Travel Requirements
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS (March 19 2021)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic Sint Maarten has established a mandatory health authorization application through an Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) for every visitor arriving by air including transits, Sint Maarten and Sint Martin residents. Without the health pre-authorization boarding will not be possible. Be advised that processing time can take up to 12 hours. Visitors arriving on a vessel please read the latest requirements here.The requirements vary depending on the country risk status which can be found at the bottom of this page.Children must have the online health form filled out by their parents.The application must be completed in order to be processed. This includes the purchase of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance and a negative COVID-19 test result in case they are required.If you are suffering from flu like symptoms and/or fever travel will be denied by the airline and by the EHAS.As of January 27, 2021, until further notice, a travel ban is in place for persons who have been the 14 days before departing to Sint Maarten in a banned country as mentioned in the “banned countries” table below.Sint Maarten/Sint Martin/Saba/St. Eustatius residents are exempted from the travel ban and should get a rt-PCR test before departure. The EHAS application must be completed.All incoming passengers are subjected to temperature checks and other screening protocols and may be subjected to mandatory testing at their own expense. Failure to comply with the screening at the Health Check Point upon arrival will result in you not being cleared to enter St. Maarten and sent back to your originating country.If re-tested upon arrival you will be required to self-isolate or self-quarantine at your place of lodging/residence until the test results are known.Provide a working email address on which you are reachable.Monitor your health on a daily basis during your stay.Applicants will receive confirmation of their accepted application. Non-completed applications will be automatically deleted within a day after the provided travel date.If health authorization is pre-approved, you will receive a (printable) pre-authorization via e-mail, which must be presented to the health and immigration authorities upon arrival. The original rt-PCR or antigen test result should be presented to the health authorities upon request. Please check your spam/junk mail folder as well in case you haven’t received a response.If health authorization is not pre-approved, you will receive an e-mail informing you that health pre-authorization has been denied.
MANDATORY INSURANCE
The government of Sint Maarten has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 insurance for all travelers with destination Sint Maarten with the exception of Sint Maarten residents, transit passengers (checkbox), flight crews (checkbox), transiting cruise ship crews (checkbox), French nationals residing in France or a French territory, BES-ZVK medical referrals (checkbox) and AUC faculty and students (special procedure).The insurance purchasing process is an integrated step in the EHAS application. Travelers requiring the COVID-19 insurance must complete this process upon application.For more information on and all questions related to the COVID-19 insurance please visit www.sxmprotectionplan.com or contact customer support at info@sxmprotectionplan.com
COVID-19 TEST REQUIREMENTS
As of March 23 2021, a negative rt-PCR test result will be required for travelers originating from Bonaire and Curacao.
A rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed in the country of origin and within 72 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights) is required for all travelers originating from a country that is categorized as high risk. Antibody tests and tests performed outside of the 72 hours period will not be accepted. Results from home covid-19 collection test kits will also not be accepted. Airlines might require you to show a negative lab test result. For travelers from the USA, US territories and Canada the time frame remains 120 hrs. prior to departure. This will remain in effect as long as the national health authorities of the USA and Canada do not require differently for their traveling citizens.Alternatively, travelers originating from the USA and Canada can do an antigen test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed within 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten. All FDA approved antigen tests including those with Emergency Use Authorization only (EUA) are accepted. Tests performed outside of the 48 hours period and home tests will not be accepted.Travelers residing in and/or traveling from a low-risk country are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test.Travelers who reside in a low-risk country but have visited a high-risk country in the 14 days prior to departing to Sint Maarten, must also have a rt-PCR or antigen test for the SARS-COV-2 virus performed in the country of origin within 72 respectively 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights). The original test result to be uploaded as part of EHAS application procedure must clearly specify the name of the laboratory or clinic, full name of test subject, type of test administered, name of antigen test, swab date, source of the swab, result date and a negative result. Incomplete results, hand written or e-mail statements from doctors will not be accepted.Children of age 10 and under are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test. As of the day after the 10th birthday, a rt-PCR or antigen test has to be submitted.Airline and private flight crews with stopovers in St. Maarten or St. Martin must demonstrate a valid negative rt-PCR or antigen test upon arrival. Crew members not in possession of a valid negative rt-PCR or antigen test must self-quarantine until their departure flight.
SELF MONITORING
For travelers originating from a high-risk country, 14 consecutive days of self-monitoring of body temperature and possible flu like symptoms is mandatory. The travelers in this category will receive during 14 days an automated daily email alert providing a link for submitting the required information online. If you are remaining for a shorter term on the island, you will have to submit the information for the time you are on the island. Temperature measuring possibilities will also be offered in the lobby in most hotels and other lodging facilities.
OUTBOUND TRAVELERS
For information on testing locations please visit https://stmaartenupdates.com/testing-on-island/ Thank you for choosing St. Maarten as your preferred vacation destination.
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COUNTRY RISK ASSESSMENT
A risk assessment of countries is necessary. This will classify a country in either a low or high-risk category for transmission of COVID-19. This categorization of countries is very dynamic and may change in time. Categorization will be managed by the IHR focal point of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Services and Labor.
Risk classification COVID-19 (January 29 2021)
If a country is not listed in the low risk category, this country is considered a high risk country for the transmission of COVID-19.
Low risk of transmission
Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Australia Barbados Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands China Curaçao Dominica Grenada Montserrat New Zealand Saba Saint Barthelemy Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint LuciaSaint Vincent and the Grenadines Singapore Sint EustatiusThailand
Banned Countries
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador French Guyana Guyana Panama Paraguay Peru South Africa Surinam Uruguay Venezuela