Sint Maarten / St Martin / SXM
A Superyacht Service Hub for Leeward Islands Cruising
Sint Maarten & St Martin:
A Yacht Hub for the Leeward Islands
Together, St. Maarten and St. Martin form one island destination with two distinct sides: Dutch St. Maarten in the south and French St. Martin in the north. Together they bring Dutch, French and Caribbean influences into a compact Leeward Islands setting. From Simpson Bay Lagoon and Great Bay to Marigot, Grand Case and Anse Marcel, the island offers harbour life, beaches, dining, watersports and easy day cruising. Its appeal is not remote seclusion, but energy, variety and a long-established place in the northern Caribbean yachting circuit.
Destination Highlights
- Simpson Bay Lagoon
- Leeward Islands Cruising
- Dutch and French Island Culture
- Superyacht Service Hub
- Duty-Free Logistics
- Sailing and Regattas
For superyachts, St. Maarten and St. Martin work well as both a guest stop and an operational base. Owners and guests can enjoy beaches, scuba diving, watersports, dining and easy island-hopping, while captains and yacht managers value the island’s practical yacht support, technical capability, guest movements and crew logistics. Its location makes it especially useful for preparation, maintenance and regional itinerary planning before or after cruising Anguilla, St. Barths and the wider Leeward Islands.
International Access
Princess Juliana International Airport is the main international gateway, with direct links across the USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as private aviation facilities. Grand Case-Espérance Airport on the French side supports regional inter-island flights and smaller private aviation.
Yachting Infrastructure
St. Maarten and St. Martin have a dense concentration of marina facilities, yacht agents, provisioning, fuel, chandlery, haul-out and technical services, with skilled trades covering mechanical, electrical, rigging, fabrication, electronics, coatings and general repair work around Simpson Bay Lagoon, Cole Bay, Marigot and Great Bay.
- Max berthing: marina berth up to 100 m LOA and about 5 m draft
- Max haul-out: travelift up to 150 tonnes and about 10 m beam, 3,7 m draft
See Recommended Superyacht Services below for specific marinas, haul-out facilities, and skilled trades in St. Maarten / St.. Martin.
Recommended Superyacht Services
in St. Maarten / St. Martin
Destination Partner Opportunities
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This destination page has been developed by SSG as a practical resource for captains, yacht managers, owners and crew. It is updated with input from local industry professionals to keep the information relevant and useful.
Destination partnership opportunities may include expanded destination content, videos, featured industry information, advertising placements and promotional campaigns.
For further information on promoting St. Maarten / St. Martin, please contact SSG.
St. Maarten
Entry, Clearance & Cruising Guidelines
Local Expertise: St. Maarten clearance information reviewed by local yacht agents - July 2026.
1. Arrival & Clearance (St. Maarten)
Visiting private and commercial yachts must clear in and out with Dutch-side Immigration and Customs. Clearance is handled physically, with agents able to process paperwork and passports on behalf of the vessel. No cruising permit is required, according to local agents. Yachts arriving for marina berthing, anchorage or commercial port calls should contact a recommended local yacht agent before arrival.
Need clearance assistance for St. Maarten?
Contact a Recommended Yacht Agent
Once the yacht has arrived: physical passports for all crew/guests on board are stamped and scanned by Immigration and also Seaman Books for crew needing a visa, if any. Your agent can handle your clearance on your behalf – no Captain/First Officer / Purser presence is needed ashore.
If the yacht is looking to depart, an outbound crew and guest list is required, along with physical passports and departure details. The vessel’s agent will proceed with outbound clearance and hand over passports and last port of clearance once finalized.
Official Ports of Entry/Departure
Yacht agents report that the yacht can be cleared in, anywhere the vessel needs to be or wants to be: at anchor, at the Philipsburg Commercial Port, or in any of the many available marinas.
https://yachtingstmaarten.com/clearance-regulations/
2. Documents required (St. Maarten)
- Yacht registration
- Yacht insurance
- Last port’s outbound clearance (no US Cruising permit)
- Inbound crew and guest list
- Scanned passport copies of all crew and guests (valid for at least six months)
- Seaman Discharge book copies for crew needing visa
- Outbound flight itineraries of any crew or guests departing the vessel to get them signed off the manifest
- Notify your agent if you carry more than $10K (or $14K?) (or equivalent) cash, or weapons onboard
- Customs form to be filled out
- Immigration form to be filled out
3. Fees (St. Maarten)
Clearance, harbour, port, bridge, immigration, anchorage or marina-related fees may apply depending on arrival location, vessel movements and services used. Amounts and payment methods change, so current fees should be confirmed before arrival.
4. Visa & Immigration (St. Maarten)
Crew and guest entry depends on nationality, travel documents and visa status.
Visa-restricted crew may require a visa waiver arranged through the yacht agent, whether arriving by vessel or flying in to join.
Physical passports are stamped and scanned by Immigration during yacht clearance. Crew changes are handled through updated crew/guest lists, passports, departure details and flight itineraries where crew or guests are signing on or off.
Official visa information:
- Do I need a visa for the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of The Netherlands?
- The official St. Maarten digital ED card only applies to travellers arriving by air, check with your yacht agent first!
5. Navigation & Cruising (St. Maarten)
No cruising permit is required for St. Maarten, according to local agents. Yachts using Simpson Bay Lagoon must follow bridge and lagoon procedures, including VHF contact, bridge schedules and local speed restrictions.
Cross-Border Cruising Note
St. Maarten and St. Martin share one island, but the Dutch and French sides are separate jurisdictions for yacht clearance, customs, immigration, charter permissions and official paperwork. Yachts moving from one side to the other should clear out and clear in again. Dinghy or land movement across the island for shore access is generally treated differently from moving the yacht itself.
6. Chartering (St. Maarten)
Local agent input states that there are no VAT rules for chartering in St. Maarten, but charter activity should still be confirmed before booking or embarkation. Foreign-flagged commercial yachts should verify whether any charter permission, local filing, tax handling, passenger embarkation rules or operational restrictions apply for the intended itinerary.
7. VAT/duty exemptions (St. Maarten)
St. Maarten is generally promoted as a duty-free destination, but customs treatment for spares, technical work, repairs and yacht supplies depends on correct handling and vessel status. Confirm procedures before importing parts or starting work.
8. Private Jets (St. Maarten)
Princess Juliana International Airport handles private aviation, with FBO customs, immigration, fuelling and ground-handling services. Private aircraft passengers and crew must clear customs and immigration through the FBO terminal.
9. Private Helicopters (St. Maarten)
Private helicopter operations, including helicopters carried on board, should be cleared in advance with the aviation authority, airport/FBO and yacht agent. Landing permissions, customs status, insurance, operating permits and yacht-helipad use should be confirmed before arrival.
Disclaimer: The information provided is intended as a general guide and may be subject to change. Captains, crew and guests are advised to confirm the latest entry requirements, fees and operational procedures with the relevant authorities and their appointed yacht agent prior to arrival.
St. Martin
Entry, Clearance & Cruising Guidelines
Local Expertise: St. Martin clearance information reviewed by local yacht agents - July 2026.
1. Arrival & Clearance (St. Martin)
Local agents confirm that inbound and outbound clearance is handled electronically and no cruising permit is required. Clearance can be arranged by agents before arrival through the online port clearance system.
Need clearance assistance for St. Martin?
Contact a Recommended Yacht Agent
If agents handle the clearance on your behalf – no Captain/First Officer / Purser presence is needed ashore. No physical passports are needed for the inbound or outbound clearance: the clearance is handled online.
Official Ports of Entry/Departure
If clearance is handled through a yacht agent: the yacht can arrive in any bay at anchor, at the Galisbay Commercial Port or in the Marina Ft. Louis.
https://yachtingstmaarten.com/clearance-regulations/
2. Documents required (St. Martin)
- Yacht registration
- Yacht insurance
- Last port’s outbound clearance (no US cruising permit)
- Inbound crew and guest list
- Scanned passport copies of all crew and guests (valid for at least six months).
- Notify your agent if you carry more than €10K (or equivalent) cash or weapons onboard, and remember to declare it on the DALIA portal.
The vessels local agent will enter their inbound clearance online via the website. Once clearance documentation has been paid and pulled, the vessel will receive their inbound paperwork from agent.
If vessel is looking to depart, an outbound crew and guest list is required along with departure details. Outbound clearance will be entered by the agent via the online website. Outbound paperwork will be received once paid and pulled.
3. Fees (St. Martin)
Port clearance, harbour, anchoring, marina, customs or administrative fees may apply depending on arrival location, clearance method and services used. Amounts are subject to change and should be checked before arrival or through the agent.
4. Visa & Immigration (St. Martin)
Saint Martin is a French overseas collectivity and is not part of the Schengen Area, so Schengen visa assumptions should not be applied automatically. Crew and guest entry depends on nationality, passport validity and French overseas territory visa rules. Crew changes are handled through updated crew/guest lists, departure details and, where crew fly in or out, the applicable airport immigration procedures.
French Visa Wizard
5. Navigation & Cruising (St. Martin)
No cruising permit is required. Marine protected areas, anchoring restrictions, fishing, watersports and tender operations should be checked locally for the intended anchorage or itinerary.
Cross-Border Cruising Note
St. Maarten and St. Martin share one island, but the Dutch and French sides are separate jurisdictions for yacht clearance, customs, immigration, charter permissions and official paperwork. Yachts moving from one side to the other should clear out and clear in again. Dinghy or land movement across the island for shore access is generally treated differently from moving the yacht itself.
6. Chartering (St. Martin)
Local agent input states that there are no VAT rules for chartering in St. Martin, but this should not be read as full charter authorisation. Foreign-flagged commercial yachts should confirm any charter permit, licensing, cabotage, tax, embarkation or fiscal requirements before starting or ending a charter on the French side.
7. VAT/duty exemptions (St. Martin)
VAT and duty treatment for yacht supplies, technical work, spares, repairs and refit work should be confirmed before work starts. French-side customs rules differ from Dutch St. Maarten and should be handled through the correct clearance process.
8. Private Jets (St. Martin)
Grand Case-Espérance Airport supports regional and private aviation, with customs and VIP handling available through private aviation providers. Larger international private jet movements are generally handled through Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side.
Disclaimer: The information provided is intended as a general guide and may be subject to change. Captains, crew and guests are advised to confirm the latest entry requirements, fees and operational procedures with the relevant authorities and their appointed yacht agent prior to arrival.
