Aruba ED Card 2026: Entry Rules, $20 Fee and How to Apply

Updated October 11, 2026 · 5 min read

ARUBA-oranjestad-hafen-1 — Photo: Bgabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Every traveler flying into Aruba needs an Aruba ED card, the island’s online arrival and departure form, before they board. It is filed on an official government site, and the form itself is free. What most people actually pay is the $20 Sustainability Fee that is collected in the same process.

Rules like these change, so treat this as a practical walkthrough and check the official site before you travel.

What is the Aruba ED card?

It is Aruba’s digital arrival form. You give your passport details, flight, where you are staying and some health and customs questions. Once you submit, you get an email with a document containing a QR code, sometimes called the qualifier. Your airline checks it at check-in, and immigration scans it when you land.

The only official site is edcardaruba.aw. Search results are full of lookalike sites that charge a “service fee”. Some charge $80 to $100 or more for something you can do yourself for $20 or less. If the total is more than $20 per person, you are not on the government site.

Who needs one

Everyone arriving by air, of any age or nationality, including babies. Each person needs their own card.
Children need their own passport to complete the form. A parent or guardian fills it in for them.
Cruise passengers usually do not. Only ships that process passengers through Aruba immigration require it, so check with your cruise line.

When to fill it in

The Aruba Tourism Authority says you can complete it within the 7 days before you arrive. Applications submitted earlier than that will not be accepted for your date. A sensible window is one to three days before you fly. Do not leave it until you are at the airport, because the airline will want to see it at check-in.

You need a new card for each trip.

The $20 Sustainability Fee

Since July 1, 2024, visitors arriving by air pay a $20 Sustainability Fee, collected through the ED card platform. Key points from the official fee page:

It must be paid online in advance. You cannot pay in cash or at the airport.
Accepted cards: Visa, Mastercard and Discover.
Children under eight are exempt.
Residents, crew on duty and people arriving and leaving on the same day are also exempt.
You get an emailed receipt. Keep it.

Repeat visitors, note this. The fee is meant to be charged once a year, but official and semi-official pages describe it differently, some as once per calendar year and some as once per 365 days. The system may also not recognize you automatically. If you are charged again, contact AWSS, the agency that handles the fee, with your receipt. Refund requests are only accepted within 60 days.

Aruba ED card step by step

Go to edcardaruba.aw. Type it in rather than clicking an ad.
Have your passport, flight number and accommodation address ready.
Fill in one form per traveler. You can pay for a group of up to 10 together.
Pay the $20 fee where it applies.
Save the QR code document to your phone and print a copy as backup.

Made a mistake? Submitted cards cannot be edited. Submit a new one. If you already paid, you should not be charged twice, but keep your original receipt in case.

Other entry requirements

The ED card is not the only thing immigration checks. According to the U.S. State Department, travelers also need:

A passport valid for the whole stay, with at least one blank page
A return or onward ticket
Proof you can pay for accommodation and food

U.S. citizens do not need a tourist visa for short stays. Other nationalities should check their own requirements. A few other points the State Department flags:

Cash over $11,000 must be declared on arrival and departure.
Marijuana, cannabis and CBD products are illegal to bring in, even if they are legal or prescribed at home.
Bringing in firearms, ammunition or even spent casings without written permission can lead to detention.
Stays longer than 30 days are subject to Aruba’s extension-of-stay rules.

Aruba’s old mandatory visitor insurance is no longer required, though travel insurance is still a good idea.

Traveling as a family or group

Each person needs their own card, but one adult can complete them all and pay for up to 10 people in one transaction. Have every passport in front of you before you start, because a single wrong digit in a passport number means submitting a new card. Remember that children under eight still need a card, they just do not pay the fee. Save each traveler’s QR code separately, so a missing email does not hold up the whole group at check-in.

Who to contact

For questions about the card itself, use the contact options on the official site. Questions about the $20 fee, payments and refunds go to AWSS, which the official fee page lists with email and phone contacts and long daily hours. The Aruba Tourism Authority also offers general support for visitors. If your bank statement shows a charge from “Aruba Wastewater”, that is the official fee, not fraud.

Common problems and quick fixes

Problem	What to do
Lost the QR code email	Log back in at edcardaruba.aw with your passport number to retrieve it
Typo in passport number	Submit a new card; keep your fee receipt
Charged by a third party site	Contact your card issuer; then file on the official site
Double charged by the official system	Contact AWSS with your payment receipt
Form will not accept your date	You are probably more than 7 days out; wait and try again

Fees, exemptions and timing windows have changed several times in recent years. Check the official site before you travel, and if something does not match this guide, the official site wins.