More information about Curacao is available from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.-CURACAO RELATIONS
Curacao is a semi-autonomous entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is responsible for the conduct of defense and foreign affairs, including with the United States, and its embassies and consulates issue visas for travel to the island, though visas are not required for U.S. citizen tourists.
Financial services and tourism are mainstays of Curacao’s economy. The oil refinery and related businesses have dwindled due the crisis in Venezuela In 2018, 431,701 stayover and 757,278 cruise tourists visited Curacao, with 73,259 stayover and 373,370 cruise visitors from the United States. The U.S. is a major supplier of consumer and capital goods imported by Curacao, while petroleum products are the largest export to the U.S. In 2018, the U.S. exported products to Curacao valued at $704 million, and imported from Curacao $105 million worth of products.
The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao is responsible for the day-to-day management of relations with the Dutch Caribbean, which includes Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The consulate provides a variety of services to U.S. citizens; it also can issue non-immigrant visas for certain travelers to the U.S. who wish to visit, work, or study for a temporary period.
The consulate was opened in 1793. It was one of the earliest U.S. consulates, reflecting the importance of Caribbean trade to the new United States. The Consul General resides in the historic Roosevelt House, which was the local government’s gift of property to the United States in 1950 as an expression of gratitude for U.S. protection during World War II.
Principal U.S. consulate officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List.
The Netherlands’ embassy in the U.S. is at 4200 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008; tel: 877-388-2443; fax: 202-362-3430.
More information about Curacao is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:
CIA World Factbook Curacao Page
U.S. Consulate General
Human Rights Reports
Trafficking in Persons Reports
Narcotics Control Reports
Travel Information
U.S. Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
