Please read through this entire page as it contains important information about Immigration and obtaining an Aruba Student Resident Permit for Canadian citizens.
For Canadian Citizens attending Xavier University School of Medicine, you do not need a Visa to enter Aruba, but you need to begin the process to obtain your Aruba Student Resident Permit. You can start this process now (gathering documents, getting them notarized/apostilled) and then begin the semester. Once your family/friends receive your documents, they can send them to our New York office to begin processing your Aruba Student Resident Permit.
If you have any questions, please contact the Xavier University School of Medicine Immigration Coordinator at Immigration@xusom.com or your admissions counselor.
Aruba Student Resident Permit Process
- Complete color copy of your passport
- Front cover to back cover
- Make sure the picture & info are on the same page as the signature.
- 6 passport pictures
- Police Record (Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
- Must be requested in all places you have ben registered to live over the past 5 years.
- Must submit the original document.
- This document must state that it is for either of the following reasons:
- Immigration purposes or DIMAS
- DO NOT state that they are for education purposes
- Make sure your document contains a signature and seal.
- If possible please get your fingerprints taken. This is not required, but preferred by DIMAS.
- This document needs to be issued by the Province/State Police, not the county or city police.
- Birth Certificate (Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
- Must be original birth certificate
- Must contain the names of both your mother and father
- If you were born outside of Canada, you can make an affidavit of your Birth and get it Notarized & Apostille (please see final page of this packet for an example)
- If you make an affidavit, you will also need to provide a color copy of your original birth certificate.
- Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (if applicable; you can get a true certified copy Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
- Marriage Certificate (if applicable; Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
- Divorce Certificate (if applicable; Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
- Name Change Certificate (if applicable; Notarized, Authenticated, and Legalized)
Please note:
- If some documents are in a different language than English, please make sure your documents have a certified translation in addition to them being notarized/apostilled.
- Please note that all documents have to be notarized/apostilled separately.
- Required documents cannot be issued more than 3 months from your semester start date.
Before you mail the required documents to us, please first email us a copy so we can confirm that they are correct.
Once your documents have been approved via email, please mail them to our New York Office :
Xavier Admissions, LLC
Immigration Department
1000 Woodbury Road, Suite 109
Woodbury, NY 11797
Please remember these are very important documents and you should mail them in with a tracking number. We recommend using FedEx.
After all of your documents have been submitted, you will have to complete a chest/thorax test and blood test.
Once you are in Aruba, you will be scheduled to be taken by one of our drivers to do the Chest/Thorax test (cost is around $43).
After the chest/thorax test, you will have to do additional blood work.
These results will be submitted to the doctor, and we will receive this after to proceed with the student permit.
After the chest/thorax test and blood test, we will submit the test results to the health department in Aruba. They will then submit the results to DIMAS (Department of Integration and Management of Foreigners).
Once DIMAS receives the results from the health department, and results are cleared, it can take up to 2-4 weeks before you receive the Student Resident Permit. It will be valid for one year of the date of submission.
Two months before expiration date you will be contacted by Xavier’s Immigration Coordinator to start your renewal process.
After we receive your Student Resident Permit, you will receive your documents and instructions from the Immigration Coordinator in the Aruba campus to go register at the Census. This MUST be done within two weeks of receiving these documents and instructions.
After this is done you will have to pick up in two weeks your census paper and you are eligible to register for the local health insurance.
Notarize, Authenticate, and Legalize
When you need a document to be recognized in another country, it has to go through a process called authentication and legalization. The entire process centers on certifying that the official signatures on the document are legitimate. There are 3 steps involved in this process:
- NOTARIZE
- The first step involves taking the document to a notary public. They will affix their seal and signature on the document, certifying that they have witnessed the signature and that it is legitimate
- AUTHENTCATE
- The second step called Authentication involves having the Department of Foreign Affairs certify that seal and signature on the document are from a notary public and in good standing.
- LEGALIZE
- The third step called Legalization is done by the embassy or consulate of the destination country (Dutch embassy). A consular Official confirms that the document is prepared appropriately and will confirm the certificate of authentication affixed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
- If all is in order the embassy or consulate affixes a certificate of legalization to your document (usually a sticker on the back of the document).
Please note that you can complete the Notarize, Authenticate and Legalize process yourself. However, there are agencies that provide this service for you. Please see below the contact information for an agency we recommend. You will need to contact them and request more information on the service and fees. You must inform them that the documents will need to be Legalized in the Dutch Embassy.
