Starting a new academic career can be an exciting and stressful experience. To help you prepare we have developed a list of items to bring, and instructions and contacts to simplify your travel plans. Contacting your mentor at this time can be very helpful. Mentors are upperclassmen who have volunteered to answer questions about life on Curacao, life on campus, life in your chosen field, and any questions you may have about.
Prior to leaving for Curacao you will need to have all of the essential documents completed and/or submitted.
PLEASE NOTE: YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO REGISTER IF ANY OF THE ABOVE DOCUMENTS ARE MISSING ON YOUR FILE.
All required paper work for loans and/or scholarships must be completed and returned as soon as possible to assure proper allocation of funds. If you have outstanding financial aid issues, they must be cleared prior to arrival on campus.
Follow the due date on the invoice until loans are approved.
Students with questions about their bills, payments or refunds, cost of attendance, loans or scholarships should direct inquiries to:
Financial Department
Caribbean Medical University
5600 N River Road Suite 800
Rosemont, IL 60018
Toll Free: (888) 877 4268 ext 2.
Fax: (302) 397 2092 Email: finance@cmumed.org
Students holding US, Canadian or European passport or Green Card DO NOT require visas to enter Curacao and may remain on the island for a period of up to 90 days (6 Months for US Passport holders). During this period, students are required to submit an application for a Temporary Student Residence Permit.
Students coming from OTHER COUNTRIES not listed as exempt from visa requirements are require to present a visa to enter Curacao. Those students should apply for the Temporary Student Residence Permit first. Once this is granted they should apply for a Caribbean Travel Visa at least one month in advance at any Embassy or Consulate of the Netherlands (in the student’s country of residence). Please make sure to verify if you need an additional Transit Visa.
Students should be in possession of:
Once accepted to the University, students are required to gather all the following documents and courier them to the Curacao campus in order to satisfy the requirements of the Curacao Immigration Authority and to obtain a Temporary Student Residence Permit.
You can find detailed information in CMU Immigration Booklet.
Set of Immigration Documents for Curacao (1st Permit): All original documents are required except for the copy of the passport – DO NOT email or fax them
Send the complete set of original documents to the address specified below (It is highly suggested to use a courier service such as UPS, DHL or FedEx): *** DO NOT SEND YOUR ACTUAL PASSPORT! ***
Caribbean Medical University
Attn: Main Office – Immigration Docs
25 Pater Euwensweg
Willemstad, Curacao
Students from Countries or Nationalities NOT REQUIRING a Visa such as US, Canada, Europe: It is highly recommended that they send their documents to the CMU Campus in Curacao about 2 months prior to arrival for the term they will attend, so that CMU can begin the temporary student resident permit process with the Curacao immigration on their behalf.
U.S. citizens can bring their documents and give them to the school upon arrival in Curacao; however it is recommended to submit the documents prior to arrival.
Please note that it takes about 3 months for the Curacao Immigration Department to process documents and issue a landing permit. This information is an estimation only as the length of time may vary for each case.
Students from Countries or Nationalities REQUIRING a Visa: the process may be longer—they need to submit a set of documents to the CMU Campus in Curacao, wait for the landing permit (about 3 months) to be issued in Curacao and then apply for an entry visa at the nearest Dutch Embassy; an appointment with the Embassy may take 30 days or more.
Contact the Embassy ahead of time to find out which documents they require students to take to apply for a visa. This information is an estimation only as the length of time may vary for each case.
Please see: Applying for Curacao Visa
Labor Permits
Foreigners who intend to work in Curacao must have a valid labor permit. Students are strictly forbidden to work in Curacao while engaged in their medical studies. The same applies for family members of students.
CMU recently partnered up with MCIS and offers students an insurance coverage while on Curacao.
This coverage includes:
All students are required to enroll in this plan or to provide proof of comparable international insurance coverage from their home country.
All entering students of Caribbean Medical University are eligible to live in the CMU dormitories, which are based on availability. Living in the dorms provides more opportunities to interact with other new students, giving you more time to meet people and make new friends.
Before leaving for Curacao, make sure you have a room at CMU dormitories reserved or contact our Housing Coordinator for a list of off-campus housing. There is a wide range of off-campus housing opportunities to meet any budget, including many housing locations within walking distance from the campus.
Housing should be arranged prior to arriving on Curacao. Generally, housing arrangements are completed within a few weeks prior to your arrival. Please make sure to email the housing department at dorms@cmumed.org in order to make a housing reservation.
If you want to obtain off-campus housing prior to arrival on Curacao, you can work with the CMU’s Housing Coordinator to arrange accommodations. You can receive a list of available apartments and then speak with the Housing staff who are able to answer your questions.
With the help of current and former students, we have prepared a list of recommended items for you to bring to the island.
Light clothing for four months of campus life (summer weight shirts, shorts, jeans, bathing suits). Cleaning services are available in dorms.
Students should be well equipped to handle minor medical problems. Common student problems are:
Consider having the following:
For those coming from outside of the Caribbean:
These items have been recommended by former students. Many of the items listed are very expensive on the island, therefore if you are traveling to Curacao and you have the space it is recommended that you bring these items with you.
Caribbean Medical University has designed a Student Shipping Program for its students and their families, which offers convenient and affordable shipping to the island of Curacao. The program allows you to send items like books, school supplies, personal belongings and equipment. And to make you feel confident that your package will be handled with the utmost care.
Box up your items, follow the shipping instructions below, and send them to:
Caribbean Medical University – SSP (Your name here)
10100 NW 25 ST
Miami, Florida 33172
Tel:305-599-8866
Fax:305-599-2808
Your package(s) will be delivered directly to the CMU campus on Curacao and placed in the secure storage area for you to pick up.
Shipping Instructions:
Please follow these instructions carefully so that your packages are shipped correctly.
You may contact CMU Department of Student Services at (888) 877 4268 when you ship the package to make payment arrangements or if you have any questions about the shipping process please contact AmCar directly:
– By phone: (305) 599 8866
– Visit the website at http://www.amcarfreight.com.
Note: Within 1 week of receiving your shipment, required documents /if applicable/ and the payment, AmCar Freight Inc. will prepare your box(es) for shipment directly to the CMU campus. You will be charged a flat rate of $4.50 per pound /minimum $35/, plus an optional $1.25* per $100 insurance.
*Only new items can be insured.