Department for the Integration, Management and Admission of Foreign Nationals (DIMAS)

The Departamento di Integracion, Maneho y Admision di Stranhero (DIMAS) ”, has been as of July 01 2006 in charge of executing the Management Policy for Admission and Integration of Foreign Nationals for the Aruban Government.  
This means that the DIMAS assesses all requests of foreign nationals wanting to stay in Aruba. It may concern people who are not born in Aruba but want to work and live temporarily or permanently in Aruba. This is also the case for foreign students or interns who want to follow their studies or do their internship here in Aruba.

The DIMAS is the organization that implements and executes the foreign national policy on behalf of the Ministry of Regional Planning, Infrastructure and Environment.

Vision:

  • acting as the director for the sustainability of improved alien administration;
  • bringing together all parties that are involved with the decision making process and execution of the alien policy;
  • ensuring a continuous quality improvement of the Organization and staff.

Mission:

Realizing an integer and durable foreign national policy

The primary objective of the DIMAS is "performing tasks related to foreign nationals to ensure: better integration, a restrictive admissions policy, the observance of the State Ordinance for Admission and Expulsion (LTU), an effective return policy, an integral asylum, migration and immigration policy and the approach of illegality".

The core tasks of the DIMAS are:

  • Dealing with applications for admission and residence, whether or not to work;
  • Issuing temporary and permanent residence permits;
  • Issuing declarations for individuals not obligated to have an official permit and individuals admitted under the law;
  • Extending Guarantee Statements relating to the issuing and delivery of visas by embassies and consulates abroad;
  • Managing the legal (long-term) residence of foreign nationals;
  • Investigating applications related to, among others, live-in domestic help;Monitoring the short stay of foreign nationals, including tourists;
  • The implementation of preparatory work on the grounds of the naturalization policy, in so far as it is part of the list of duties of the country Aruba;
  • Conducting an integral immigration policy, i.e. an effective integration, return and admission policies.