A quick question for the experts

[billman27]

Hi All,

I have been refered by the flyertalk website. Some details about me and my wife:

Me: American
Wife: Dutch
Residence: Dubai


I have the opportunity to run part of the export business for my company, where I will be responsible for Caribbean and central America. They have said I can be located anywhere in the Caribbean


Since my wife is Dutch, the first place I thought was Aruba. Can my wife and I legally live in Aruba? Can Dutch passport holders and their spouses obtain the necessary visas or is it like BVI and UK passport holders i.e. no right to residence.

You help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Billman

[lizzardo]

If you can speak dutch
Here is the immigration website
http://www.dimasaruba.com/

[billman27]

thanks i will have the wife check it out! Many thanks again

[Schnauzerjoy]

This area is very complicated with a lot of grey areas, so take my input as my interpretation only and go get a good lawyer in Aruba.

You have a huge advantage with a Dutch wife, so that alone could make it easy for you.

In general Aruba is not against residency, that is easy, it is against you taking a job from a local, which does not seem to be an issue with what you describe.

So it is not residency, but work permit that is the issue.

You can either get residency with your income coming from abroad or you can have your company set up a subsidiary (easy and relatively cheap and possibility to do it in Aruba's Tax Free Zone) which you will move in to run.

Normally you would only get a time limited work permit (3-5 years renewable every year), but again your wife being Dutch should make it easy for you.

Generally I can only say, lucky you. Just go for it. Aruba is simply paradise. Dubai is a great place as well, but if I had to choose between the two as a place of residency, the choice is given...Welcome to Aruba

Hey and go buy your wife a great dinner and some flowers, just for being Dutch and thereby opening up this opportunity for you.

Carsten

P.S. When you are serious about it, I can put you in contact with Dutch friends living in Aruba, who are experts on this and can give you more precise information.

[billman27]

Hi Schnauzerjoy,
What a relief! I will have to buy her a big bouquet of roses for being dutch! She will be very happy to see that it's relatively straightforward for the Dutch without too much hassle. It appears to be harder now to bring her to a place like Puerto Rico or USVI, then for us to go to Aruba. I will know definitely in the coming months what's going on, and I promise to update everyone. Thanks again for you great response.

Any other insights of course would be appreciated

If we make it, beers are on me!

Best Regards

Billman

[lizzardo]

My folks had a house in St. Croix and had planned to retire there. Trust me you don't want to live in the virgin islands or PR. The natives REALLY resent ex-pats there and crime is bad....

My BIL is dutch and have 2 nieces and 1 nephew who were born and raised there. Viva la dutch!!!