Overview – The Aruba Real Estate Market
Located in the Southern Caribbean just 17 miles (27 km) off the northern coast of Venezuela, the 69 square mile (179 sq km) island of Aruba is, together with Holland, Curacao and St Maarten, one of the 4 constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Aruba is, however, commonly grouped with Bonaire and Curacao, which are collectively referred to as the ABC Islands. Dutch and Papiamento are the island’s official languages and the legal and educational systems are based on the Netherlands – as in tiny Saba.
With deep cultural, political and historical ties to the Netherlands stretching back to the 17th Century, Aruba is a popular tourism destination for visitors from the Netherlands. The island is also very popular with American visitors. In 2015 the island welcomed a record 1.22 million overseas visitors – an increase of 14.3% compared to the previous year.
With one of the highest living standards in the Caribbean, good healthcare and a thriving tourism industry, Aruba has become popular with second home buyers, including areas such as Malmok, Tierra del Sol and Palm Beach
There are a wide range of facilities and attractions from excellent beaches, restaurants and shopping to some of the best diving in the Caribbean and several golf courses.
Search Aruba Real Estate Listings
As specialists in luxury Caribbean property, we can introduce you to a wide selection of the finest residential property, land for sale and commercial real estate in Aruba.
Discover the most sought after real estate investment opportunities and benefit from unrivaled insight into the market.
To find your perfect property in Aruba, search Aruba real estate listings.
Areas
Eagle Beach
Discover Eagle Beach – Read our Guide to Eagle Beach Real Estate.
Malmok
Discover Malmok – Read our Guide to Malmok Real Estate.
Oranjestad
Discover Oranjestad – Read our Guide to Oranjestad Real Estate.
Savaneta
Discover Savaneta – Read our Guide to Savaneta Real Estate.
Tierra del Sol
Discover Tierra del Sol – Read our Guide to Tierra del Sol Real Estate.
Buying Property in Aruba
Foreign buyers can acquire real estate for sale in Aruba relatively simply. It is typical for homes in areas such as Malmok, Tierra del Sol, Esmeralda and Palm Beach to be built on lease land owned by the Government. Non-residents are required to pay an annual fee for lease rights.
Once a Sale / Purchase Agreement has been agreed and signed, you will need to pay a 10% deposit to a Notary. The Notary will normally contact you again within 6 weeks to sign the deed and make the final payment. Notary fees amount to 2% of the purchase price.
Upon completion, there is a one-time Transfer Tax of up to 6% of the purchase price depending on the value of the property.
There is also an annual property tax of 0.4% and land tax of US $0.85 per sq m or US $0.08 per sq ft.
If you wish to live in Aruba permanently, you can apply for a residence permit from the Directorate of Immigration.
Mortgages in Aruba
Looking for financing to fund the purchase of property in the Caribbean?
Contrary to popular misconception, it is possible for foreign nationals looking to invest in Aruba real estate to apply for a mortgage.
Our partner – a very well respected international financial organization – offers mortgages for qualifying non-residents buying, building or improving a second home in Aruba.
For more information, see our page on: Caribbean mortgages.
Aruba – Land for Sale
Purchasing a lot of land provides you with a blank canvas and the opportunity to build your dream home in Aruba.
Whether you are looking for beachfront land or a centrally located lot, we’re here to help you find the perfect lot of land for sale in Aruba.
For larger parcels of land for commercial development, please see commercial real estate listings.
Saving on Your Purchase
You could save money when investing in Aruba real estate by using a foreign exchange expert to get the best rate for your property purchase. We have partnered with Halo Financial, a specialist in foreign exchange, to help you get the best exchange rates when making one-off or regular international payments for a property purchase in Aruba. To see how you could save money, read more: Foreign Exchange.
Getting There
There are numerous direct flights to Aruba from the USA, Canada and Europe. International flights arrive at Reina Beatrix International Airport which is located in Oranjestad on the western coast of the island and has recently benefited from a complete renovation as part of the island’s $1 billion island revitalization program.
There are direct flights to Aruba from North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
From North America you can fly to Aruba from various cities in the USA and Canada. There are over 100 non-stop flights from the USA to Aruba each week.
Airolineas MAS, Aserca Airlines, COPA Airlines, Insel Air, the Dutch Antilles Express and Tiara Air Aruba also operate flights from the Caribbean and South America.
From Europe, fly to to Aruba via Amsterdam. Alternatively, fly to Bonaire or Curacao and take a connecting flight to Aruba.
Amsterdam to Aruba: 11 hours 50 mins
Atlanta to Aruba: 3 hours 52 mins
Bonaire to Aruba: 45 mins
Charlotte to Aruba: 4 hours 5 mins
Curacao to Aruba: 25 mins
Miami to Aruba: 2 hours 55 mins
New York to Aruba: 4 hours 50 minutes
Toronto to Aruba: 7 hours 55 minutes
Local weather
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