St. Maarten FAQs

Information from the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau

  1. Entry Requirements for U.S. citizens
     A valid passport and a return/continuing ticket
  2. Entry Requirements for Canadian citizens
      A valid passport and a return/continuing ticket. * A certified copy of birth certificate, a photo identification and a return/continuing ticket. A “Landing permit” (Permanent Resident Card) with valid passport and return/continuing ticket.
  3. Entry Requirements for European community citizens
     A valid passport and a return/continuing ticket.
  4. Nationals of the countries not listed above
    Click here for more information.
  5. Visa Exemption Categories
    The following categories are exempted from the visa requirement:– Holders of a valid residence permit for the United States, Canada, the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland or Switzerland; Holders of a valid residence permit for the French part of St Maarten; Holders of a valid residence permit for one of the countries or public bodies (Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba) of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean; The visa requirement applies to all children, regardless of age. They must have their own visa sticker, which means that they must have their own passport. Fees do not need to be paid for visa applications for children under the age of six.Even if married to a Dutch national, an alien whose nationality requires him or her to have a visa is still required to apply for a visa and pay the visa application fee. Visit the Dutch Foreign Affairs website for more information.
  6. On Island Travel
    Traveling the island has been a pleasure in recent years, thanks to major initiatives to improve the infrastructure of St. Maarten, including the construction of new roads, the re-paving of existing roads and the implementation of roundabouts and traffic lights in key locations throughout the island.
  7. Climate
     Sub-tropical, with trade winds from the Caribbean Sea.
  8. Temperature
     The island has a year-round temperature of approximately 80°F (27°C).
  9. Language
    English is the predominate language in the island, however the official language on the St. Maarten side is Dutch, and is officially French on the St. Martin side. French Creole, Spanish, Papiamento and other languages are also spoken.
  10. Currency
    Netherlands Antilles florin (NAf); the official exchange rate is NAf 1.77 for each US$1.00 U.S. dollar. (French St. Martin): The official monetary unit is the euro.
  11. Electricity
    Dutch St. Maarten): 110-volt AC, 60 cycles (same as U.S. & Canada)(French St. Martin): 220-volt AC, 60 cycles (requires the use of adapters and transformers)
  12. Medical Facilities
    St. Maarten Medical Center in Cay Hill and L’hospital General de Gaulle in Marigot, St. Martin. Airlift is available to Puerto Rico and the continental U.S. in case of extreme medical emergency.
  13. Airports
    Princess Juliana International Airport (Dutch St. Maarten) services all the international flights. L’Espérance Airport (French St. Martin) services small commuter flights from neighboring islands.
  14. Seaports
    Main deep-water port: Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facility located in Philipsburg, St. Maarten.
  15. Telephone
    Calls to St. Maarten/St. Martin from the U.S. are international calls and require the following country codes:
    (Dutch St. Maarten): +721 followed by 54 and the seven-digit local number
    (French St. Martin): +590, 590 again followed by the six-digit local number
  16. Time
    Atlantic Standard Time, year-around.
  17. Driving
    International driver’s license.
  18. Tax Incentives
    The island also offers savvy U.S. planners the added incentive of 100% tax deductibility, thanks to the recently implemented “Tax Information Exchange Agreement” with the United States. The tax initiative allows U.S. tax payers to claim a tax deduction for the expenses associated with a convention held on the Dutch half of the island to the same extent as a convention held in the United States.
  19. Taxis
    Available at airports, towns and resort areas.
  20. Tourism Information
    (Dutch St. Maarten): Vineyard Office Park, WG Buncamper Rd. #33, St. Maarten
    Tel: +721-542-2337
    Fax: +721-542-2734
    E-mail: info@e-maarten.com