VisaAruba student permits do not allow paid work
A current guide to the distinction between admission to an Aruban course and immigration permission, including conflicting official fee guidance that applicants should resolve before paying.
Official source date: 2025-07-31
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
A course offer does not authorise employment
Aruba’s immigration department, DIMAS, says that its student residence permit allows study and training experience but does not authorise paid employment. This is a current-rule guide for foreign applicants planning full-time education in Aruba, rather than an announcement of a new restriction on 2 November. A student considering a part-time job should resolve the immigration position before accepting paid duties; an educational institution’s offer does not itself change the conditions attached to residence.
The DIMAS Student page describes applicants aged at least 18 who attend an accredited institution full time and can support themselves or have a school or another person as guarantor. Its document overview includes suitable accommodation, judicial records, registration and institutional declarations, financial evidence and private insurance covering the study period. Use that page to check the purpose of the application before selecting an online category.
Check the permit before the course begins
The government’s student and trainee residence page says that foreign students and interns must hold temporary residence permission before starting their programme. It describes permission without work rights, normally covering the study or internship period for no more than a year. Applicants should therefore coordinate the academic start date with the immigration decision rather than treating enrolment as permission to begin.
That general government page quotes a ten-week waiting period, but the DIMAS application portal says actual processing depends on the request, complete documents and required payments. These are not grounds to promise a decision by a particular teaching date. Ask the institution what happens if permission is delayed before making an irreversible commitment.
Use the dated checklist for documents and fees
DIMAS’s student checklist dated 31 July 2025 specifies an acceptance letter and a signed institutional statement explaining the programme and duration. It requires the passport to remain valid for at least three months when filing. First applicants must await the decision abroad; the checklist recommends renewal or change applications three months before existing permission expires.
The same checklist lists AWG 65 in administration charges and AWG 300 in permit fees for a first student application, plus a nationality-dependent deposit. Renewal or change charges are AWG 40 and AWG 300 without a deposit. These figures differ from the older general government page, which quotes AWG 40 and AWG 100. Applicants should obtain the applicable payment order from DIMAS rather than choose the lower published amount. This reporting cannot establish that every applicant qualifies for the same deposit or fee treatment.
Submit through the official online route
The DIMAS Online applications only page directs applicants to its submission link and says online forms operate during office hours. It makes limited in-person exceptions for newborns and people aged 65 or over who need additional counselling. Its general guidance also offers personal assistance Monday to Thursday during office hours. Use the current application page to reach the submission channel rather than relying on an older appointment instruction.
The separate DIMAS portal explains account registration, uploading scans and returning to an unfinished application to add a missing document. It also provides a decision-tree tool for people unsure which status fits their circumstances. Administration charges, permit charges and any applicable deposit must be addressed before completing the process. Retain the submitted information and payment evidence so a later enquiry identifies the actual application.
Resolve an incorrect payment order or a change of plans
The DIMAS e-Helpdesk offers an Information option for questions about the appropriate permit, a change of circumstances or payment methods. Its Corrections option covers mistakes in a decision, personal details or payment order, including incorrect amounts or product types. Those are distinct requests: asking for information does not correct an already issued document automatically.
Finally, the Student page says that remaining in Aruba after finishing studies is handled as an administrative first application. A graduate should therefore identify the next lawful residence purpose rather than assume the student permission rolls into unrestricted employment. Nationality-based admission exceptions and an individual’s existing status can affect the appropriate route; the cited student guidance does not establish a universal exemption for every foreign passport holder. Use the e-Helpdesk to resolve that classification before the present permission or course ends.
