UBO-register

The UBO Register promotes transparency and supports efforts to prevent and combat financial and economic crimes such as:

• Money laundering
• Tax evasion
• Terrorist financing
• Corruption and fraud

In principle, all organizations listed in the Trade Register must also register their UBO(s), unless exempt.

Organizations Required to Register

• Foundations (Stichting), including Trust Office Foundations (STAK)
• Associations with full legal capacity (incorporated through a notary)
• Cooperatives (Coöperatie)
• Mutual Insurance Companies (Onderlinge Waarborgmaatschappij / OWM)
• Public limited liability companies (Naamloze Vennootschap / NV)
• Limited liability companies (Vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid / VBA)
• Professional partnerships (Maatschap)
• General partnerships (Vennootschap onder firma / VOF)
• Limited partnerships (Commanditaire vennootschap / CV)
• Trusts
• Foreign companies/legal entities active in Aruba

Exemptions

The following are not required to register:

• Sole proprietorships (Eenmanszaak)
• Associations without full legal capacity
• Associations of owners (Vereniging van Eigenaren)

The following may be exempt from registration:

• 100% subsidiaries of listed companies with freely tradable shares on recognized stock exchanges (Amsterdam, New York, Lisbon, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Tokyo)

👉 If your organization may qualify for exemption, contact us:
📧 ubo@arubachamber.com | ☎ (+297) 582 1566 ext. 345 or 346.

• Existing organizations (before Jan 1, 2023): Register UBO(s) by July 1, 2024.
• New organizations (after Jan 1, 2023): Register UBO(s) within one week of incorporation/start.
• Amendments: Report changes within one week.
  • If the change affects data in the digital UBO form (e.g., address or shareholding affecting UBO or % class) → file a new registration.
  • If the change does not alter the form data (e.g., amendment of statutes with no UBO effect, share transfer within same % class) → email documents to ubo@arubachamber.com and request they be added to the registration.

For incorporations as of Jan 1, 2023, the handling notary usually submits the initial UBO registration. Confirm with your notary whether they will submit the UBO registration. If not, the director must do so. Directors remain responsible for reporting changes (e.g., shareholding or directors) within one week.

Failing to register on time, completely, or correctly may result in:

• A Aruba Chamber request to correct the filing
• Escalation to the Minister of Economic Affairs (via DEACI)
• Penalties or fines

⚠️ The Aruba Chamber cannot advise who qualifies as UBO; organizations are fully responsible.

• Responsible persons: Business owner, each director of a legal entity, each partner (except silent/limited), trustee, and notary (incorporations post-2023).
• Signing authority: Usually the director(s). A third party may file with a signed power of attorney + ID.
• Obligation to cooperate: UBOs must provide all required data.

All registrations are digital via My Chamber.

Steps (if UBO is also director)

1. Organization details
2. UBO data (add multiple if needed)
3. Signature (director signs digitally by email)
4. Attachments (required documents)

Steps (if UBO is not director)

1. Organization details
2. UBO data
3. Declarant’s details (director or authorized representative)
4. Signature
5. Attachments

Other Notes

• Save for later: possible, but only for 1 week.
• Account creation (as of Jan 15, 2024):

Register for a My Chamber account → set strong password → scan QR code with authenticator app → enter 6-digit code from authenticator app → Login.

👉For detailed instructions, please visit: Important Notice: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and for Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

The Aruba Chamber does not provide advice on who qualifies as a UBO for your organization. It only verifies the submitted registration based on your documents. 

However, it can share general guidelines to help you determine the UBO(s). See below for information per legal form.

👉Please note: An organization may have one or more UBOs, and a UBO is always a natural person.

Determining the UBO's of your organization 

• UBOs may be appointed via direct or indirect interests.

Examples of direct Interest (a natural person owns shares in a company directly)

• Figure 1 – Direct interest (Mr. X & Mrs. Y each 50% of VBA A) and can therefore be appointed as UBOs based on their direct economic interest exceeding 25%.

• Figure 2 – VBA B has no natural person with >25% shares, voting rights, or with effective control. Therefore, Mrs. Z can be appointed as pseudo-UBO based on her role (director).

Examples of indirect Interest (shares or voting rights are held indirectly via one or more other organizations)

• Figure 3 – VBA C has no natural person with >25% direct interest, as VBA D (100% shareholder) is fully owned by LLC A. Mr. X holds 28% (> 25%) in LLC A, giving him an indirect interest in VBA C as UBO based on economic interest.

• Figure 4 – VBA E has no natural person with >25% shares or voting rights, as VBA F and VBA G each hold 50%, and their shareholders each hold 25%. No one qualifies as UBO by >25% shares or voting rights or effective control. Mrs. C can be appointed as pseudo-UBO based on her role (director).

If multiple entities in your corporate structure must register, file one registration per entity and include supporting documents up to the UBO or until it can be concluded that no UBO can be appointed based on ‘Economic interest’ or ‘Voting rights’ with the registration.

• Figure 5 – 1 share equals 1 vote, submit all documents from VBA A through VBA D and of the UBO, Mr. X, for the UBO registration of VBA A. (Submit docs only for A & B, others at 25% = no UBO.)

If UBOs are via indirect interests, attach a structure chart showing:

• Full name, country of residence, DOB of natural persons
• Full name, country of residence of entities
• Shareholding percentages
• Date + director’s signature confirming accuracy (≤3 months old)

For UBOs, directors, representatives

All fields on the form must be completed, and all required documents must be submitted.

If additional documents are required for your organization, please upload them. The Aruba Chamber may request further information or documents to verify the submitted data. 

Residents of Aruba: 

• Document showing the personal number as assigned and recorded by the DIMP.
• Passport/Aruban cedula
• Censo extract Afl. 5,00 <3 months

Non-residents of Aruba: 

• TIN (official government document)
• Passport  
• Address proof (utility bill, bank statement or civil registry extract) ≤3 months
• Power of attorney (if applicable)

For organizations (depends on legal form)

• NV: Shareholder register,  articles (with amendments, if any) and capital reduction deed (if any). If indirect: Structure chart, shareholder register (or similar), articles (or similar, with amendments if any) and , extracts for foreign entities (if applicable).
• VBA: Shareholder register, articles (with amendments, if any), by-laws (in Dutch: Reglement, with amendments, if any) and capital reduction deed (if any). If indirect: Structure chart, shareholder register (or similar), articles (or similar, with amendments) and , extracts for foreign entities (if applicable).
• Maatschap / VOF / CV: Signed partnership contract ( with amendments, if any).
• Cooperative / Association / OWM / Foundation: Articles (with amendments, if any).
• STAK: Articles (with amendments, if any), certificate holder register, terms of administration with amendments, if any).
• Trust: Deed of trust (with amendments, if any) and letter of wishes (if any).
• Foreign orgs:  Shareholder register, deed of incorporation/articles (with amendments, if any), capital reduction deed (if any), Chamber extract, and all other relevant documents — or equivalent documents where applicable.
• Language rule: Docs must be in Dutch, English, Spanish, or Papiamento. Other languages require a sworn Dutch translation.

The UBO Register is not public.

• Authorities with full access: Central Bank of Aruba, Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-Aruba), Public Prosecution Service, Tax Authorities, Gaming Authority, Aruba Police Corps, and the National Central Bureau for Counterterrorism, Security and Interpol(NCTVI).
• Lwtf service providers (banks, accountants, notaries, etc.): May request paid extracts (name, birth month/year, nationality, residence, interest). Must also gather their own info.
• Confidentiality: All viewers are bound by legal duty of confidentiality.

• Authorities (except CBA, FIU) and Lwtf service providers must report discrepancies between their data and the Register.
• Exceptions: no duty if it interferes with statutory tasks (e.g., OM investigations), or if reporting unusual transactions to FIU-Aruba.
• Process: The Aruba Chamber contacts organization to confirm/correct. Failure may result in DEACI involvement and fines.

Data and documents are kept up to 10 years after deregistration of the entity from the Trade Register.

• Processed: Portal user notified in My Chamber (checkmark appears).
• Rejected: Email + 1-week link to adjust and re-sign.
• Missing docs: Chamber requests by email; portal user has 1 week to provide. Otherwise → registration rejected and must be re-filed.

• Who may request: Only Lwtf service providers, for customer due diligence.
• How to request (3 steps):
  1. Request details (applicant info)
  2. Signature (email sign request)
  3. Attachments: ID, Censo extract Afl. 5,00 <3 months (Document showing the personal number as assigned and recorded by the DIMP, director ID, power of attorney (if any), proof of due diligence use)

👉 Account must be linked to your Lwtf organization. For further assistance please contact: support@arubachamber.com.

📧 ubo@arubachamber.com
📞 (+297) 582 1566 ext. 345 or 346