One island, two countries, and a lagoon that belongs to both. Which clearance applies to you depends on where you enter, whose waters you lie in and where you go next. Send your yacht, crew, route and timing details and we will look for a local agent who can take the work on.
St Maarten is one island divided between two countries. Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint-Martin each run their own Customs and Immigration, the Simpson Bay Lagoon is shared between them, and there is local reporting on top of border clearance on both sides. A local agent works out which of those apply to your movement and coordinates them.
Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint-Martin clear yachts separately. Which applies to you is decided by where you enter, whose waters you lie in and where you sail next, not by which country you think of the island as being.
The Simpson Bay Lagoon has its own authority and collection office, and the French side adds Port Authority reporting before anyone goes ashore. These sit alongside Customs and Immigration; they do not replace them.
Send your details once. We review the request and, where a suitable local agent is available and willing to take the work, we introduce you. We are an information and referral service, not a clearance authority, and the decisions stay with the authorities.
Requirements differ between the Dutch and French sides and by yacht and nationality, and the authority or your agent confirms the exact set. This is the usual starting point.
Four questions settle almost every St Maarten arrival. Answer them before you sail and the rest follows.
Simpson Bay, Great Bay at Philipsburg, one of the two lagoon entrances, or Marigot on the French side. The entrance you choose decides which authority sees you first.
Berth jurisdiction is a separate question from where you entered. The lagoon in particular has Dutch and French waters, so the berth you book can change what applies.
An arrival from abroad is not the same as a move within the island or a return leg. Tell us what you have cleared and when, and where the papers came from.
Bridge transits, a move between the two sides, and your onward international port all belong in the plan from the start, because departure formalities are their own step and not an afterthought.
St Maarten is one island of two countries. The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, and the French side, Saint-Martin, each clear yachts under their own rules. The Simpson Bay Lagoon lies across the boundary between them and has two entrances and its own authority. Each guide below covers one of those situations.
Dutch Sint Maarten and French Saint-Martin are separate jurisdictions for Customs and Immigration. Moving a yacht between them can require its own formalities. What applies depends on the movement you are making and the jurisdictions it touches, so do not assume that a short hop, a shore trip or a dinghy run falls outside the rules: confirm what applies to your specific movement with the authority or a local agent before you make it.
The lagoon is not a single clearance port. Part of it is Dutch and part is French, and it has an entrance on each side: the Simpson Bay Bridge on the Dutch side and the Sandy Ground Bridge on the French side. Both bridges publish opening schedules and have published dimensions. Which formalities apply to a lagoon stay depends on the entrance you use and the jurisdiction of your berth, and both bridges must be confirmed as operable and suitable for your yacht before you rely on either.
Dutch-side Immigration and Customs clearance is one requirement. Reporting to the Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority and settling its charges is another. Booking a berth or anchoring is a third. Passing through a bridge is a fourth. They are often handled in the same visit, which makes them easy to confuse, but each has its own authority, and paying one does not discharge another.
The island has deep-water berths and marinas on both sides, and yard and fuel facilities for large yachts. Port St. Maarten publishes berth lengths and depths for Great Bay, and the lagoon marinas take larger vessels subject to bridge dimensions. Charter and commercially operated yachts can face additional clearance, crew and permission requirements, and these differ between the Dutch and French sides. Confirm what applies to your operation before you commit to a berth.
It depends which side you are entering. On the Dutch side, vessels arriving in Sint Maarten waters clear in and out through Immigration and Customs, at Simpson Bay or at Great Bay in Philipsburg, and reporting is required immediately on arrival and before departure. On the French side, clearance starts with the French Customs online declaration for the Antilles and is completed locally. A local agent can confirm which route applies to your voyage.
Yes, they are separate jurisdictions with separate Customs and Immigration. Moving the yacht between them can require its own formalities, and what applies depends on the movement and the jurisdictions involved. Confirm the position for your specific movement rather than assuming that a short passage within the island is exempt.
Both. The lagoon spans the boundary, with the Simpson Bay Bridge entering from the Dutch side and the Sandy Ground Bridge from the French side. The lagoon is not itself a clearance port; which formalities apply to you depends on the entrance you use, where your berth lies and what clearance you already hold.
The Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation operates on the Dutch side of the lagoon, with a collection office at the police station just west of the Simpson Bay Bridge, and it collects mooring and related charges. Published guidance from the St. Maarten Marine Trades Association describes clearing in with that office as a requirement for vessels entering Simpson Bay and the lagoon. This is reporting to a local authority and is separate from Immigration and Customs clearance. Confirm the current arrangements for your berth and movement, since the published sources differ on scope.
The usual set is ship registration and flag details, passports for everyone aboard with crew and passenger lists, clearance from your last port of call, and proof of insurance. Proof of ownership or authority to operate, customs or temporary-admission evidence, and charter papers are asked for where they apply. The French side also requires the online clearance declaration to be completed for the voyage.
Charges can arise from more than one authority: Dutch-side clearance and harbour arrangements, Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority mooring and related charges, French-side Port Authority mooring fees, and any marina or yard charges you arrange yourself. The basis and amounts are set by those authorities and can change, so ask for the current position for your yacht and berth rather than working from a figure you have seen published elsewhere.
A local agent can prepare documentation, coordinate with Customs, Immigration and the relevant harbour or lagoon authorities, and help with arrival and departure formalities. An agent is not universally required, availability is not guaranteed, and official clearance decisions remain with the authorities. The master, crew or passengers may still need to attend or present documents in person.
Use the form for check-in, check-out, Customs, Police, crew-list or maritime-reporting assistance.