How to write a job listing that works in Aruba

A job listing that works in Aruba answers five questions before anyone has to ask: what the job is called, what it pays, when the hours are, which languages it needs, and what papers someone must have. Answer them up front and more of the people who apply will be people you can hire.

Here is how to handle each, with the Aruban rules that apply.

Name the job the way people search for it

• Use the everyday name, such as “Front Desk Agent” or “Line Cook”, not an internal grade or code.
• One role per listing. A cook and a server are two listings, so each reaches the people looking for it.
• Keep the location out of the title (it has its own field), and leave out words like “urgent”.

Show the pay, and check it against the hourly minimum

Since 1 January 2026, every employee in Aruba aged 18 or over who is entitled to the minimum wage must earn at least Afl. 11.58 an hour, whatever their weekly hours.² For a monthly salary, the minimum is hours per week × Afl. 11.58 × 4.333: Afl. 2,007.05 for 40 hours, Afl. 2,257.93 for 45.³ Our article on the minimum hourly wage has the details.

Then show it. A range in Afl., such as “Afl. 2,300 to 2,600 a month”, lets people judge the offer before they apply, and saves interviews that end at the salary question. Post a Job has Salary from and Salary to fields for it.

Be honest about the work and the hours

• A normal day in three to five sentences: what the person does, who they work with, who they report to.
• Hours and schedule: hours per week, and whether there are shifts, nights, weekends or public holidays.
• Where: the work location, and whether the job needs a driver’s licence or your own transport.
• What you offer besides pay: meals on duty, transport, uniforms, training, insurance. If you offer it, list it.

Keep “required” for what really is

A long list of requirements puts off good candidates who meet most of them. Mark as required only what someone cannot do the job without, and put the rest under preferred. Three things deserve a clear line.

Languages

Papiamento and Dutch are Aruba’s official languages,¹ and many listings on Aruba Jobs also ask for English or Spanish. Name the languages and the level, for example “fluent English and Spanish, conversational Papiamento”. The Required Languages you set are part of how candidates are matched to your job.

The health certificate for food and drink jobs

By law, everyone in Aruba who works with food and drinks needs a valid health certificate from the Department of Public Health (DVG), and it is valid for one year.⁴⁵ Businesses that let staff without one handle food can face sanctions, including closure until those staff have one.⁴ Say in the listing whether candidates need it before they start; Post a Job has a Health certificate field.

Permission to work

Foreign nationals need a work and residence permit. It starts with a labour market review: positive advice from the Departamento di Progreso Laboral (DPL) comes first, then DIMAS, the admission department, can issue the permit.⁶ Dutch citizens born outside Aruba usually need a residence permit too, for their first five years.⁷ Use the Work authorization field to say whether applicants must already be allowed to work in Aruba.

Make applying simple

• One way to apply. On Aruba Jobs you pick one: through Aruba Jobs (applications with CV arrive in your applicant inbox), by email, or on your own careers page.
• A deadline, if there is one.
• A few screening questions for real deal-breakers, such as “Can you work weekends?”
• One sentence on what happens next, and when people will hear from you.

Before you publish

1. The title is the name people search for.
2. The pay is shown and meets the hourly minimum for the hours listed.
3. Hours, schedule and location are clear.
4. Required and preferred are separate, languages included.
5. The health certificate and work authorization are stated where they apply.
6. There is one way to apply, a deadline if needed, and a line on what happens next.

Ready? Post your job. The form walks through each of these points, and a checklist beside it shows what is still missing.

Quick answers

What is the lowest salary I can offer in Aruba?

For employees aged 18 and over who are entitled to the minimum wage: Afl. 11.58 an hour, or hours per week × Afl. 11.58 × 4.333 a month.²³

Do food and drink staff in Aruba need a health certificate?

Yes. Everyone who works with food and drinks needs a valid certificate from the DVG, renewed every year.⁴⁵

Can I hire someone from abroad?

Yes, with a work and residence permit: positive advice from the DPL first, then a permit from DIMAS.⁶ For Dutch citizens, see moving to Aruba from the Netherlands for work.