Moving & Living - Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba - Complete Guide

01Choose the island and test the neighbourhood journey

Choose the island around the actual job, school, course or household connection. Then choose the neighbourhood around the daily journey. The three islands share administrative institutions but they are not interchangeable housing markets or stops on one local commute.

1. Get the exact entrance or meeting address from the employer or institution.
2. Compare two or three homes using the complete outward and return journeys, including the times the household needs to travel.
3. Inspect local service arrangements with each offer: water supply, electricity, internet availability and parking or pickup access.
4. Use a flexible first stay to test the shortlist before signing the longer agreement.

For island-office addresses and registration services, start with the Bonaire Civil Affairs directory, Saba Census service and Statia Census directory. Keep the actual service address with your appointment confirmation.

02Apply through the appropriate nationality and residence route

The Caribbean Netherlands has its own admission arrangements. Start with your nationality and the purpose of the stay, then separate entry, residence and employment permission. IND-CN handles immigration applications; a mainland Netherlands or neighbouring-island process is not a substitute.

Identify the right application

• Dutch nationals from outside the three islands: the Dutch-national instructions distinguish a Declaration of Admittance by Law from a Non-Applicability Declaration for qualifying island-connected people. The ordinary short-stay allowances are 180 days per 365 without work, or ninety days per 365 when working or doing a traineeship, measured from arrival. A longer stay requires the appropriate declaration.
• US citizens: use the specific American-national instructions. They publish 180 days per 365 without a permit and ninety days per 360 for work or an internship without a written declaration. The published rolling period differs from the Dutch page; confirm it with IND-CN for the itinerary rather than silently substituting one figure for the other.
• Other nationalities: use the nationality-based residence directory to establish whether a prior MVV is required. Its listed MVV-exempt nationalities can apply on the islands; exemption from that entry authorisation is not exemption from residence or employment requirements.

If an MVV is required, arrange it before the move

The MVV procedure allows an authorised employer or first-degree relative on the island to act as sponsor. Prepare the purpose-specific annex and appointment with that sponsor. A person who submits the application themselves must leave the island within eight days and await the decision in their country of origin. After approval, enter within three months of receiving the MVV and apply for the matching residence purpose within three days of entry.

For an MVV-exempt application, download the fixed-term residence form and annex, assemble the documents and fee evidence for the actual purpose, and book an IND-CN appointment. Only complete files are assessed. The page asks applicants to allow at least six months, while describing a three-month administrative aim; build the move around the issued decision rather than the aim. After approval, registration with Civil Affairs is mandatory.

Prepare for the announced November change

As reviewed on 13 October 2026, additional application documents take effect on 1 November 2026. Employment or self-employment applications require a no-debt certificate and, for extensions, a summary wage statement. Family-reunification applications require income evidence; indefinite-residence requirements depend on the previous purpose. Applicants must obtain and submit the necessary declarations themselves through the Caribbean Netherlands Tax and Customs Administration desk or [email protected]. Apply the checklist for the submission date.

03Agree the income arrangement and required employment permission

Agree the island, actual worksite, pay, accommodation and starting date with the employer before organising the move. The employer's recruitment and work-permit file are part of that timetable, alongside your immigration application.

1. Ask the employer to establish whether a TWV, the employment permit, is required for your circumstances.
2. Where required, have it register the vacancy with the island's labour unit at least five weeks before applying and conduct the required recruitment in two different media for at least five weeks.
3. Prepare the signed contract, qualifications and immigration file together. The RCN work-permit procedure says the worker must hold or have applied for valid residence permission; the employer submits through IND-CN, which forwards the work application to SZW.
4. Keep the decisions and their conditions before commencing the authorised job. An occupational recruitment exception is not automatically a general permit exemption: the page specifically exempts Saba teachers from the work-permit obligation while retaining the residence requirement.

The published assessment criteria include an age range of eighteen to forty-five at the first work-permit application. Establish any applicable exception with SZW before accepting a start date; the guide does not treat every adult applicant as eligible.

Use the current combined IND/SZW supporting-document checklist, version 1 October 2026, to divide responsibilities. It specifies signed forms, passport records, the employer's statement, legalised or apostilled conduct evidence no older than three months, and applicable establishment and Chamber of Commerce records. Business-sector and application-type columns matter: a hospitality licence or private-household accommodation plan does not apply to every employer. Read the footnotes about presenting originals at the desk. For an extension, prepare the existing permits and payslip as well as the applicable employer records.

For a business or overseas-client arrangement, describe the actual work to IND-CN and the tax office before choosing an immigration category. Establish the island's business-registration and establishment-permit requirements separately; a foreign client or an online business does not by itself create a remote-work residence route.

04Price the household move and establish the tax records

Work in US dollars and separate the moving cash from recurring spending. The household's island, income arrangement, housing contract and service setup determine the budget; there is no useful single monthly figure for all three islands.

For one verified recurring charge, MCB Bonaire's resident current-account administration fee is US$1.50 a month excluding ABB, checked 13 October 2026. The non-resident fee is US$10; qualifying pension and student products have separate exemptions. Confirm which product and tax treatment apply to the opened account.

Hypothetical moving-cash calculation: if a rental offer required US$1,200 for the first month and an agreed US$1,200 deposit, those two payments would require US$2,400 before transport, services or other expenses. These are illustrative inputs, not a surveyed rent or statutory deposit rule. Replace them with the actual offer and keep the refundable deposit separate from monthly consumption.

Arrange local tax records alongside the income plan. The islands use the Caribbean Netherlands tax administration, B/CN; use its applicable forms and tax year rather than a mainland Dutch calculator.

1. Establish the household's actual income sources, arrival date and employment arrangements, then discuss the residence-year filing treatment with B/CN.
2. Obtain or locate your CRIB number. The employer needs it for payroll; it also identifies tax returns and tax payments. If the record is lost, take identification to the tax desk for a CRIB statement. Newcomers whose record has not been issued should resolve registration with that desk before assuming the new BSN has replaced it.
3. Ask payroll to show how it applies the income-tax and insurance rules to the proposed pay, and which employer-paid benefits affect the calculation.
4. Keep the applicable return notice and submission date, income statements and evidence of deductions with the records for that tax year.

B/CN's published 2026 schedule, checked 13 October 2026, states 29.4% on the taxable amount up to US$53,198 and 38.4% on the excess, with a US$21,956 tax-free sum and an elderly allowance of US$1,678 where applicable. It also publishes national-insurance contribution rules. These figures do not by themselves produce an individual's net salary: the taxable base, allowances and insurance treatment must be established for the case.

For independent activity or staff hiring, arrange the business and employer records separately. B/CN's employer registration procedure uses the new-employer form and starter kit. Existing entrepreneurs hiring for the first time need the employer form; registered employers still have filing duties even before they have staff. Record the return calendar immediately after registration.

05Arrange school placement or university admission

Optional, for a household with schoolchildren or a student move: arrange the institution, placement and document sequence before choosing permanent housing. School registration and immigration approval are separate tasks.

Arrange the child's school place

• Bonaire: the 2026–2027 primary-entry notice directs group-one applicants to aanmeldenbasisonderwijsbonaire.com and children transferring into groups two to eight to the school itself. The published 1 April 2026 group-one deadline has passed; newcomers should contact the school or [email protected] for the applicable late or transfer arrangement. The later July 2026 notice updates the earlier capacity situation and asks parents to complete outstanding enrolment. Obtain an individual placement decision.
• Saba: Saba Comprehensive School at Pasture Road 11, St John's, publishes a concrete registration list: colour passport and ID copies for the student and parents or guardians, named passport photograph, original Census registration proof, the previous report card and deregistration, and the signed school and media-consent forms. Request the intended start and placement assessment from [email protected].
• Sint Eustatius: Gwendoline van Putten School in Upper Town, Oranjestad, is a secondary starting point offering Caribbean academic and vocational programmes alongside practical education. Discuss the previous curriculum, language support and placement with the school; its information page identifies English as the teaching language.

For university study, establish admission and the stay together

Saba University School of Medicine's application service uses an online account and document uploads, including transcripts, a personal statement, two recommendation letters and applicable testing evidence. It accepts initial unofficial documents but requires official records for final admission. Establish your nationality-specific requirements with admissions before submitting. Its January, May and September intakes are application options, not a promise of acceptance.

After an admission decision, obtain the institution's tuition, housing and immigration instructions. RCN's study means requirement is at least 50% of the relevant gross monthly minimum-wage amount plus tuition; a single payment must cover twelve such monthly amounts plus tuition. Agree the exact assessment with IND-CN, then follow the applicable nationality route and collect the documents needed for enrolment after arrival.

06Document a pension-funded residence plan

Optional, for a pension-funded move: establish the applicable admission category and income evidence before making a long housing commitment. The residence application still follows the nationality route explained earlier.

RCN's means-of-existence instructions identify a retired-person purpose with income at least 120% of the gross monthly amount under the BES Minimum Wage Act. The standard depends on the island and actual household circumstances. Use the linked current wage schedule and IND-CN's assessment for your case rather than the historical fixed dollar figures also displayed further down the page.

1. Have the pension payer issue the evidence of income and payment duration required by the application annex.
2. Resolve admission for a partner or other accompanying family member separately, including the household income assessment.
3. Establish how the pension will reach the chosen account, with transfer charges, tax treatment and any proof-of-life obligations.
4. Arrange bridging insurance and the local coverage sequence before deciding whether the intended island can support continuing care.
5. Compare the actual spendable income with rent, services and travel for the household. Keep large deposits and purchase commitments separate from ordinary monthly expenses.

RCN also distinguishes a long-term winter-visitor purpose, limited to six months a year, from a settled retirement move. Use the purpose that matches the stay; ownership of a home is not the admission decision.

07Prepare documents, pets and the household shipment

Keep a separate file for each traveller: passport, application and decision, civil-status records, school records and the documents needed for the island's first registration. Arrange any required apostille, legalisation or translation in the issuing country before packing the originals. Carry appointment documents in hand luggage and keep readable copies separately.

Optional, when travelling with an animal: arrange the receiving island's veterinary approval and the carrier's booking separately from the household customs exemption. State the species, origin country, identification and itinerary when requesting instructions.

The Bonaire Veterinary Department, at [email protected], gives a specific Netherlands-to-Bonaire dog and cat checklist: European pet passport, working microchip, valid rabies vaccination and a veterinarian-signed health certificate issued no more than ten days beforehand. Other origin countries and animal species require their own assessment; use the department's instructions for that journey.

On Saba, the government veterinary certificate notice tells travellers to contact the government veterinarian at 416-5879 early, prepare vaccination and microchip records, and pay at the Receivers Office before the certificate appointment. Its published certificate charges are US$25 for the first animal and US$15 for each additional animal on the same trip, checked 13 October 2026. These concern Saba-issued travel certificates, not a universal inbound pet-import fee.

1. Obtain the destination-specific written checklist before arranging vaccination or certificate appointments.
2. Coordinate certificate validity with the complete itinerary, including any transfer through Sint Maarten or another territory.
3. Confirm the carrier's crate, carriage and booking conditions for the actual service.
4. Carry the issued originals and payment evidence, and confirm the receiving inspection or handover before departure.

A current complete inbound pet checklist for Sint Eustatius was not verified during this review. Obtain it from the island administration and its veterinary service before booking; the Bonaire origin-specific instructions do not establish Statia's requirements.

Obtain the removal-goods assessment before dispatching a household shipment. Sea freight, storage, clearance and delivery are separate costs even where the goods qualify for a tax exemption.

1. Use Customs' relocation exemption conditions and its linked application to establish eligibility. The move must transfer normal residence to an island, with at least 183 days per calendar year previously spent outside the Caribbean Netherlands.
2. Prepare a signed inventory and evidence of ownership and use. Ordinary goods require at least six months' prior possession and use; a passenger vehicle requires twelve months. The same-purpose use must continue.
3. Arrange import within six months of taking up residence. Recreational boats, sport or hobby vehicles, tobacco and alcohol exceeding normal household stock are outside this removal-goods exemption.
4. Obtain the permit and agree the broker's declaration and arrival documents before shipping. Keep the declaration acceptance date: lending, renting, pledging or transferring the goods within the first twelve months is restricted.

If the shipment arrives before population registration establishes normal residence, Customs describes a security-payment arrangement. Submit the registration evidence and a written release request later, identifying the declaration number and date. Discuss the required amount with Customs before assuming the shipment can be released without extra cash.

For a later move between the three islands, the inter-island removal procedure still requires an exemption permit; absence of that permit can result in ABB and applicable excise. Keep the assessment specific to the actual receiving island.

08Enter with the correct approval and reach the first home

Book accommodation and the final island connection around the permission and timetable actually issued. Carry the address, host contact and next appointment offline.

1. At entry, retain the admitted-stay record and compare it with the purpose of the move.
2. Reach the booked home, test the phone and record the exact address for the next appointments.
3. Complete the residence task required by the entry route promptly. MVV holders have the specific three-day post-entry residence application described earlier; that is not a general first-month allowance.
4. Arrange Civil Affairs registration after the applicable admission decision, following the receiving island's timetable.

Keep each household member's issued conditions and expiry in the calendar with any sponsor, school and insurance tasks.

09Register locally and collect the island identity records

After admission, register with the Civil Affairs or Census Office on the island where you actually live. Prepare the household's records before departure so this appointment can follow the immigration decision promptly.

Use the island's own registration checklist

• Bonaire: Burgerzaken's immigration registration service at Kaya Neerlandia 40 requires an appointment and attendance by every moving household member. For a stay exceeding four months, bring the qualifying IND permission, each person's passport, housing evidence and applicable legalised civil-status records. People coming from the Netherlands or another Caribbean Kingdom administration need deregistration evidence. Its published deadline is five working days after receiving the residence permission; registration is free. Documents outside Dutch, English or Spanish require the specified translation arrangement.
• Saba: the Census Office at Powerstreet 1, The Bottom, distinguishes qualifying Dutch people born on, or with parents from, the BES islands from other applicants. Its other-applicant list includes passport, birth certificate, previous-location deregistration, address evidence and residence permission. Everyone, including minors, attends in person.
• Sint Eustatius: the Census Office at Chapel Piece Road 1 handles registration, identity cards, extracts and address changes. Obtain its case-specific document list before the appointment; the accessible service directory did not publish a complete newcomer checklist or registration deadline during this review.

Collect the local card and record the identifiers separately

For Bonaire, the sédula service follows population registration and requires personal attendance, the applicable original residence document and existing card, or a passport or driving licence if no card is held. It advises allowing two weeks immediately after registration. Published fees checked 13 October 2026 are US$8.38 for an adult card and US$2.79 for a minor's card; these are Bonaire issue fees, not a three-island tariff.

The RCN BSN instructions confirm that new residents receive a citizen service number on population registration. An existing BSN remains yours. Keep the confirmation with the local ID and tax CRIB record: those identifiers remain in use and are not interchangeable. If the BSN is missing, request it from the island Census Office. RCN also says non-government bodies such as banks, schools and utility suppliers are not yet authorised to use it in the Caribbean Netherlands; do not substitute it for the identifier requested in their lawful service process.

Before leaving the counter, compare spellings and address details with your passport and admission decision, arrange corrections and save the renewal dates. Use the island's address-change service if the temporary home is replaced by a permanent rental.

10Open the appropriate account and test everyday payments

Choose a bank product that matches the island, income and actual residence status. A salary account, a non-resident product and a student account can have different approval and document requirements.

1. For one practical starting point, review MCB Bonaire's personal current-account application. Prepare identification showing nationality, address evidence no older than three months and income evidence such as a payslip, employment reference or contract.
2. Bonaire residents can begin its digital account-opening process. Saba and Statia residents must contact the bank instead; its page limits digital opening to Bonaire and says a branch visit is usually needed to finish.
3. Ask the bank to confirm the applicable product, fees, required visit and any additional tax-residence evidence before transferring the household's moving funds.
4. After approval, activate the debit card and online access, verify the salary-payment details with payroll and test a small payment before setting up rent or utility transfers.

Keep the account's currency, transfer charges and payment reference instructions with the household budget. The bank's wider group also serves places with other currencies; obtain the actual account and beneficiary details for this island account rather than inferring them from a group-wide footer.

11Inspect the home and sign the actual rental agreement

Inspect the offered home and document the agreement before transferring the longer-stay deposit. Compare the total obligation: rent, furnishings, water delivery, electricity, internet and any agreed repair or service costs.

1. Confirm who owns or is authorised to let the unit. Match that person's name and the exact address with the written offer and payment instructions.
2. Inspect the rooms, locks, ventilation, appliances, water arrangements and vehicle or pedestrian access. Ask which defects will be repaired before handover and put the answer in writing.
3. Read the rental agreement, or huurovereenkomst, including its duration, rent currency, due date, notice, permitted occupants, pets and deposit, or borg. Obtain a receipt and the written return conditions for any security payment.
4. Identify whether utilities stay in the landlord's name or transfer to yours. On Saba, establish responsibility for the cistern and water orders; on Bonaire and Statia, record the meter details and provider handover.
5. Sign the inventory and photograph the starting condition and readings. Keep the keys, repair contact, contract and payment evidence together.

For Saba medical students, use the university's housing coordinator and accommodation instructions before signing independently. Unaccompanied first-semester students are expected to use a dormitory; students arriving with family or pets should discuss their appropriate arrangement. The page provides [email protected] for housing support and explains the distinction between managed dormitories and private rentals.

The same page advertises Hillside Saba at US$3,950 per semester including rent, electricity, water and fibre internet, paid before arrival, with US$2,000 described as the payment securing the room. This is a named student-housing offer checked 13 October 2026, not a general island rent estimate. Obtain the current room agreement, availability and cancellation or refund conditions for your semester before paying.

12Bridge the move and complete local healthcare registration

Arrange bridging insurance before departure, then complete local registration in the proper order. Care and Youth Caribbean Netherlands, ZJCN, directs newcomers to register in the island population register before attending its insurance desk. Tourist status does not qualify for BES health insurance.

1. Keep the bridging policy valid through the actual start of confirmed local coverage.
2. After population registration, bring the sédula or ID card, appropriate legal-status or residence evidence, and an employer statement where applicable to ZJCN. Newcomers from the Netherlands also need evidence of the termination date of Dutch health insurance.
3. Use the registration form and category instructions. Minors need a population-register extract stating nationality. Timely residence-renewal applicants can establish continuation while awaiting a final decision; submit the supporting renewal evidence.
4. Obtain confirmation of coverage, then arrange the local general practitioner and transfer the records needed for ongoing treatment.

ZJCN identifies exclusions including compulsory insurance in the European Netherlands, certain Dutch public-law employment and work income taxed in another country. Resolve cross-border employment with the insurance office before assuming local coverage. Its registration page also distinguishes a provisional entry authorisation from the issued residence permit needed for insurance registration.

Keep your valid identification and registration evidence with the treatment file. Ask the chosen practice how to arrange repeat medication, out-of-hours care and any referral that requires travel off the island; align these arrangements with the household's actual conditions rather than waiting until a medicine supply runs out.

13Set up water, electricity, connectivity and transport

At the housing handover, photograph meter numbers and readings, identify the account holder and agree which services the rent includes. A functioning supply in the building does not necessarily mean the account has been transferred to you.

Arrange the island's electricity and water services

• Bonaire: use WEB's takeover and moving instructions. They request identification, property evidence and meter details and charge the applicable transfer cost and deposit. Tenants should arrange the required ownership evidence and authority with the landlord before applying. Use the provider's application for the actual handover, rather than requesting a new network installation for an existing connection.
• Sint Eustatius: STUCO's connection service requires a signed contract and deposit for an existing meter. Its published residential deposits, checked 13 October 2026, are US$112.36 for single-phase electricity and US$100 for water. Higher-phase installations have different deposits; STUCO can assess the actual usage. A new meter adds a separate connection charge. Keep the closing-account balance and refund conditions with the contract.
• Saba: contact Saba Electric Company about the existing supply and account transfer. Its new-service application includes the installation details and an electrician's diagram, so resolve a genuinely new connection with the landlord and electrician.

For a Saba home where you order cistern water yourself, use the government RO-water delivery service. Create the linked account and complete the village, property directions, cistern location and working contact number before ordering. Telephone or WhatsApp-call ordering is also available at +599 416 5363. The published charge is US$40 per load, paid to the trucker at delivery, with at most two loads per order, checked 13 October 2026. Update the delivery profile when moving home.

Connect the phone and internet for the actual address

On Bonaire, TELBO's service directory separates copper and fibre packages, contract periods and installation charges. Request the available technology at the exact home and the total commitment before selecting a bundle. On Saba, use Satel; on Statia, use Eutel's residential enquiry service. Ask for the connection appointment, equipment, cancellation terms and a working temporary phone arrangement while installation is pending.

Arrange the daily journey and occasional off-island travel

Test the workplace or school journey from the actual home before relying on a car, school pickup or walking route. Ask the institution which transport arrangement covers your household and timetable; a student service is not automatically a general public service.

For air connections, use WINAIR's destination and booking service to price the actual dated itinerary. For Saba and Statia ferry connections, use Makana's schedule and booking service. Its destination list includes Saba, Statia and neighbouring islands; it does not establish a ferry connection to Bonaire.

Before paying, compare departure ports, check-in, baggage, connection time and the onward journey to the home. Resolve entry or transit requirements for every territory on the itinerary separately, using the destination authority. Save the operator's change or cancellation contact with the tickets, and budget occasional off-island travel separately from daily transport.

14Build the routine and finish the first-month handover

Build a regular week around the island's ordinary places: work or campus, the food shop, school, the health practice and one social activity. Ask colleagues or classmates about groups that meet regularly, then attend a session before taking on a longer commitment.

Use this as a planning checklist alongside the actual application deadlines; it does not create a thirty-day grace period. Resolve any outstanding file with the office handling it and record the next appointment.