Sint Maarten (Dutch) Visa Policy

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean Sea. The Kingdom of Netherlands has a separate and common visa policy for its territories - Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba) in the Caribbean Sea. It means you can travel to all these above-mentioned countries with one common visa.

Sint Maarten and all these countries are not a legal part of the Schengen Agreement and, therefore, Schengen Area. They have a separate visa policy – Caribbean Visa. You can enter Sint Maarten with a Caribbean visa which you can obtain from Netherlands embassies/consulates. A standard Caribbean visa allows you to enter all six islands for a maximum period of 90 days within 180 days, and it is a multiple-entry visa. Allowed consecutive stay in each country (island) is 30 days, so it means you cannot stay more than 30 days in Sint Maarten even if your visa’s duration of stay is 90 days. If you want to stay longer than 30 days but less than 90 days, you can contact local authorities within Sint Maarten.

Visa-exempted nationals can stay in Sint Maarten for up to 90 days within 180 days. Only Dutch and US nationals can stay in Sint Maarten for up to 180 days visa-free.

Even if you are not visa-exempted national for Sint Maarten, you can travel to Sint Maarten visa-free and stay there for up to 30 days (90 days in total for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of Netherlands) without obtaining a separate Caribbean visa, if you have:

• Valid multiple-entry Schengen visa or Authorization for Temporary Stay or Residence Permit for a Schengen country
• Valid Residence Permit to Overseas Netherlands (French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Mayotte, Reunion)
• Valid multiple-entry visa or Residence Permit for the United Kingdom or Ireland
• Valid Residence Permit for the USA or Canada
• Valid multiple-entry visa for the USA or Canada, applicable only for the following nationals:
  • Bolivia
  • China
  • Cuba
  • Dominican Republic
  • Haiti
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Venezuela

If you are transiting through Sint Maarten, you don’t need to obtain a Transit visa in case you have an onward ticket to your next destination and transiting on the same calendar day.

If you have a valid visa or residence permit and proof of return for Saint Martin (the French part of the island), you don’t need a separate visa to enter Sint Maarten (the Dutch part of the island). This situation is only applicable to Sint Maarten.

Remember that Caribbean visas are not valid for the European part of the Netherlands. You cannot enter the Netherlands or other Schengen countries with Caribbean visas.

You can apply for a Sint Maarten Short-stay visa for realizing your temporary travel to Sint Maarten. Reasons to apply for this type of visa can be tourism, visiting family or friends, business trips, short-term work, and many other non-permanent nuances. Sint Maarten Short-term visa’s validity period can be a maximum of 90 days within 180 days. Visa will be multiple-entry.

Required Documents for Sint Maarten Short-term Visa

1. Application Form 

• Fully completed in English and signed and dated by the applicant himself (signed by both parents in case of minors, below the age of 18)

2. Passport

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Sint Maarten
• Signed by bearer
• Passport not older than 10 years (issued in the last 10 years)
• At least one or two free “visa pages.”
• Undamaged pictures securely affixed with/to passport

3. Photo

• NEW! Should not be older than 6 months.
• A frontal view of the face-covering 70-80% (32-26mm) of the photo.
• A uniform and white background.
• Clear facial features and eyes – not covered by hair or glasses frame.
• 3.5x4.5 size

4. ID Card Copy

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Sint Maarten.

5. Residence Permit/Visa Copy (if your country of residence and citizenship are different)

• Validity minimum of three months beyond the date of your departure from Sint Maarten.

6. Photocopies

• Copy of the main page of your passport
• Copies of previous visas

7. Travel Itinerary 

• Flight reservations (return ticket)
• Valid (existing) hotel/accommodation booking/reservation with the full address (name, street, city, zip code, contact information, booking ref.)

8. Letter from Local Employer/Sponsor (Proof of Occupation)

• The letter must include:
  • Name, postal address, and telephone number of sponsor/company
  • Details regarding the applicant’s working position, starting date of the employment, and salary
  • The timeframe of work leave (expected date to resume duties) and purpose of travel
• Valid trade license copy and company ownership documents (if a person is an owner of the company).
• Letter from University (if student)
• Copy of sponsor’s valid passport and residence visa (if any) to be attached to letter from sponsor (if an applicant is a dependent)

9. Proof of Financial Means

• Personal bank statements of at least the last 3 months before application, personal property, assets, etc.

10. Medical Insurance

• It should cover all the duration you intend to stay in Sint Maarten, valid for all the Caribbean territories of the Kingdom and must have a minimum of 15,000 USD coverage.

11. Supporting Documents that Show Your Reason for a Trip

     For tourism:

• Confirmation of the accommodation (hotel confirmation, apartment rental contract, etc.)

     For business/congress/sports travel:

• Original invitation letter by the company/organization
• Confirmation of the accommodation (hotel confirmation, apartment rental contract, etc.)

      For private visit:

• Original invitation letter by inviting person
• The original document that confirms the ownership of estate (home) of your inviting person, if you are going to stay there
• Copies of passport, ID card/residence permit of your inviting person

      For employment (short-term):

• Original invitation letter by a company in Sint Maarten
• Confirmation of the accommodation (apartment rental contract, hotel confirmation, etc.)

12. For Minors:

• Copy and English translation of either birth certificate/proof of adoption/custody decree if parents are divorced/death certificate of parent
• Letter of consent from parent/s or legal guardian/s, if travelling unaccompanied.

*Additional documents can be required by the embassy.

Processing Time for Sint Maarten Short-term Visa

The average processing time for a Sint Maarten Short-term Visa is 15 calendar days. It depends on your visa application country.

Sint Maarten Short-term Visa Fee

Sint Maarten Short-term Visa fee is 80 EUR (it can slightly vary depending on your country and nationality) per applicant. Additionally, you may also need to pay other Administrative fees such as the Visa Application center fee, courier service fee, etc., depending on the country and location of your documents' submission.

Where to Apply for a Sint Maarten Short-term Visa?

You will apply for a Sint Maarten Short-term visa in Netherlands visa application centers, embassies, or consulates, whichever accepts visa applications in your country of residence. If there is none of them in your country, you need to apply to the nearest embassy or consulate to your location.

If you want to stay in Sint Maarten for more than 90 days, you will need a Residence Permit. Dutch and US nationals will need a Residence Permit only in case of staying more than 180 days.

You cannot apply for a Residence Permit yourself abroad. You need a sponsor within Sint Maarten (such as your employer, spouse, etc.) for applying for a Residence Permit on behalf of you. Only after your application for a Residence Permit is approved, your sponsor will be informed. Then you will need a Long-term visa for entering Sint Maarten and collecting your Residence Permit if you are not visa-exempted national.

If you want to work in Sint Maarten during your stay, you will also need a Work Permit. If you want to obtain a Work Permit, you can contact the local authorities.

Remember that Caribbean Residence Permits are not valid for the European part of the Netherlands. You cannot enter and stay in the Netherlands or other Schengen countries with Caribbean Residence Permits.