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Everything Else Bonaire: Visa requirement?
Bonaire Talk: Everything Else Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999 - 2004: Archives - 2004-02-26 to 2004-08-31: Visa requirement?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dean Botsford (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #298) on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 8:01 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

This Sunday's Washinton Post travel section reports that a Visa is required for visits to the Netherland Antilles of two weeks or more...is this correct?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Linda Richter - NetTech (Moderator - Post #1700) on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 8:50 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, but not exactly what it sounds like.
You get the fun little form on the airplane to fill out for your standard visit. Technically that is up to 2 weeks. If you plan on staying longer, you simply fill out the form showing your entire length of stay (up to 3 months). Usually, the immigration person just looks at the form, stamps away, and tells you to have a nice visit. You need to keep your section of the form for when you leave the island.

Now if your plans change and you end up staying longer than the 2 weeks originally planned, you would need to see the immigration people to let them know. Bring all your documents. This happens quite often for the visiting yachts.

So yes, you do need a visa, but you can easily do it as you are entering the country so it is not a big problem. This applies for European, American, and Canadian citizens. There is a list of countries (mostly old soviet bloc) that we still require the more extensive pre-approval visas issued by an embassy. They call them landing permits. See the URL for the list and contacts.

http://www.infobonaire.com/entryrequirements.html

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1447) on Monday, March 8, 2004 - 9:35 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I always fill the fun little form out for as long as I'm staying. I've noticed when I stay longer than two weeks they don't date stamp my passport on exit.
Am I skirting the edge of the law? Playing fast and loose with immigration?

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nathalie Meyfarth (BonaireTalker - Post #40) on Friday, April 2, 2004 - 2:34 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

When I arrived on Bonaire last month for a 4 week stay, I was told I needed to check in with immigration after 2 weeks. My friend, who arrived and indicated he was staying 3 mos. was not asked to do that. He is retirement age and I am not, so perhaps it had something to do with whether they thought I might seek work.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chet Wood (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #475) on Friday, April 2, 2004 - 4:03 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Nathalie,
We too were told when we arrived that since we were staying for three weeks we had to go to immigration after two weeks to get an extension. We went in the morning, they took our passports and a copy of our "E-ticket" itinerary and told us to return at 3:00 in the afternoon. At 3:00 we went back, they asked where we were staying, returned our passports with an added a stamp, and sent us on our way for our remaining week. Painless, but a nuisance.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By seb schulherr (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1487) on Friday, April 2, 2004 - 10:16 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I've managed to miss that experience thus far, happy am I.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael gaynor (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1741) on Saturday, April 3, 2004 - 11:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

They are inconsistent in applying the 90 day rule and it usually depends on the individual immigration officer.

 


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