It’s January! You know what that means? It’s time to replace your motor vehicle tax sticker in Curacao. I have done this process twice now, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a pain in the butt.

Whether you’re planning on moving here, already living here and doing this for the first time, or just need a refresher, keep reading, this is for you!

You’re probably wondering, “where do I start?” and if you’re anything like me, you’ve Googled yourself crazy trying to find the official website outlining the entire process. If that’s you, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the official government websites that will come in handy (they’re all in Dutch so you’ll have to translate):

• 2026 Motor Vehicle Tax Payment Process
• Motor Vehicle Tax Rates for 2026
• How to transfer a motor vehicle (after buying or selling a car)
• How to register a new vehicle
• How to schedule a vehicle inspection

About the Motor Vehicle Tax Sticker

This is a sticker that you need to get every year and place on your windshield. The sticker needs to be purchased and picked up by January 31st of the new year. If you don’t get this sticker, then it’ll be easy for police to spot that you haven’t paid the tax and they can pull you over and either fine you or confiscate your vehicle depending on how many documents you’re missing.

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The sticker cannot be purchased until an announcement is made that they’re ready. I usually check CPost’s Instagram for a post showing that the stickers are ready (they were ready starting Jan 12th this year).

• Here’s what you need to apply for the sticker:
  • A valid car inspection card (this needs to be renewed every 2 years, and I’ve outlined that process separately below)
  • Proof of car insurance (must have the expiration date so they can tell it’s a current policy)
  • Proof of the previous Motor Vehicle tax being paid the year prior (this is in the form of a card with an orange line through it)
• Deadline: This process needs to be done by January 31st of the new year.
• Payment: Click here to see the payment breakdown. It’s based on your car year and gasoline type. You can choose to pay for half a year or a full year at once. The fee is higher in 2026 because everyone is getting new license plates. We paid 296 XCG (around $165 USD) for the full year for our car.
• Where to get the sticker (check hours online as they can change):
  • ACU at Zuikertuin Mall or Jan Noorduynweg
  • CPost at Punda, Otrobanda, Groot Kwartier
  • Tax Office at the World Trade Center Piscadera
• Note: If you go to CPost to pick up your sticker and want to pay by card, they cannot convert the fee into USD. Only our local card works on their machine. They do take cash instead.

Car Insurance

The big insurance providers on the island include: CG United, BSure, Ennia, and Citizens. There are more, but I’m not as familiar with other companies. We personally use CG United because they were the easiest to work with. You fill out an application online, they give you a quote, you transfer the premium to their account, and you get an Apple Wallet QR Code that shows your insurance card. If you need more than bare minimum insurance, you’ll need to take your car in for an insurance inspection (or so I was told).

I found that Ennia and Citizens were on more of the expensive side for basic car insurance. BSure was just difficult to get a hold of after going through their quote process. The guy that we bought our car from also had CG United insurance, so I think we made the right choice for us. Our insurance included a subscription to Wegenwacht, a 24/7 roadside assistance service. We used them recently to come to our house and replace the battery on our car!

Car Inspection Appointment

Car inspections are good for 2 years on the island, and we were due to get our car inspected before picking up our 2026 sticker. If you need to get your car inspected, prepare to add at least a week extra to this whole process.

To start, you need to schedule an inspection appointment at this website. If you’re lucky, they’ll have a slot available during the same week. If not, then you’ll be waiting for a bit. The cost of an inspection is 30 XCG ($16.65 USD) to renew a valid inspection certificate, or 60 XCG ($33.31 USD) to renew an expired inspection certificate. You can transfer funds in advance to their local bank account and bring proof of payment, or you can use your card at their machine. They only take Mastercard/Maestro, and I don’t believe they can convert to USD either.

Once your appointment day arrives, you’ll want to go to the Uitvoeringsorganisatie Verkeer en Vervoer office in Parera. You’ll pass by the Selikor offices and through a guard gate to get there. The administrative office is on the left, and the inspection garage is on the right. You’ll want to go to the office first. Once you get to the office, there’s usually a guard standing at the front asking what you’re there for. He or she will direct you into the correct line. I waited about 15 minutes in a tight hallway until it was my turn to pay for the inspection. I gave the staff member my expired inspection card, she put 60 XCG on the card machine, I swiped, and received an inspection paper to give to the garage crew.

Car Inspection Process

After receiving my inspection paper, I got back in the car and drove across the street to the inspection garage. There is another guard who is directing traffic to the correct lanes. I pulled up to her and let her know I had an inspection appointment and showed her the paper I received (this is proof I paid the inspection fee), and she directed me to a line all the way at the back. There’s also a small stall opposite of the guard selling drinks and snacks in case your passengers don’t want to wait in the car.

I drove to the end of the line and waited for around 20 minutes until it was my turn to pull into the garage. There were two entrances for cars, and one reserved for trucks and larger vehicles. The inspection crew had me and the car next to me pull in at the same time. One of the guys came up to me, asked me which language I speak, and then started issuing commands. I had to turn on/off my headlights and brights, the right and left indicators, honk the horn, brake, and use the windshield wipers. All of this took less than 2 minutes before I was ushered back outside to wait for them to give me my new inspection card.

After I pulled out of the garage, I parked my car where I could see everyone else waiting. You’d think people would be grumpy about having to wait, but people were in a cheery mood and chatting with each other. About 20 minutes later, someone came out holding a bundle of inspection cards. He looked at license plates and pulled out the respective inspection cards and handed them to the owners. I received mine without issue and then headed to CPost to get my sticker.

Getting My Sticker at CPost

I drove to the CPost Groot Kwartier which happens to be right near Goisco. For those who don’t know, CPost is our main post office. There was plenty of parking at this location, and when I entered the building I tried to pay my tax with the e-kiosk. CPost made a huge deal about that being a new feature in 2025, but it didn’t work anymore! As I was slamming my finger into the screen looking for the tax option, the security guard told me I needed to take a number and wait in line.

I took a number from the automated machine, and waited in a short line. The line was to show your tax documentation to a guy sitting at a desk. He checked that I had the three items required for getting a sticker before telling me I was good and to sit down and wait for my number to be called. After about 20 minutes, my number was finally called. I gave the attendant my inspection card, 2025 motor vehicle tax card, and proof of insurance. He had me swipe for the 296 XCG fee for the full year, handed me my new motor vehicle tax card for 2026 and sticker before telling me to have a good day.

I walked out with my 2026 sticker in tow and said a prayer in thanks that everything went smoothly. Later, my husband did the honors of putting the new sticker on the windshield, and now we don’t have to worry about this for another year!

Kat’s Final Thoughts

I hope you found this guide helpful! I know I was super confused when I first had to go through this process. Thankfully, the guy that we bought our used car from was nice enough to walk us through this process. He met us at the inspection office and told us exactly what we needed to do.

Even though the entire process took about 6 hours out of my day, I’m glad I wasn’t sitting in a sterile DMV office with unfriendly people like I would’ve in the US. Everyone I spoke to was very kind, and the sun was shining. I brought my Kindle and read my book while I waited in lines. Overall, not a bad experience when you know what to expect!

Do you want to see more posts about life in Curacao? Let me know in the comments below what you want to hear about!