Sint Maarten Travel Guide
Visa summary
247 passport nationalities researched for entry into Sint Maarten.
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Guide
Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the island it shares with French Saint Martin, gives most Western nationalities visa free entry, but the length of stay genuinely varies by nationality in a way worth checking carefully. Tourists generally get 30 days uninterrupted, Dutch and American nationals get a longer 6 months uninterrupted, and citizens of Canada, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan get 3 months uninterrupted, three distinct tiers rather than one flat figure. Every traveler completes the St Maarten Electronic Immigration Card, the ED Card, online at entry.sx before travel, and on arrival needs to show a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation, and proof of sufficient funds.
Crossing between the Dutch and French sides of the island has its own specific carve-out: a traveler transiting by land from Sint Maarten into Saint Martin while holding a French Saint Martin visa and a hotel reservation is exempt from additional visa requirements for that crossing, and holders of valid residence permits for French territories including Saint Martin also do not need a separate Sint Maarten visa.
Border crossings
- Princess Juliana International Airport
The main gateway for the Dutch side, and for much of the wider island given its size relative to the smaller airport on the French side, where the ED Card and standard documentation are checked.
- The land crossing into French Saint Martin
An unmarked road crossing rather than a formal border post in the usual sense, with the specific visa exemption described above applying to travelers already holding French entry documentation.
Transit routes
- Complete the ED Card online before you travel
A required pre-arrival step at entry.sx, not something to leave for the immigration desk.
- Check which of the three stay length tiers applies to your nationality
Thirty days, three months, or six months, genuinely different figures depending on where your passport is from, not a single Sint Maarten-wide rule.
Entry point notes
- Dutch and American nationals get the longest simple stay
Six months uninterrupted, notably more generous than the 30 day standard tourist allowance.
- The French side crossing has its own exemption
Worth understanding if your trip includes both Sint Maarten and Saint Martin, rather than assuming one country's rules cover the whole island.