Sint Maarten: Officials revise COVID-19-related entry requirements for travelers from the US and Canada as of Feb. 22 /update 14

Event

As of Feb. 22, officials in Sint Maarten have amended the entry requirements for travelers from the US and Canada, as part of their ongoing COVID-19 response. Other international travel protocols linked to a country's COVID-19 transmission risk remain in place. Foreign nationals and nonresidents who in the previous 14 days have been in a high-risk country will not be permitted entry; residents of Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are exempt, but arrivals will be subject to additional COVID-19 testing requirements. As of Feb. 22, banned regions and countries include all of South America, as well as the UK, South Africa, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.

Officials will continue to conduct temperature checks and other screening protocols for all returning residents and authorized travelers from low-risk countries. Some passengers may be subject to mandatory testing at their own expense. Other travel protocols are:

• Regardless of country of origin, all air travelers, including transits, must complete a mandatory health authorization application through an Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) ahead of travel.

• Travelers from the US and Canada are required to present proof of a valid negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, taken up to 120 hours before departure, or an approved antigen test performed within 48 hours prior to departure.

• For other travelers aged 10 and over from high-risk countries and territories, the PCR test will need to have been taken within 72 hours before travel while the antigen test must be performed within 48 hours prior to departure.

• Travelers from high-risk countries must complete 14 days of self-monitoring for health symptoms.

• Travelers from low-risk countries and territories do not need to present a negative COVID-19 test provided they have remained in a low-risk country for 14 consecutive days before departure.

• Maritime crews and passengers must complete the EHAS application within 36 hours of arrival, during which time a PCR test must also be taken. All crew and passengers must quarantine on board until health authorization approval is received.

• All foreign nationals, except residents, crewmembers, and transit/transfer passengers, are required to have the mandatory SXM Protection Plan health insurance.

As of Feb. 22, the following locations are still considered low-risk: Anguilla, Antiqua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, China, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, New Zealand, Saba, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore, Sint Eustatius, and Thailand. All other countries and territories are classified as high-risk.

Within Sint Maarten, wearing a facemask is mandatory in all public places, including the airport, public transportation, supermarkets, and in all areas where social distancing is not possible. Individuals must stay at least 1.5-2 meters (5-6 feet) away from each other at all times.

Authorities could expand or ease the travel bans with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity in international destinations over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by local health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements.

Resources

WHO Coronavirus Knowledge Base
Sint Maarten EHAS Information
Sint Maarten Country Risk Classifications