Curacao Vaccinations & Travel Health Advice (2024)

FAQs

Do I need any vaccines for Curaçao? ›

Make sure your vaccinations are up to date before your visit to Curaçao. Consider also getting shots to protect you from hepatitis A and B. As elsewhere in the Caribbean, stick to commercially bottled water for drinking and ice cubes, and avoid food that you can't peel, cook or boil.

Curaçao - Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions.

Travel advisory: All travel advisories consider Curacao a safe destination. Crime rate: Crime in Curacao mostly affects the local residents; tourists need only worry about petty theft and car theft.

A large portion of Curaçao's population is Roman Catholic, and holidays are taken very seriously. Carnival, in particular, is huge here, lasting for more than a month. If you're visiting in January or February, be prepared for colorful masquerades and loud processions through the streets.

All international travelers are required to fill out the Digital Immigration Card (DI Card). Make sure you have a valid passport, and a valid e-mail address that you can access. You will need to supply information from your passport to successfully complete the Digital Immigration card.

Before Travel

Routine vaccinations protect you from infectious diseases such as measles that can spread quickly in groups of unvaccinated people. Many diseases prevented by routine vaccination are not common in the United States but are still common in other countries.

Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs in Curaçao. Residential break-ins and theft from vehicles, hotel rooms and rental units also take place. Crime typically increases during annual celebrations such as Carnival, which takes place from January to March.

Mosquitos are a nuisance but they can also carry diseases, so it's best to avoid getting stung altogether.

Can you drink tap water in Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao? The answer is yes. Tap water on these former Dutch Antilles islands is distilled from sea water. It is perfectly safe to drink, meeting the highest quality standards of the World Health Organization.

Customs restriction in Curaçao are similar to just about everwhere else in the world. Prescription drugs, particularly if they contain narcotics, should be clearly marked. Unlike in the Netherlands, possession of even the smallest amount of marijuana or other illegal drugs is a serious offense.

Where not to stay in Curaçao? ›

Areas that are traditionally considered unsafe (especially at night) are: Koredor, Punda, Otrabanda, the Mambo Beach parking lot, the neighbourhoods of Scharloo, Fleur de Marie, Seru Fortuna, Marchena, Seru di Kandela, Souax, Koraalspecht, Seru Loraweg, Dein, Kanga, and most beach areas.

Willemstad, does have a reputation for being relatively safe, especially in well-known tourist areas. However, safety can depend on the specific neighborhoods. It's always a wise practice to avoid desolate areas, particularly at night, and heed local advice on districts to steer clear of after dark.

Dressing Casual is Okay

This island destination encourages tourists to dress as comfortably as possible for the warm weather, and flip flops and sunglasses are practically the dress code on Curacao.

What Vaccines Do I Need for the Caribbean and Northern America? The NaTHNaC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for travellers to the Caribbean and Northern America: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever and rabies.

Yellow fever vaccination certificate required for travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from countries with risk of yellow fever transmission and, for travellers having transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission.

Curaçao, where dengue is endemic, has experienced frequent outbreaks over the past 25 years.

Zika was limited to a small number of cases while it was active in Curaçao. As of October 2018, Curaçao has been removed from the list of countries where Zika is considered active.