One parent is immediately enthusiastic and the other parent still has a number of questions, which is completely understandable.
We would like to explain to you what awaits your son or daughter, but also for you as a parent.
Curaçao is located about 8000 km from the Netherlands, about a 10-hour flight.
Unfortunately, the media is not always positive about Curaçao, so that the fun experiences, rich culture and beautiful nature remain underexposed. But indeed, crime sometimes occurs, partly because of the poverty that prevails among part of the population, we certainly do not want to deny that, but you will also find this in all major Dutch cities.
We always say that you can compare Curaçao with a city like Amsterdam, with our cozy neighborhoods, many cultures and diversity. There is plenty to experience and discover.
It is good to realize that thousands of students come to Curaçao every year for an unforgettable internship or work period and that the island is also fully focused on students and tourists. As a result, there are enough facilities and amenities to guarantee safety.
An advantage is that your child will very quickly connect with other young people who are also going through the same experience; Discovering a new country, often living on their own for the first time and becoming independent.
We have listed the most frequently asked questions and answers from parents for you.
Our answer to this is short but powerful: ?Yes?. We say this not out of self-interest, but out of the conviction that this is really the case.
Curaçao is an island that falls under the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is an island with Dutch characteristics such as language and education, laws and regulations. A student therefore does not have to deal with a major culture shock, but they do learn to deal with different norms and values.
As described, Curaçao can be compared to a large city in terms of crime. There are suburbs that you would rather not visit because poverty is high there, which means that the contrast between rich and poor is very large. In practice, young people are never to be found in these neighbourhoods, because there are no companies where students do internships, there is no housing and there are no shops.
If your son or daughter behaves a bit sensibly, there is no reason to assume that Curaçao would not be safe.
We have written an extensive blog about this with more information:
Internship on Curaçao dangerous?
When registering a student or young worker, we always ask for the details of a contact person who stays at home. In most cases, you as a parent are this. A student is required to provide this information.
This way we can always reach the home front if necessary. Fortunately, this has never happened, but we like to be on the safe side.
Doing an internship on Curaçao has a cost that can be estimated fairly well in advance. Consider, for example, the fixed one-off costs such as a plane ticket, brokerage costs, costs for the mandatory permit, etc.
In addition to the one-off costs, there are also recurring costs such as rent, groceries and insurance. To guide your son or daughter in this, we have a super handy budget planner where you can calculate the costs in advance. This planner can be downloaded as soon as your child has an account with CuraStage.
We have already mentioned a small estimate of the cost of living in this blog: Cost of living in Curaçao
Your son or daughter does not have to deregister in the Netherlands to be allowed to do an internship or work in Curaçao. You can stay outside the Netherlands for 8 months and remain registered.
The health insurance obligation from the Netherlands therefore continues. We always advise to take out travel insurance so that any (extra) medical costs are reimbursed. Please note that you opt for World coverage and not just European coverage.
There are special insurance policies for students who are going to do an internship abroad and therefore also for Curaçao!
CuraStage not only helps with arranging an internship or workplace, but much more! We are an all-round agency that splits the entire process into five broad parts, namely:
At CuraStage you pay a transparent & affordable rate for the work we perform for you. Better quality for less money.
In your own account at CuraStage you will find all relevant information, a free XXL budget planner and you can get in touch with other young people.
CuraStage has been established on Curaçao for many years. Thanks to our broad network, we know exactly what is going on in Curaçao and what to take into account.
At CuraStage you are free to choose your own accommodation. We do not charge a commission to the accommodation and can therefore always give honest advice.
If you start working or doing an internship on Curaçao through CuraStage, you will receive very nice discounts! You can go diving, sail to Klein Curaçao or enjoy a delicious meal.
We are open six days a week and can be reached via email, telephone & WhatsApp. In addition, you can always physically visit our office.
We can of course name reasons why it is good to arrange everything yourself and that it naturally saves brokerage costs. But we wouldn't exist as an intermediary agency if it was all easy to arrange. It starts with the fact that we are located in Curaçao and we can therefore properly assess whether a company is suitable for the student or not. What does fit and which match is most successful?
Curaçao is not known as the fastest responding island and your son or daughter will certainly run into that, even when they are on the island. This is a fact and nothing can be changed, but not being able to find an internship because of the lack of a response? That is very sour and makes it super difficult to arrange everything. Then we are not even talking about the mandatory permit that must be requested from the government of Curaçao.
An error or a ?forgot-to-arrange? unfortunately often happens where we are called when it is already too late. That is why we recommend that you register with us at least 2-3 months before the start date so that there is room to arrange a few things.
It is every parent's and student's worst nightmare when they arrive here at the airport and documents are missing or things are not properly coordinated and arranged. Via CuraStage we prevent this and ensure that the start of this fantastic experience goes smoothly and well! The misery does not outweigh the compensation.
Not all accommodations on Curaçao have standard linen. That is why we offer this service. That saves a lot of space in your suitcase ;-)
The linen consists of a pillow, bottom sheet and duvet cover. On Curaçao we do not sleep under blankets because of the heat. No towels are included.
If you use our pick-up service, you will receive your linen directly at Hato, otherwise you can pick it up at our office.
Calling each other on Curaçao is very expensive. That is why a local SIM card is definitely recommended.
You put this SIM card in your phone, but you keep your normal WhatsApp number. This way you can call and app with the home front & friends via WhatsApp as you are used to.
You call each other on Curaçao at the local rate with your new local telephone number.
If you have a pick-up service, you will receive your SIM card directly at Hato, otherwise you can pick it up at our office.
