Distillers Alcohol regulations in Aruba
How to import or export liquor and spirits to Aruba, how to register products and labels, the import duty and taxes, and how to get a licence to make alcohol there. Researched October 2026.
Research guide, not legal advice. Compiled in October 2026 from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page. Duty rates, fees and rules change often: confirm with the regulator, a customs broker or local counsel before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- Status
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18
- Legal purchase age
- 18
Licence to make spirits (distillery and bottling)
- Licences needed
- Vestigingsvergunning (business operating licence), Hindervergunning (nuisance licence), and customs distillery registration/excise bond licence
- Authority
- Directie Wetgeving en Juridische Zaken (DWJZ) and Departamento di Aduana
- Documents
- Chamber of Commerce (KvK) extract, site and zoning floor plans, facility layout, environmental impact details, and proof of legal residency/corporate establishment
- Fees
- Statutory application and recurring licence fees pursuant to the Landsbesluit vergunningsrechten
- Time to obtain
- Up to 12 weeks
Import licence and registration
- Who can import
- Businesses registered with the Aruba Chamber of Commerce (KvK) that possess an economic establishment licence (Vestigingsvergunning) and are registered as importers with Customs (ASYCUDA World)
- Licences or registrations
- Business licence (Vestigingsvergunning) and wholesale liquor licence (Grossiersvergunning) under the Vergunningsverordening; ASYCUDA importer profile registration
- Authority
- Departamento di Asuntonan Economico, Comercio y Industria (DEACI) and Departamento di Aduana
- Documents
- KvK trade register extract, tax ID number, and customs declaration onboarding documents
- Fees
- Standard commercial registry and customs processing charges; specific licence duty under Landsbesluit vergunningsrechten
- Time to obtain
- Customs ASYCUDA registration takes days once commercial business licensing is secured
Product and label registration
- Required
- no
- Process
- Aruba does not operate a pre-market product registration or mandatory brand/label approval system (e.g., no local equivalent of US COLA). Foreign products in compliance with country-of-origin standards enter via regular customs clearance.
Import rules
No state import monopoly. Commercial imports must be filed by a registered customs broker or importer of record via ASYCUDA World. Shipments require commercial invoices, bills of lading, and standard customs declaration. Spirits do not require national physical excise strip stamps or banderols. Shipments may clear into commercial inventory or enter a bonded warehouse (particulier entrepot).
Import duty on spirits (HS 2208)
Specific import duties and customs tariffs classified under HS Heading 2208 pursuant to the Landsverordening tarief van invoerrechten; spirits are primarily taxed via specific excise duties at import rather than standard ad valorem tariff rates.
Excise and taxes
Subject to specific excise duty on distilled spirits (Accijns op gedistilleerd) administered by customs upon importation or release from bonded warehouse. Imports are also subject to BBO/BAVP/BAZV turnover tax (levied at import and retail points, totaling 7%).
Retail and distribution
Private retail and on-premise sales under licensing from the Vergunningsverordening. Off-premise retail (slijterij, supermarkets) and on-premise venues (hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs) require distinct licence classes (e.g., slijtvergunning, restaurantvergunning, bierhuis/koffiehuisvergunning). Operating and retail hours are regulated by the Landsverordening winkelsluiting and individual licence conditions.
Online sale and delivery
Restricted; allowed through licensed merchants with age verification at delivery to ensure buyers and recipients are at least 18 years old.
Labelling
No dedicated national spirit labelling legislation. Labels conforming to US, EU, or standard international norms are accepted. Dutch, English, Spanish, or Papiamento text is commonly used. No mandatory national health warning statements or tax stamps required.
Advertising
Permitted with general commercial restrictions. Alcohol advertising is subject to decency standards, protection of minors, and municipal billboard/signage permitting rules.
Legal definitions of spirits
Not confirmed; Aruba adopts the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) Chapter 22 definitions without separate standalone technical identity regulations for spirits.
Dry or restricted areas
None
Recent changes
- Implementation and full enforcement of the BBO/BAVP turnover tax collection mechanism at import clearance at the customs border.
- Customs passenger exemption guidelines updated, maintaining the duty-free entry cap of 1 litre of spirits for travellers 16 and older while general personal goods exemptions were raised.
Opportunities for exporters
Driven by a tourist-heavy hospitality economy and minimal domestic spirit distillation, Aruba offers high per-capita demand for imported rum, whisky, tequila, and vodka. The lack of onerous pre-market brand or label registration makes product introduction fast and straightforward for international exporters.
Regulators
Sources
Selling into Aruba or buying from it?