The main island of the Netherlands Antilles is Curaçao, where Willemstad, it’s capital is located. This island enjoys very good connections with the outside world by telephone, telefax and internet. The international airport on the island provides for daily flights to Europe, the United States and South America. The economy is dependent on tourism, the refining and transhipment of Venezuelan petroleum, and offshore finance. Consequently the Antilles has a more developed infrastructure than other nearby countries. Another major industry is ship repairing. Curaçao's ship-repair dry dock is one of the largest of the Western Hemisphere.

If you are looking for accountability, safety and effectiveness, the Directorate of Shipping and Maritime Affairs is eager to provide you such qualities.

Netherlands Antilles Ship Register transferred to Curaçao

On October 10, 2010, the Netherlands Antilles is dissolved as a country, due to the restructuring of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In its place, two new countries come into existence, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, the two largest islands of the former Netherlands Antilles. The remaining three smaller islands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba are integrated in The Netherlands under a special legal status. Curaçao and Sint Maarten remain autonomous countries within the Kingdom. As a consequence, the Netherlands Antilles Ship Register on this date, transfers to Curaçao and becomes the Curaçao Ship Register. The Directorate of Shipping and Maritime Affairs, which manages the register, is also transferred to Curaçao and continues as the Maritime Authority of Curaçao. The transfer has no external or internal legal effects, other than the change of name. All flag state responsibilities concerning vessels registered in the former country Netherlands Antilles rest with the new country Curaçao.

Please click here for a Notice to Shipping on the transition and the arrangements with respect to ship and crew documentation.