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Sint Maarten · Relocation guide

Moving to Sint Maarten: permission and practical setup

Sint Maarten uses its own Justice and labour processes. First-time applicants are instructed to select the correct purpose, submit the required records and wait abroad where the service directs; a Dutch or Schengen status is not automatically enough.

Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Select the first-time permit purpose accurately

Employee applications require labour or employment-permit evidence; family, student, intern, director and investor applicants use distinct checklists. The official first-time notes require applicants to respect the overseas waiting instruction and warn that choosing the wrong purpose can waste the filing fee.

Select the first-time permit purpose accurately
PlanRouteImportant distinction
EmploymentFirst Time Employee PermitLabour and employer evidence
Family formationFirst Time Family Formation PermitRelationship and sponsor evidence
Study or internshipFirst Time Student or Intern PermitInstitution and activity evidence
Director or investorDirector or Investor PermitCompany and means evidence

Prepare legalised, translated, legible PDFs

Follow the Justice service checklist for passport, police, birth, marriage, employer, income and purpose records. Confirm apostille or legalisation and translation rules, submit through Online Services where directed and preserve the receipt and originals.

Collect the residence evidence and register the address

Follow Immigration and Civil Registry instructions after approval, including any landing, re-entry or residence collection step. Inspect hurricane protection, water, electricity, generator arrangements, internet, inventory and lease terms on the Dutch side.

Connect SZV, tax and payroll records

Ask the employer to document labour compliance, SZV registration and wage-tax handling, then reconcile the first payslip. Determine Tax Administration registration from the actual activity; local residence does not settle tax obligations elsewhere.

Plan cross-border life without assuming French-side rights

The open border makes daily movement easy, but residence, work, health, school and vehicle rules remain jurisdiction-specific. Confirm Dutch-side health cover and school placement for each dependant and do not infer French-side entitlement from a Sint Maarten permit.

Check driving, imports and pets for the Dutch side

Confirm the local licence and vehicle-registration process before driving. Obtain Customs instructions before shipping goods and veterinary clearance before a pet arrives; also verify documents needed for routine movement to the French side.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 12 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

Plan your next step