WILLEMSTAD - Starting January 1, 2025, passport fees in Curaçao and the BES islands will be adjusted for inflation, resulting in a modest increase in costs.
For minors under the age of 18, the cost of a passport in Curaçao will rise from 149.00 guilders to 151.10 guilders. Adults will see an increase from 189.00 guilders to 192.00 guilders.
Similar adjustments will be applied in the BES islands. Passport fees for minors will increase from $112.47 to $116.95, while adults will see a rise from $134.78 to $140.15. Additionally, the cost of a Dutch identification card will go up to $120.80, from the previous $116.16.
Changes in Rounding Practices
Historically, passport fees in the CAS islands (Curaçao, Aruba, and Sint Maarten) were rounded to whole numbers in guilders. However, Aruba has indicated its preference to discontinue this practice.
Since 2017, the CAS islands have based their passport fees on the exchange rate of the US dollar. According to an official explanation, using direct exchange rates would have led to minor discrepancies between the fees for the three islands.
“All amounts in euros were converted into US dollars based on the exchange rate as of June 21, 2024. From there, amounts were further converted to Antillean guilders (ANG) and Aruban florins (AWG) using the fixed rate of 1 USD = 1.80 ANG/AWG,” the statement clarified.
BES Islands Adjustments Based on Local Inflation
For the BES islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba), inflation adjustments were calculated using the consumer price index (CPI) specific to these islands, as determined by their Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).
The explanation highlighted that the maximum allowable fees for these islands are based on the highest CPI among the three territories. For 2023, the highest index recorded was 4.0%. This figure was used to calculate the new rates for passports and identification cards.
The government assures that these adjustments, while slight, aim to align passport fees with inflation and ensure consistency across the region.