Curaçao is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that shares a central bank and currency (the Caribbean guilder) with Sint Maarten. It has a long-standing international banking and trust sector supervised by the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten, and is best known worldwide as a licensing centre for online gaming, which moved to a new statutory regime (the LOK) on 24 December 2024.
Risk flagStandard
FATFNot listed
EU AML high-risk listNot listed
EU tax listNot listed
Licence regimes6
CurrencyXCG
S&P ratingBBB-
Next electiondue by 2029
Curaçao is not on the FATF lists in the 19 June 2026 public statements, not on the EU high-risk third country list (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675, consolidated version of 29 January 2026), and not on Annex I or Annex II of the EU tax list as updated by the Council on 17 February 2026. Checked 7 October 2026.
Government and politics
Government
Parliamentary democracy within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
King of the Netherlands (represented by Governor Mauritsz de Kort)
Willem-Alexander · since April 2013
Prime Minister
Gilmar Pisas (Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK))
Governing parties
Movementu Futuro Kòrsou (MFK), single-party majority (13 of 21 seats)
Last election
General (parliamentary), 21 March 2025
Next election
General (parliamentary), due by 2029
Legislature
Parliament of Curaçao (Staten): unicameral, 21 seats
Legal system
Dutch civil law
Economy and finance
Population
156.3k (2025)
GDP
USD 3.6bn (2024)
GDP per person
USD 22,833 (2024)
Currency
Caribbean guilder (XCG), pegged to USD at 1.79:1 (replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder on 31 March 2025)
Central bank
Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten)
Credit rating
S&P BBB- (positive) (as of March 2026)
A high-income island economy driven by tourism, international financial services, port and logistics activity, with an oil refinery whose future has long weighed on growth.
Bank
Credit institution licence (local or international credit institution)
Minimum capitalNot published
TimelineCBCS decides within 60 days of receiving a complete application (art. 7); the Bank may ask for missing information to be supplied within 30 days
AuthorityCentrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS)
Law
Landsverordening toezicht bank- en kredietwezen 1994 (National Ordinance on the Supervision of Banking and Credit Institutions 1994), arts. 2 to 7; consolidated text P.B. 2019, no. 59 (GT)
Passporting
No. A CBCS licence covers Curaçao; Sint Maarten has its own banking ordinance under the same central bank.
Key requirements
Day-to-day policy determined by at least two natural persons (art. 4)
Expertise and integrity of policymakers and qualifying shareholders (above 10%) beyond doubt
Minimum own funds set by the CBCS per register division (art. 4(1)(g)); no fixed figure in the ordinance
International credit institutions (funding and lending abroad) are registered in a separate register division and hold an exemption from the foreign exchange ordinance
TimelineCBCS decides within 60 days of a complete application
AuthorityCentrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS)
Law
Landsverordening toezicht effectenbemiddelaars en vermogensbeheerders (P.B. 2016, no. 79); application fees in Landsbesluit P.B. 2021, no. 25
Fees
Application fee NAf 4,475 for a securities intermediary or an asset manager, NAf 8,950 for both (P.B. 2021, no. 25); the same amounts apply to a notification (aanmelding)
Passporting
No.
Key requirements
Minimum own funds and solvency set by the CBCS
Minimum number of policymakers and supervisory board members
Fit and proper management and qualifying shareholders
Remote gaming licence (B2C kansspelvergunning for kansspelen op afstand)
Minimum capitalNot published
TimelineTwo-phase review: CGA decides on phase 1 (integrity and finances) within 8 weeks of a complete file and on phase 2 within 8 weeks, each extendable by 4 weeks; a provisional licence of up to 6 months (extendable by 6) may be granted during phase 2 (art. 5.1)
AuthorityCuraçao Gaming Authority (CGA)
Law
Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK), P.B. 2024, no. 157, arts. 2.1, 5.1, 5.12, 5.18 and 5.19; in force 24 December 2024
Fees
Application EUR 4,592 plus EUR 150 per ultimate beneficial owner, EUR 150 per qualifying holder and EUR 2,551 per listed UBO (art. 5.18(1)); annual supervisory fee EUR 22,960 to the CGA plus annual licence fee EUR 24,490 to the Treasury, EUR 47,450 in total (art. 5.19); EUR 250 per domain, EUR 13 per game change, EUR 128 per UBO or qualifying holder change
Passporting
No. A Curaçao licence does not authorise offering in jurisdictions that require their own licence.
Key requirements
Applicant must be an NV or BV incorporated and seated in Curaçao (art. 2.1)
At least one Curaçao-resident managing director (art. 2.1(4))
Local substance under art. 5.12 (one, later three, resident key persons and dedicated office space), deferred by ministerial extension to 1 April 2027
Licence granted for an indefinite period and not transferable
AML/CFT compliance officer and CGA policies on KYC, responsible gaming and technical standards
TimelineCGA decides within 8 weeks of the application, extendable by up to 8 weeks (art. 5.14(3))
AuthorityCuraçao Gaming Authority (CGA)
Law
Landsverordening op de kansspelen (LOK), P.B. 2024, no. 157, arts. 1.5, 5.13, 5.14, 5.18 and 5.19
Fees
Application EUR 4,592 plus EUR 150 per UBO, EUR 128 per qualifying holder and EUR 2,551 per listed UBO (art. 5.18(2)); annual supervisory fee EUR 24,490 (art. 5.19(5))
Passporting
No.
Key requirements
Required to supply critical gaming services or goods in or from Curaçao (art. 1.5)
Disclosure of group structure, key persons, UBOs, liquidity and solvency (art. 5.14)
Several B2C provisions, including art. 5.12 local substance, apply by analogy (art. 5.13)
Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) · websitebanks, money transfer, Investment firms, Virtual asset service providers (VASPs), Trust companies, Insurance, funds
Online gaming: the LOK replaced the Landsverordening buitengaatse hazardspelen (NOOGH/LBH) master licence and sub-licence system on 24 December 2024. Existing NOOGH licence holders received provisional LOK licences by operation of law for 6 months, extendable by 6 (LOK art. 15.1). The CGA's online licensing portal was taken offline after the CGA disclosed on 17 and 22 September 2026 that an unauthorised party had accessed it between December 2025 and September 2026; check the CGA site for the current status of new applications. The LOK fee amounts may be indexed or changed by national decree (art. 5.19(6) and (7)). Payments: the VASP ordinance refers to a separate Landsverordening toezicht betaaldienstverleners for payment and e-money institutions, but its entry into force was not confirmed from official sources, so no PI/EMI entry is given. In the meantime the CBCS runs a registration form for payment service providers and VASPs (August 2024). Minimum capital for banks, money transfer companies, securities firms and VASPs is set by CBCS directive rather than in the ordinances, and no current figures were found. The CBCS website was behind a bot challenge at the time of research, so official CBCS documents were read from archived copies of the official URLs. Funds, trust service providers and insurers are also CBCS-supervised but are not covered here.
General information
About Curaçao
Natural Earth boundaries. Map is indicative.
Status
Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Capital
Willemstad
Area
444 km²
Official languages
Papiamento, Dutch, English
Time zone
UTC-04:00
Main exports
Tourism
Financial services
Refined petroleum
Diamonds (re-exports)
Gold
Main export partners
Armenia
United States
Guyana
Dominican Republic
Netherlands
Sources for the country information(9)
Country information checked 9 October 2026. Licensing data updated 7 October 2026. Information only, not legal advice; requirements change. Regulatory notice.
