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BUYING PROCESS

Buying Property in Aruba as a US citizen: The 2026 Guide

Yes, Americans can buy property on Aruba, in their own name, and you don't need residency to do it. Plan on roughly 5–8% on top of the price for closing costs, or 7–10% with a local mortgage. The one thing to check before you fall for a place: is the land freehold or land lease?

By Jakob Jakubov, every winter on Aruba since 2021 · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read

Can Americans buy property in Aruba?

Yes, and it's easier than most people expect. Aruba is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it puts no restrictions on foreign buyers. You don't need residency, a local partner or a special permit.

You hold the title in your own name, and you can rent the place out or sell it whenever you like. In practice you buy under the same rules as an Aruban.

What does differ is practical: how you pay, what kind of land sits under the house, and what the IRS wants from you. That's what the rest of this guide covers.

One thing ownership doesn't do: it doesn't give you residency. As a US citizen you get 90 days on arrival, and an owner can stay up to 180 days a year as a visitor.

Read next → Does buying property in Aruba give you residency?

How much does buying cost on top of the price?

Plan for about 5–8% on top of the agreed price if you pay cash. Most of that is transfer tax and the notary. Here is how it breaks down:

Ranges based on the official notary scale. We check them every winter.

The transfer tax is tiered, so a $300k condo and an $800k villa don't pay the same percentage. The notary's fee follows a published scale, but ask for a written quote anyway.

One pleasant surprise for Americans: the agent's commission is paid by the seller, not by you.

The tier-by-tier detail, with a worked example on a USD 400,000 condo, is in taxes & closing costs.

Read next → Work out your own closing costs with the calculator

Freehold or land lease: What's the difference?

This is the idea that trips up nearly every US buyer, because it doesn't exist back home. On Aruba there are two kinds of land.

Freehold (eigendom) is what you know. You own the land outright, for good.

Land lease (erfpacht) means the government owns the land and grants you a long, renewable lease on it, commonly 60 years. You fully own the building on top. You pay a small yearly ground fee, called the canon.

A land-lease property is not a lesser property, and you'll find it at some of the best addresses on the island. But you're really buying two things: the building and the years left on the lease. Fifty-five years and a modest fee is a non-event, while eight years and no clarity on renewal should show up in the price.

Land lease isn't a red flag. An expiring land lease is.

Read next → Freehold vs. land lease: how renewal and resale work

What taxes will you pay in Aruba and to the IRS?

Two tax systems touch your Aruba property, and it helps to keep them apart.

In Aruba. At purchase, the big one is the transfer tax above. After that you pay a yearly property tax (grondbelasting), a flat 0.6% of assessed value for non-resident owners. That will feel small if you're used to US county property tax.

If you rent the place out, Aruba taxes the rental income after costs. Short-term guests also owe a 12.5% tourist levy plus USD 3 per room per night, which you collect and pay in yourself. Airbnb and VRBO don't do it for you.

Back in the US. This is the part American buyers forget. You're taxed on your worldwide income, so rental income from your Aruba condo goes on your US return, even though Aruba has already taxed it.

The relief is the foreign tax credit. Tax paid in Aruba can generally be credited against your US bill, so you're usually not taxed twice on the same dollar. A gain when you sell is reportable too.

Depending on how you hold or finance the property, US foreign-account reporting (FBAR, FATCA) can also come into play. This guide isn't tax advice. Talk to a CPA who handles foreign real estate before you close, not after.

Read next → Taxes & closing costs in Aruba, explained

Can you get a mortgage as an American?

Not from your US bank. A US lender can't secure a lien on Aruban land, so it won't write the loan. Here's what works instead.

1. Cash. The simplest route, and the most common one for foreign buyers here. No financing condition, a cleaner offer and a faster path to the keys.

2. A local Aruban mortgage. Some Aruban banks lend to non-residents, but on tighter terms than you're used to. Expect 50–65% of the appraised value, rates of roughly 5–7%, and terms of usually 10–15 years. Underwriting is slower, so build in extra weeks.

3. Borrow against your US home. Take a HELOC or a cash-out refinance at home, then buy in Aruba as a cash buyer. It's often the cheapest money, with a lender you already know. The catch is that your US home is now on the line.

If the property is on land lease, a local bank will want the remaining term to outlast the loan. A short lease can make local financing hard.

Read next → Financing as a foreigner: your real options

How does the buying process work?

It's more orderly than a US closing. One impartial civil-law notary runs the legal side for both buyer and seller.

1. Offer. Usually through an agent, in writing, with any conditions such as financing or inspection.
2. Purchase agreement. You and the seller both sign it.
3. Deposit. Often 10%, paid into the notary's escrow account, not to the seller.
4. Due diligence. The notary checks clean title, the land type and lease term, and any mortgages, liens or unpaid taxes.
5. Deed of transfer (akte van levering). The notary drafts it, with a settlement statement showing every cost.
6. Signing. At the notary's office, or by power of attorney if you can't fly back.
7. Registration and keys. The notary registers you at the land registry (Kadaster) and pays the seller.

Plan on 2–3 months from accepted offer to keys. Due diligence sets the pace, and paying cash is the biggest thing that speeds it up.

Read next → The notary process: timeline from offer to keys

What mistakes do US buyers make?

1. Budgeting the sticker price only. Closing costs of about 5–8% aren't optional. Build them in from your first offer.
2. Falling for a place before checking the land. Ask "freehold or land lease, and how many years left?" on viewing day, not at the notary.
3. Counting on a US mortgage. It won't happen. Settle your financing route before you offer, or your "cash offer" isn't really cash.
4. Forgetting the IRS, and Aruba's rental tax. If the plan is short-term rental near Palm Beach or Eagle Beach, model real occupancy and real taxes. Start with renting out your property and, for a condo, the condo buyer's guide.

Read next → Buying property in Aruba: the complete guide