Curaçao Currency: The Caribbean Guilder, Dollars, Cards and ATMs

Curaçao's currency is the Caribbean guilder (code XCG, symbol Cg), which replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder on 31 March 2025. It is pegged to the US dollar at Cg1.79 to US$1. US dollars are widely accepted, most hotels, shops and restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, and ATMs give out both guilders and dollars, so most visitors never need to exchange money before they arrive. This guide explains the new notes, what to do with old guilders, how dollars and cards work in practice, and what tipping and taxes add to a bill. Facts were checked on 13 November 2026.

What Currency Does Curaçao Use?

The Caribbean guilder is issued by the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) and shared with Sint Maarten. It became legal tender on 31 March 2025, converting from the old Antillean guilder at one to one, so prices did not change. The peg to the dollar did not change either.

You will still see prices written with the old abbreviations NAf or ANG on some menus and websites. Because the changeover was one to one, the number is the same; only the label is out of date.

Are Old Antillean Guilders Still Valid?

No. Old and new money circulated together until 30 June 2025, and the Antillean guilder left circulation on 1 July 2025. Shops no longer take it.

If you have NAf notes left from an earlier trip, they have not lost their value, but the options have narrowed. Commercial banks stopped exchanging them on 31 March 2026. Since then only the central bank does it, and it will continue until 31 March 2055. According to the CBCS notice from March 2026, a first-time visitor exchanging less than Cg20,000 can walk in on a weekday morning, while repeat visits and larger amounts need an appointment. Take your passport.

Can You Pay in US Dollars?

Yes, almost everywhere a visitor goes. Three things are worth knowing.

• The rate is the shop's choice. The official peg is 1.79, but there is no single counter rate. The tourism board quotes Cg1.82 per dollar for shops and restaurants, while some businesses use 1.75. On a US$20 purchase the gap is under a dollar, but ask before you pay for anything large.
• Change usually comes in guilders. Pay with a US$20 note and you will usually get Caribbean guilders back.
• Bring small notes. US$50 and US$100 bills are sometimes refused for small purchases.

Euros are less useful. A few hotels and restaurants take them, but the tourism board's advice is to change euros at a bank.

Do Cards Work in Curaçao?

Visa and Mastercard are accepted wherever credit cards are taken, which covers most shops, restaurants and hotels. American Express is accepted in fewer places. If a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in the local currency: that offer, known as dynamic currency conversion, must be optional under the card networks' rules and usually costs more.

Cash still matters away from Willemstad. The tourism board warns that some attractions take only cash, especially in the west of the island. Keep some guilders or small dollar notes for beach entrance fees, snack stands and food trucks on a day in Westpunt or Bandabou. We could not confirm that European Maestro and V-Pay debit cards work at every shop terminal, so Dutch and other European visitors should carry a credit card or cash as a backup.

Where Are the ATMs, and What Do They Dispense?

ATMs in Curaçao let you choose between Caribbean guilders and US dollars, according to the tourism board. Some travel sites say the opposite, but Maduro and Curiel's Bank (MCB), the largest local bank, lists its airport machines as loaded with Cg20 and Cg50 notes, US$20 notes and €50 notes.

Hato airport has three ATM locations: in the arrivals hall, on the boulevard beside the check-in hall, and in departures between gates 4 and 5. In town, MCB, Banco di Caribe (which lists 36 machines on the island), RBC and Orco Bank all run networks.

Expect a fee from the local bank on top of whatever your own bank charges. Banco di Caribe, for example, publishes a charge of Cg18.20 (about US$10) for foreign cards at its ATMs, so one larger withdrawal costs less than several small ones. The machine must show its fee before you confirm. Bank counters open at about 08:00 on weekdays and close between 14:00 and 16:00, depending on the bank.

Should You Exchange Money Before You Go?

There is little reason to. Few providers abroad sell Caribbean guilders, and with dollars accepted and an ATM in the airport arrivals hall you can get local cash as soon as you land. To exchange other currencies, go to a local bank and bring identification. Banks may restrict the service for people who do not hold an account, and some hotel front desks will change small amounts of dollars or euros.

Spend or change your guilders before you leave. The currency is used on only two islands and is hard to exchange anywhere else.

How Much Should You Tip?

Tipping is modest because a service charge is often already on the bill. The tourism board describes service charges of about 10 percent in restaurants and 12 percent in hotels. Check the bill first; if service is included, an extra tip is a thank-you, not an obligation.

• Restaurants: if no service charge appears, 10 to 15 percent is customary.
• Taxis: about 10 percent.
• Porters: about Cg1 per bag.
• Dive crews: a local dive travel guide suggests 10 to 20 percent.

What Taxes Are Added to Prices?

Curaçao's turnover tax, known as OB, has three rates, not one. The general rate is 6 percent. Short-stay accommodation is taxed at 7 percent. A higher 9 percent rate applies to, among other things, food and drink consumed in restaurants, cafes and hotels, car rental and diving. Menus and rental quotes do not always include it, so ask whether a price is final.

Two more points for 2026. The Digital Immigration Card that visitors complete online within seven days before departure is free; do not pay a website that charges for it. And a proposed visitor entry tax of US$75 per stay was still only a proposal in early November 2026. It had not been introduced when we checked, so no such fee applies yet.

What Do Everyday Things Cost in Cash?

The big public buses take cash or a SmartPass card on ordinary days. For more on fares and routes see getting around Curaçao, and for a full daily budget see Curaçao on a budget. Our west coast beaches guide lists which beaches charge and which are free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the currency of Curaçao in 2026?

The Caribbean guilder (XCG, written Cg). It replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder on 31 March 2025 at a rate of one to one.

What is the exchange rate between the Caribbean guilder and the US dollar?

It is fixed at Cg1.79 to US$1. Shops set their own counter rate for dollar cash, typically between 1.75 and 1.82.

Do I need guilders, or can I use US dollars in Curaçao?

You can pay in US dollars in most places, but change is usually given in guilders and small notes are best. A little local cash helps for buses, beach fees and snack stands.

Can I still use Antillean guilders (NAf) in Curaçao?

No. They left circulation on 1 July 2025. The central bank in Willemstad will exchange old notes until 31 March 2055.

Do ATMs in Curaçao give US dollars?

Yes. ATMs offer a choice of Caribbean guilders or US dollars, including the machines at Hato airport.

Is tipping expected in Curaçao?

A service charge of about 10 percent is often included in restaurant bills. Where it is not, 10 to 15 percent is customary, and about 10 percent for taxi drivers.

Is the Curaçao Digital Immigration Card free?

Yes. The official card is free of charge.