Sustainability Fee
Important Update: Effective December 1st
Please note that the payment for the Sustainability Fee will now be integrated into the Online ED Card system. As a result, you will need to complete this payment before you can receive your ED card approval. At this moment, only credit card payments are accepted.
Please direct all questions related to the payment and reimbursement of the Sustainability Fee to AWSS at info@awss.aw
Phone: +297 280-8000
Website: https://awss.aw/
For all questions related to the ED card, contact the Immigration Department at +297-523-7404
____________________________________________________________________
Starting July 1st, 2024, Aruba will implement a $20 Sustainability Fee for visitors arriving by air to the island. This fee will support a number of projects aimed at enhancing and improving sustainability efforts on the island.
The sustainability fee will be charged through the online Embarkation & Disembarkation (ED) Card platform while one is completing the ED card to enter Aruba. The website is https://edcardaruba.aw/.
Stay informed: If you are traveling to Aruba in the (near) future, return to this page before you travel, as we are continuously updating details regarding the sustainability fee as they become available.
All information on Aruba.com regarding the sustainability fee, including the following FAQ has been provided by AWSS. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact AWSS.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the sustainability fee and what will it be used for?
- The Sustainability Fee will be used to upgrade the existing sewage water treatment plants and infrastructure (SWTP) as well as building a new, larger one to handle future demand.
- How does the sustainability fee differ from the current $3 environmental tax?
- The environmental tax is a government tax for environmental purposes, while the sustainability fee is a specific fee to structurally fund the SWTP and infrastructure.
Who should pay it
- Who is exempt from payment?
-
- Residents who are registered with the Aruba Census
- Children under eight years old;
- Visitors who arrive in Aruba and leave for another destination outside Aruba on the same day;
- Crew members of airplanes or ships, if they are entering Aruba on their employer’s behalf for their regular duties;
- Visitors who return to Aruba one or more times within the same calendar year;
- Former Aruban residents who can demonstrate that they are pursuing education at a foreign educational institution and have been non-residents for no longer than eight years prior to their arrival. Students will need to contact AWSS for reimbursement until a database is created to exempt them. - If I travel to Aruba more than once a year, will I be charged every time I visit?
- No, you pay the fee once a calendar year (starting on January 1st and ending on December 31st), but to be sure, please visit the AWSS website.
- If I am a non-resident homeowner, will I have to pay this fee?
- If you own a home in Aruba as a non-resident, you will only pay once per calendar year, given you are using the same passport number. If your passport is renewed within the calendar year, you will have to pay again the next time you enter the island.
- Will I have to pay the $20 sustainability fee as a cruise passenger?
- The sustainability fee applies to everyone that fills in an ED-Card as a non-resident
- Students are said to be exempt. Which students are exempt? How will they be able to show they are exempt?
- Former Aruban residents who can demonstrate that they are pursuing education at a foreign institution of higher education and have been non-residents for no longer than eight years prior to their arrival.
Payment
- How will this sustainability fee be charged?
- The sustainability fee will be charged through the online Embarkation & Disembarkation (ED) Card platform while one is completing the ED card to enter Aruba. The website is https://edcardaruba.aw/.
- Can I pay cash upon arrival?
- No, cash is not accepted upon arrival.
- Under which company will the charge on my card appear?
- The bank will use the name of the processing account, which will be AWSS, or it may appear as “Aruba Sustainability Fee."
- If I realize I made an error on my ED card after paying the $20 fee, must I fill out a new ED card? Will there be an option on the ED card to correct the information? How can I avoid paying a second time? What is the refund policy?
- The customer will need to create a new ED Card, as there will be no option to edit the existing one. But no additional payment will be required, please ensure you keep the receipt you received through email as proof of payment.
- Are there circumstances under which the $20 fee could be waived or refunded? For instance, what happens in the case of travel cancellation? Will the traveler receive a refund? What happens if the airline cancels a flight?
- In the event of a flight cancellation, a refund can be requested by sending an email to info@awss.aw with the details of the ED Card to be refunded and the flight cancellation information.
- What payment methods will be accepted for processing the $20 charge?
- The available payment options include Visa, Mastercard and Discover.
- How can travelers with issues related to the payment of the Sustainability Fee, contact AWSS? What are the opening times of this desk?
-
AWSS will provide a customer care service which will be available from 7:00-22:00 (GMT-4)
Telephone: +2972808000
info@awss.aw
Chat or Web Call available on www.awss.aw - Can all participant fees be paid in bulk if I travel as a group?
- Each traveler, whether traveling on their own or as part of a group, will have to fill in their ED card and pay individually. Since multiple identical payments will be made, please inform the card issuer that you will be conducting multiple identical international and e-commerce transactions.
- Can I request a receipt from AWSS?
- You will receive a receipt for the ED Card payment in your email.
- When will this sustainability fee be in effect?
- This fee will go into effect as of July 1st, 2024.
When is payment due
- When will this sustainability fee be in effect?
- This fee will go into effect for all arrivals by air as of July 1st, 2024.
- If I arrive in Aruba and have not filled out the ED card, can I still do it at the airport?
- ED Cards must be paid for in advance.
Contact
- Contact information
-
For all questions related to the ED card, contact the Immigration Department at +296-523-7404
Please direct all questions related to the payment and reimbursement of the Sustainability Fee to AWSS at info@awss.aw
Phone: +297 280-8000
Website: https://awss.aw/