Curaçao🇨🇼

Not by law. As of October 2026 the Curaçao Tourist Board lists a valid passport, a completed Digital Immigration Card, a return or onward ticket and enough money for your stay as entry conditions. Insurance appears on the same page as something visitors are advised to have, not as a required document.

Two details make cover worth arranging anyway. The Government of Canada's travel advice says officials may ask for proof of valid health insurance at the border. And the UK Foreign Office reminds British travelers that the UK Global Health Insurance Card is not valid on the island, even though Curaçao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

If you are a US traveler on Medicare, note that medicare.gov says Medicare usually does not cover health care outside the United States. You can compare travel medical plans on Ombrela for the exact dates of your trip.

The Government of Canada describes medical care in Curaçao as generally good but possibly limited in availability. The UK Foreign Office counts three hospitals: Curaçao Medical Center in Willemstad, which has the main emergency room and the island's only intensive care unit, plus Taams Clinic and the Antillean Adventist Hospital for specialist and supplementary care.

Curaçao Medical Center also runs a decompression chamber and wound care clinic, which matters on an island where diving is a main attraction. The hospital describes the chamber on its own website.

Visitors are billed as private patients. Canada's advice says facilities may ask for immediate cash payment and that medical evacuation can be extremely costly. Ombrela does not publish island price lists because none are officially posted, but you can get a feel for typical charges with the medical cost estimator.

The US State Department listed Curaçao at Level 1, exercise normal precautions, in its 2026 advisory. Levels change, so check the current advisory before you fly. The risks that actually send visitors to a clinic are more ordinary.

• Diving and snorkeling. Shore diving is easy to access, which also means people dive without a guide. Decompression illness, ear injuries and boat traffic are the typical problems.
• Mosquito borne illness. CDC Travelers' Health lists dengue and Zika. Use repellent and cover up at dawn and dusk.
• Sun and heat. The island is dry, windy and close to the equator. The breeze hides how fast you burn and dehydrate.
• Roads. Canada's advice says main roads are well maintained but that many drivers ignore traffic rules and animals wander onto the road.
• Petty theft. Car break ins at remote beaches are the usual complaint. Leave nothing visible in a rental car.

Canada also notes that coastal rescue services may not match what you are used to at home, so check equipment and life jackets before any water sport.

Rarely, but the island is not outside the hurricane belt. The Meteorological Department Curaçao places Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao on the southern fringe of the belt, below the track most Atlantic storms follow. Its historical record shows tropical cyclones passing near the islands only occasionally and serious damage being unusual.

The Atlantic season still runs from June 1 to November 30. A storm passing to the north can bring heavy rain, rough seas and flight delays even when it never touches the island. A travel medical plan pays for treatment and evacuation. It does not refund a canceled hotel or flight, so if storm disruption is your main worry you need separate trip cancellation cover. Ombrela's Caribbean hurricane season guide explains the difference.

Match the plan to how you will spend your days on the island.

• Emergency medical cover high enough for a hospital admission and surgery billed at private rates.
• Emergency medical evacuation. Some complex cases cannot be treated on a small island and need transfer abroad. CDC suggests evacuation cover for this reason.
• Scuba diving. Read the sports wording. Some plans cover recreational diving for certified divers within depth limits, others need an adventure sports rider, and hyperbaric treatment should be an eligible expense.
• A deductible you can pay on the spot. A lower deductible costs more up front but leaves less to settle at the hospital desk.
• Acute onset of pre existing conditions, if you manage a chronic condition. Terms and age limits vary by plan.

All of the international plans on Ombrela, including Atlas International, Patriot International Lite, Patriot Platinum International and Safe Travels International, can be bought for a trip to Curaçao. Compare them side by side and read the certificate before you buy. Terms are explained in the glossary.

For anything life threatening, call 912 for an ambulance or go straight to the emergency room at Curaçao Medical Center. Then:

• Call the assistance number on your insurance ID card as soon as you can. The assistance team can speak with the hospital and may arrange a payment guarantee for an admission.
• Expect to pay for small outpatient visits and pharmacy items yourself, then claim them back.
• Keep itemized bills, the medical report and payment receipts. Ask for them in English if possible.
• Do not agree to an evacuation flight without the insurer's approval. Evacuations that are not arranged by the plan are commonly not reimbursed.

If you are island hopping, see the guide to Aruba, and the blog post on insurance for Aruba and Curaçao.