🇬🇧 Curaçao DI Card for UK Citizens: Pre-Departure Guide

Booked your trip to Curaçao? Before you start packing your swimsuit and sunscreen, there's one small task that belongs on your pre-flight to-do list: the Curaçao ED Card.

It's quick, it's free, and skipping it can cause problems at the boarding gate-or on arrival in Willemstad.

This guide is written specifically for UK travelers. Rather than drowning you in legal jargon, it focuses on the practical stuff: when to fill out the form, what details you'll need on hand, and how to make sure you're airport-ready. Follow the steps below and you'll breeze through immigration at Curaçao International Airport (CUR).

What is the Curaçao ED Card, and do UK citizens need it?

The Curaçao ED Card is the everyday name for the Curaçao Digital Immigration Card. You'll also see it called the DI Card. It replaced the old paper Embarkation-Disembarkation card back in October 2019, and it's now completed entirely online.

Here's the key point for British travelers: the ED Card is not a visa. UK citizens don't need a visa to visit Curaçao-you can stay for up to 90 days on tourism or business. But the Digital Immigration Card is still mandatory. Every non-resident traveler must complete one, regardless of nationality, age, or reason for the trip.

That word "everyone" matters. Traveling with kids? Each child-including infants-needs their own individual form. There's no such thing as a single family submission.

When should UK travelers submit the Curaçao immigration form?

Timing is where a lot of travelers slip up, so it's worth getting right.

You can submit the Curaçao immigration form up to 7 days before departure. However, the sweet spot is 24–48 hours before you fly, once your flight details are locked in. Submit too early and you risk entering the wrong flight number if your schedule changes.

A simple rule of thumb: treat the ED Card as the final step in your travel prep. Confirm your flight, sort your accommodation booking, then complete the form. That order saves you from having to redo anything.

Why last-minute matters at the gate

Some airlines check for the ED Card confirmation at the departure gate before letting you board. If you leave it until you're standing in the queue at Heathrow or Gatwick with patchy Wi-Fi, you could be scrambling. Complete it at home, save the PDF, and you're covered.

How to fill out the Curaçao ED Card online

The whole process takes around 5–10 minutes at dicardcuracao.com. Here's what to do:

1. Go to dicardcuracao.com and choose "Fill out new DI Card." (If you've visited before, you can retrieve your stored details and just update your travel info.)
2. Enter your personal details: your full name exactly as it appears on your passport-no nicknames-along with your date of birth, nationality, and passport number and expiry.
3. Add your travel details: flight number, airline, and arrival date.
4. Enter your accommodation: the full hotel name and address, or your host's name, address, and contact phone number.
5. State your length of stay in nights (minimum 1, maximum 90).
6. Provide a valid email address-this is where your confirmation lands.
7. Review everything carefully. Double-check that your name matches your passport exactly and your passport number is correct, character by character.
8. Submit. A PDF confirmation arrives in your inbox almost immediately.
9. Print the PDF or save it to your phone. You'll need to show it later.

Common mistakes to avoid: using a nickname, mistyping your passport number, submitting an old flight number, and-the classic-filling out one form for the whole family instead of one each.

What documents do UK travelers need?

There are two separate lists here: what you need to complete the form online, and what you need to show on arrival.

To complete the ED Card online, have ready:

• Your valid UK passport (number, country of issue, and expiry date)
• A valid email address
• Your flight number, airline, and arrival date
• Your accommodation address (full hotel name and address, or host details)
• Your intended length of stay in nights

Good news: there are no document uploads. You just type in the information.

To present at immigration in Curaçao:

• Your valid passport-the same one used for the ED Card
• Your ED Card PDF (printed or on your phone)
• A return or onward ticket
• Proof of accommodation
• Proof of sufficient funds (roughly USD 50 per day if you're in a hotel)

Travel insurance isn't mandatory, but it's strongly recommended. And if you're traveling with a minor who isn't accompanied by both parents, bring a parental consent letter and birth certificate.

Is dicardcuracao.com the official website?

Yes. dicardcuracao.com is the official portal, and the form is completely free.

This is worth flagging loudly. A number of unofficial third-party websites will charge you a fee to submit what is a free government form. Some pad their sites to look official and appear in search results. Before you enter any details, check the address bar-if a site is asking for a payment to process your Curaçao ED Card, you're in the wrong place.

Your final pre-flight step

The Curaçao ED Card is one of the easiest travel tasks you'll tick off-provided you know when to do it and where to go. To recap: it's free, it's mandatory for every UK traveler including children, and the best time to complete it is 24–48 hours before departure once your flight is confirmed.

Wait until your flight details are final, then head to dicardcuracao.com, spend ten minutes on the form, and save your PDF. Do that, and the only thing left to think about is which Curaçao beach to visit first.

Frequently asked questions

Michael Richardson

Senior Travel Editor

Senior travel editor covering Caribbean entry requirements and travel documentation for international visitors.