortified wine), plus 2 L of still wine and 8 L of beer (aged 18 or older).
• Sint Maarten: Customs does not levy any tax on travelers' goods other than the excise on unleaded gasoline.
Currency
• Curaçao and Sint Maarten use the Caribbean guilder (XCG), which replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG, NAf) at 1:1 on 31 March 2025; the old guilder stopped being legal tender after 30 June 2025. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba use the US dollar.
• Curaçao: cash, securities, precious metals, jewelry or other valuables worth XCG 20,000 or more must be reported to customs on arrival. This also applies to people travelling together who jointly carry this amount.
• Caribbean Netherlands: USD 10,000 or more in cash and negotiable instruments (foreign currency converted to USD) must be declared to customs on arrival, also when you carry it for someone else or jointly with fellow travelers. No tax is charged.
Prohibited
• Illegal drugs
• Curaçao: protected (CITES) animals and plants and products made from them, without CITES documents - for example orchids, cacti, certain snakes, turtles, iguanas, parrots, coral and special shells such as karko (conch), and items made of snakeskin, ivory or tortoiseshell.
• Curaçao: firearms, other weapons and ammunition, unless an import permit has been issued.
• Caribbean Netherlands: firearms and other weapons (including knives, knuckledusters, swords, gas, alarm and airsoft pistols), imitation weapons, pepper spray and ammunition. Customs seizes them.
Restricted
• Curaçao: live animals, dead animals and animal products, meat and meat products, and plants and flowers need an import permit, which must be shown to customs on arrival.
• Curaçao: medicines need a permit from the Inspector of Medicines. Carry a medical passport or a doctor's statement showing that the medicines are for you or your children.
• Curaçao: specific rules apply to pets - check with Curaçao Customs before travel.
• Caribbean Netherlands: pets, medicines and protected animal and plant species are subject to specific rules - check with Customs Caribbean Netherlands before travel.
• Sint Maarten: Customs controls the import of animals, plants and hazardous items - check with Sint Maarten Customs before travel.
Free import
• Curaçao: personal goods, souvenirs and gifts worth up to XCG 200 (XCG 65 for travelers under 15). Purchases above this amount must be declared verbally to customs on arrival; a single item worth more than the limit is taxed in full.
• Curaçao, for travelers aged 17 or older: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 125 g of smoking tobacco, and 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 1 L of sparkling or fortified wine or 2 L of still wine (or a proportional mix). Residents of Curaçao get half these quantities.
• Caribbean Netherlands: goods for personal use worth up to USD 500 per person (USD 150 for travelers under 15) are free of general expenditure tax (ABB). Alcohol and tobacco are not included in this amount, and a single item worth more than the limit is taxed in full.
• Caribbean Netherlands: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 125 g of smoking tobacco (aged 17 or older); 1 L of spirits over 22% alcohol or 1 L of drinks up to 22% (including sparkling or fortified wine), plus 2 L of still wine and 8 L of beer (aged 18 or older).
• Sint Maarten: Customs does not levy any tax on travelers' goods other than the excise on unleaded gasoline.
Currency
• Curaçao and Sint Maarten use the Caribbean guilder (XCG), which replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG, NAf) at 1:1 on 31 March 2025; the old guilder stopped being legal tender after 30 June 2025. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba use the US dollar.
• Curaçao: cash, securities, precious metals, jewelry or other valuables worth XCG 20,000 or more must be reported to customs on arrival. This also applies to people travelling together who jointly carry this amount.
• Caribbean Netherlands: USD 10,000 or more in cash and negotiable instruments (foreign currency converted to USD) must be declared to customs on arrival, also when you carry it for someone else or jointly with fellow travelers. No tax is charged.
Prohibited
• Illegal drugs
• Curaçao: protected (CITES) animals and plants and products made from them, without CITES documents - for example orchids, cacti, certain snakes, turtles, iguanas, parrots, coral and special shells such as karko (conch), and items made of snakeskin, ivory or tortoiseshell.
• Curaçao: firearms, other weapons and ammunition, unless an import permit has been issued.
• Caribbean Netherlands: firearms and other weapons (including knives, knuckledusters, swords, gas, alarm and airsoft pistols), imitation weapons, pepper spray and ammunition. Customs seizes them.
Restricted
• Curaçao: live animals, dead animals and animal products, meat and meat products, and plants and flowers need an import permit, which must be shown to customs on arrival.
• Curaçao: medicines need a permit from the Inspector of Medicines. Carry a medical passport or a doctor's statement showing that the medicines are for you or your children.
• Curaçao: specific rules apply to pets - check with Curaçao Customs before travel.
• Caribbean Netherlands: pets, medicines and protected animal and plant species are subject to specific rules - check with Customs Caribbean Netherlands before travel.
• Sint Maarten: Customs controls the import of animals, plants and hazardous items - check with Sint Maarten Customs before travel.