Send a package to Curaçao today with us. This guide explains all the questions you might have: outside of EU customs, modes of transport and how long it will take.
How do you send a package to Curaçao from the Netherlands?
You ship it as an export out of the EU. Curaçao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands but sits outside the EU customs territory, so every parcel needs a commercial or pro-forma invoice with HS codes and clears customs on arrival, as set out by Douane Curaçao. You choose air freight (fast, a few days to about a week) or sea freight (cheaper for heavy or bulky goods, around 3 to 5 weeks). Portex Logistics arranges the export declaration, booking and paperwork from Rotterdam.
- Lane: Netherlands and Belgium to Curaçao, by air or by sea from Rotterdam.
- Customs: Curaçao is outside the EU customs territory, so a shipment is a formal EU export and a Curaçao import.
- Import tax: OB of 6% to 9% plus import duty by product, on the CIF value; staple foods and medicines are exempt.
- Transit: air a few days to about a week; sea around 3 to 5 weeks.
Why send a package to Curaçao with Portex?
Because Portex Logistics handles both the EU export side and the Curaçao import side of your shipment, so you deal with one partner instead of three.
- One point of contact, we book the air or ocean leg, file the EU export declaration and hand the customs documents to a broker on Curaçao.
- Both modes in-house, air freight for speed and ocean freight from the Port of Rotterdam for volume.
- Correct paperwork up front, the invoice, HS codes and any permits, which is what keeps a shipment from getting stuck at customs.
- Multilingual team, senders in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spanish-speaking clients are all helped in their own language.
Portex Logistics is AEO-certified, a PANCO member, based in Rotterdam, with a multilingual team (EN, NL, ES) and both air and ocean options to the Caribbean.
Curaçao is outside the EU: what does that mean for customs?
It means your package is a formal export from the EU and an import into Curaçao, not an internal EU shipment. Curaçao is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and an Overseas Country and Territory (OCT), so EU free movement of goods does not apply. In practice that adds three things: an export declaration on the EU side, an import clearance on Curaçao, and documents that a domestic parcel would never need.
Every shipment needs a commercial or pro-forma invoice (with values and HS codes) and a packing list, plus a permit for any restricted goods. On arrival, Douane Curaçao levies import duty and turnover tax (OB) on the CIF value, which is the goods plus freight and insurance.
| Charge on import | What applies on Curaçao |
|---|---|
| Import duty (invoerrechten) | Varies by product (HS code), from 0% upward, on the CIF value |
| Turnover tax (OB) | 6% standard, 9% on some goods, on the CIF value |
| Exemptions | Staple foods, baby food, medical devices and medicines are OB-exempt on import |
Please note: import duty and OB are set and collected by Douane Curaçao, not by Portex. We prepare the export and customs paperwork; the recipient or their broker settles the import charges on Curaçao.
Should you send by air freight or sea freight?
Choose air freight when speed matters and the package is light, and sea freight when the shipment is heavy, bulky or not urgent.
- Fastest option: a few days to about a week door-to-door.
- Best for urgent, high-value or low-weight goods: documents, spare parts, electronics, e-commerce parcels.
- Priced mainly by actual or volumetric weight, whichever is higher.
- Higher cost per kilo, but no minimum container to fill.
- Cheapest option for heavy or bulky goods.
- Around 3 to 5 weeks door-to-door, depending on the sailing schedule.
- Best for pallets, furniture, household moves and larger commercial volumes.
- Shipped as LCL (shared container) or FCL (full container) from the Port of Rotterdam, priced by volume or weight.
How long does it take to send a package to Curaçao?
By air, a package to Curaçao typically takes a few days to about a week door-to-door; by sea, around 3 to 5 weeks. Customs clearance on arrival can add a little on top, depending on the documents and any inspection.
| Mode | Typical door-to-door time |
|---|---|
| Air freight | A few days to about a week |
| Sea freight (LCL or FCL) | Around 3 to 5 weeks |
| Customs on Curaçao | Adds days, depending on documents and inspection |
Please note: times are indicative. Sailing schedules, consolidation and customs inspection affect the total, so Portex confirms a realistic date per shipment.
How do you send a package to Curaçao, step by step?
- Request a quote, send the weight, dimensions and contents, and we advise air or sea with a price.
- Choose air or sea, confirm the mode and service level that fit your deadline and budget.
- Prepare the paperwork, a commercial or pro-forma invoice with values and HS codes, a packing list, and permits for any restricted goods.
- Portex books and exports, we book the air or ocean leg and file the EU export declaration from Rotterdam.
- Arrival and clearance, the goods clear customs on Curaçao (duty and OB) and then move to the delivery address.
What can and cannot be sent to Curaçao?
You can send most general goods, personal effects and commercial cargo to Curaçao, as long as the shipment has a correct invoice and HS codes; a short list of items is prohibited or needs a permit. Restricted is not the same as impossible: several categories ship fine once the right permit is in place.
Usually fine to send
- General merchandise and retail goods.
- Personal effects and household moves.
- Spare parts, electronics and machinery.
- Clothing and non-perishable goods.
- Commercial cargo with an invoice and HS codes, on pallets by sea.
Prohibited or restricted (permit needed, or cannot ship)
- Narcotics and drugs, weapons and ammunition.
- Protected species and their products (CITES) and counterfeit goods.
- Dangerous goods without a proper ADR or IMDG declaration.
- Certain foods, plants and live animals without a health or phytosanitary permit.
- Medicines in quantity without authorisation.
When in doubt, check the item per shipment with Portex or with Douane Curaçao before you book.
Ready to ship to Curaçao?
Send us the weight, dimensions and contents, and Portex Logistics comes back with air and sea options, a price and a realistic transit time.
Request a free quoteRead more about our ocean freight from the Port of Rotterdam and air transport options.
“The shipments that arrive smoothly to Curaçao are the ones with a correct invoice, and the right HS codes. That is exactly what we set up before anything leaves Rotterdam.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Curaçao part of the EU for customs?
How much tax does the recipient pay on Curaçao?
Is air or sea freight cheaper for Curaçao?
How long does a package to Curaçao take?
What documents do I need to send to Curaçao?
