WILLEMSTAD – The issuance of hospitality permits on Curaçao has been delayed for more than seven years, forcing dozens of hospitality businesses to operate without formal approval from the government. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) in a detailed statement acknowledging systemic problems and outlining new measures to address the issue.
According to MEO, the prolonged backlog has not only resulted in a de facto tolerance policy but also led to a loss of government oversight, regulatory control, and significant revenue. The ministry estimates that the government is missing out on approximately 2 million guilders annually in license fees.
Bottlenecks and Delays
The main bottlenecks lie with the Fire Department and the Ministry of Health, Environment, and Nature (GMN), which often fail to deliver timely advice due to chronic understaffing. Unlike the police, these agencies are not legally required to respond within a fixed timeframe.
New Three-Week Advisory Rule
To break the deadlock, MEO implemented a new policy in April 2025 introducing a uniform advisory deadline of three weeks for all involved agencies. If no advice is received within that period, the ministry will proceed to issue the hospitality permit based on the available information. This policy is now officially in effect.
The ministry emphasized that this change does not infringe on the legal authority of other institutions. The Fire Department retains full responsibility for fire safety through a separate usage permit, and GMN remains in charge of food safety under the existing Food Ordinance.
Additionally, agreements have been made to include property usage information in building permits to streamline and clarify assessments for hospitality suitability.
Broader Reforms Underway
These changes are part of a broader reform of the permit system. Minister Roderick Middelhof has mandated that the seven-year backlog be cleared within 30 working days. Simultaneously, the ministry is developing a digital application platform designed to make the process more transparent and user-friendly for applicants.
Outdated Gender Rule to Be Removed
The MEO statement was issued following recent reporting on Curacao.nu and a published opinion by legal expert Jeff Sybesma about Article 53 of the current Licensing Ordinance. The controversial article prohibits women and minors from working as servers in hospitality venues unless the Minister explicitly grants permission.
MEO acknowledged that this provision is “outdated and clearly incompatible with the principle of gender equality.” The ministry confirmed that Article 53 will be removed in the upcoming legislative overhaul.
The government says it is committed to modernizing its legal framework to reflect today’s social realities and to ensure fairness, efficiency, and legal clarity in its permitting processes.
