U.S. citizens are allowed to stay in Sint Maarten for a maximum of six months with the possibility to extend.
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The low cost of living coupled with affordable yet quality medical care options available makes St Maarten an excellent Caribbean island to live with a family. To acquire a pensioner's permit in St Maarten, you must be 60 years or older and have a minimum savings of $255,000.
Why the two spellings? Well, this 37-square-mile-island is governed by both France and the Netherlands. The French side of the island refers to itself as Saint Martin, while the Dutch side is known as Sint Maarten.
Tap water on the island comes from desalinated seawater and is drinkable. We do recommend drinking bottled water which is readily available throughout the island.
If you want to stay in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom for longer than 90 days, you will normally need a residence permit. If you are a Dutch or US national, you will only need a residence permit if you wish to stay longer than 180 days.
Despite having two different official currencies, the US Dollar is accepted on both sides, with St. Maarten using the US Dollar the most. It is not unusual to receive change in US Dollar even when payment is made with the guilder.
U.S. and Canadian citizens must have a passport or a combination of a birth certificate and photo ID, plus a return or ongoing ticket, to enter St. Maarten/St.
The 87-square-kilometre (34 sq mi) island is divided roughly 60:40 between the French Republic (53 km2, 20 sq mi) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands (34 km2, 13 sq mi) by the 16 km (10 mi) border. However, the two parts are roughly equal in population. The border is completely open and can be crossed freely.
When you arrive St. Maarten, you will pass through Immigration, which can take 10 minutes or 90 minutes, depending on which flights have arrived just prior to yours.