Somewhat pet-friendly
Good to know
Good to Know
- Get the microchip inserted BEFORE the rabies vaccination — Aruba's rules require the chip to be in place at the moment of vaccination, and doing it in the wrong order can invalidate your paperwork.
- Email your pet's Application for Import Permit and health certificate scans to Aruba's Veterinary Service well before you fly — approval decisions are normally issued within 24–48 hours but you'll want the stamped approval in hand to show customs on arrival.
- If your dog is over 20 lbs or its carrier is too big to fit under the seat, it will need to travel as checked baggage or cargo, not in the cabin — check this against your airline's own pet policy too, since airline rules can be stricter than Aruba's entry rules.
- If you're arriving from Central/South America, Cuba, Haiti, or the Dominican Republic, know that pets from these countries are generally barred unless you can show they're part of a genuine household move with a 'No Objection' letter from Aruba's Veterinary Service.
- Dedicated dog infrastructure (off-leash parks, dog-specific cafés) is genuinely limited in Oranjestad — most nomads with dogs rely on hotel/villa grounds and casual leashed walks rather than formal dog parks.
- If you want a real beach outing with your dog, plan for a short drive to Baby Beach in San Nicolas rather than expecting a close-in option in Oranjestad itself.
- Several vet clinics (Animal Care Clinic Aruba, Veterinary Clinics Aruba) advertise 24/7 emergency care and even house calls, which is worth knowing if you're on the island short-term without a regular vet.
- Aruba's heat and sun are intense most of the year — locals commonly walk dogs early morning or evening rather than midday.
Core Requirements Dogs Cats
Microchip
- Detail
- An AVID-brand or ISO-compatible microchip is required, and it must be inserted before the rabies vaccination is given.
Rabies vaccination
- Detail
- A valid rabies vaccination is required (waived for puppies/kittens under 12 weeks). For a pet's first-ever rabies shot, it must be administered at least 30 days before entry, unless the pet is between 12–16 weeks old, in which case the 30-day wait is waived. A valid 3-year vaccine that is still current does not require re-vaccination.
Health certificate
- Detail
- An official health certificate (endorsed by USDA if coming from the US) must be issued within 14 days of arrival and must include owner and vet details, animal description, microchip number, and rabies vaccine details.
Import permit / Application for Import Permit
- Detail
- Owners must submit a completed Application for Import Permit along with scans of all documents by email to the Veterinary Service of Aruba (vetservice@dvg.aw) before traveling; approval is typically given within 24–48 hours depending on species and country of origin.
Country-of-origin restrictions
- Detail
- Import of dogs and cats from South and Central America, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic is prohibited unless the animal is part of a household move and a 'No Objection' statement is issued by the Veterinary Service.
New World Screwworm check
- Detail
- Pets must be inspected for screwworm within 14 days of travel, with veterinary attestation that the pet is not from an affected area — an additional certification Aruba has required since October 2016.
Customs declaration on arrival
- Detail
- Travelers must declare the dog or cat to Aruba customs on arrival so paperwork can be checked; this also applies in reverse when flying onward to the US.
Cabin travel size limit
- Detail
- For a dog to travel in the aircraft passenger cabin (rather than cargo/hold), it cannot weigh more than 20 pounds and must fit and be able to stand and turn around inside an airline-approved carrier.
Quarantine
- Detail
- No quarantine is required if all documentation and vaccination requirements are met before arrival; non-compliance can result in the pet being refused entry, sent home, or quarantined at the owner's expense.
Vets Costs And Dog Friendly Spaces
Typical Cost Of Pet Care
- Summary
- No clinic in Oranjestad publishes a public price list for routine services (consultations, vaccinations, spay/neuter), so exact figures could not be independently confirmed at the time of research. Facebook business listings for several clinics (Animal Health Veterinary Hospital, Animal Care Clinic Aruba, Contreras Veterinary Services) place themselves in the '$$' (mid-range) price tier, suggesting costs broadly comparable to a mid-range US veterinary clinic rather than budget or luxury pricing, but this is a rough indicator, not a confirmed price list.
- Currency Local
- AWG
- Note On Currency
- Prices were not available to convert; the Aruban florin (AWG) is the relevant local currency and is pegged at 1 USD = 1.79 AWG.
Trusted Vets And Animal Hospitals
Animal Health Veterinary Hospital
- Phone
- +297 586 3592
- Address
- Caya Dr. J.E.M. Arends 20, Oranjestad
- Notes
- Services listed include consultation, surgery, hospitalization, preventive care, X-ray, ultrasound, diagnostic lab testing, dental care, medications, and a pet hotel.
VSH Veterinary Specialty Hospital Aruba
- Phone
- +297 699 0077
- Address
- Ernesto Petronia 88, Oranjestad
- Notes
- A locally owned clinic offering internal medicine, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostics, and emergency care, with a stated specialty in orthopedic and heart surgery.
Animal Care Clinic Aruba
- Phone
- +297 582 8382
- Address
- Paradera 133-B, Oranjestad
- Notes
- Offers in-house blood testing, X-rays, ultrasound, and gas anesthesia, plus 24/7 veterinary assistance, house visits, and a pet pick-up service.
Veterinary Clinics Aruba
- Phone
- +297 593 0603
- Address
- Wayaca location, Oranjestad (sister clinic also in Noord)
- Notes
- Operating since 1982, this practice offers 24/7 emergency assistance and orthopedic examinations, with a veterinary team drawn from the US, Canada, and Europe.
Contreras Veterinary Services
- Phone
- +297 587 0917
- Address
- Shaba 2, Oranjestad
- Notes
- Small local practice offering veterinary services for small and large animals.
Dog Friendly Spaces
- Dog Friendly Cafes
- No specifically dog-friendly cafés or restaurants in central Oranjestad were found documented in pet-travel directories.
- Off Leash Dog Parks
- No dedicated off-leash dog parks are documented in Oranjestad.
Dog Friendly Beaches
- Note
- Directory listings (BringFido) show no dog-friendly beach directly in central Oranjestad itself.
Nearest Documented Option
- Name
- Baby Beach
- Location
- San Nicolas Zuid, roughly 20-25 minutes' drive south of central Oranjestad
- Description
- Listed as a pet-friendly beach with calm, shallow water, though it is far enough from the city center that it functions as a day-trip rather than a walkable local option.
General Public Parks
- Name
- Wilhelmina Park
- Location
- Central Oranjestad, near the Governor's residence
- Description
- A small, shaded downtown park with benches, commonly used for casual strolls; leash rules or explicit pet policy for this park were not confirmed in available sources, so treat it as informal rather than an officially designated dog space.
Entry Point
- Note
- Pets must clear at Queen Beatrix International Airport, which is Oranjestad's own airport, or at customs docks in the Oranjestad harbor area for boats.
Official Contact
- Phone
- +297 522 4310 / +297 585 0400
- Fax
- +297 585 1828
- vetservice@dvg.aw
- Authority
- Veterinary Service of Aruba (Departamento di Aduana / Government of Aruba)
Exotic Non Dog Cat Pets
- Detail
- Owners of species other than dogs and cats must contact the Veterinary Service of Aruba in advance; import of all live animals requires prior permission, and CITES-protected species (e.g., parrots, iguanas, sea turtles, coral, conch) cannot be imported or exported without a CITES permit issued by the Veterinary Service.
- Criteria
- Aruba evaluates exotic-pet import permits based on whether the animal's welfare would be jeopardized, whether public health is endangered, and whether there is any risk of the species becoming invasive.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.