Coronavirus St Martin

We will be posting regular updates on this page to keep you informed of the Coronavirus situation in St Martin / St Maarten, Anguilla, St Barths and Saba. As soon as travel restrictions end, you'll see it here first!

You can follow our Facebook page @StMartinbookings.com to get notified quicker and stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

Last Updated: 11 June 2021

If you plan on travelling to St Martin/St Maarten, Anguilla, St Barths or Saba, we invite you to check the following sections:

• St Maarten Travel Requirements
• Anguilla Travel Requirements
• St Barthelemy Entry Requirements
• Saba Entry Requirements
• Ferry Services during COVID-19
• What can we do to help the locals?

St Maarten ferry services COVID-19

There are currently no ferry services operating between St Martin/St Maarten and the islands of Anguilla or Saba, with only a limited service to/from St Barths.

COVID-19 St Maarten

Since June 2020, St Maarten is open to international tourism, allowing tourism to slowly return to the island, albeit under strict health and safety measures. St Maarten has different entry requirements depending if travellers arrive from countries considered Low Risk or High Risk of transmission.

Thankfully, most businesses, including shops, markets, restaurants, bars, and casinos, have reopened. Beaches are accessible, and water activities are once again allowed. And while boat rental and charters services have resumed, most ferry services to/from neighbouring islands have yet to restart.

Travel entry requirements:

• As of January 27 2021 until further notice, a travel ban is in place for persons who have been the 14 days before departing to Sint Maarten in a  “banned countries”. Sint Maarten/Sint Martin/Saba/St. Eustatius residents are exempted from the travel ban and should get a rt-PCR test before departure. The EHAS application must be completed.
• Anyone wishing to visit St Maarten, or transit through it to a neighbouring island, must first submit a mandatory health authorisation application via an Electronic Health Authorisation System (EHAS). Click here to apply via the official website: www.stmaartenehas.com. Processing time can take up to 12 hours.The application must be completed in order to be processed. This includes the purchase of the mandatory COVID-19 insurance, information on the vaccination status (including proof of completed vaccination in case fully vaccinated), a negative COVID-19 test result in case they are required. If health authorization is pre-approved, you will receive a (printable) pre-authorization PDF via e-mail, which must be presented at check in and to the health and immigration authorities upon arrival. This PDF will also contain a QR code which will show the vaccination status and COVID test result when scanned. Keep the original rt-PCR or antigen test result and proof of vaccination always with you.
• As Saba has their own EHAS operational, as of May 24 same day transit travelers to Saba no longer need to apply in the Sint Maarten EHAS system, but only the Saba EHAS system which can be found here. Proof of the Saba EHAS approval must be demonstrated when transiting through Princess Juliana Airport Sint Maarten.
• If health authorization is pre-approved, you will receive a (printable) pre-authorization via e-mail, which must be presented to the health and immigration authorities upon arrival. The original rt-PCR or Antigen test result should be presented to the health authorities upon request.
• Provide a working email address on which you are reachable.
• People are considered fully vaccinated:
  - 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
  - 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
• A rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed in the country of origine within 72 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights) is required for all travelers originating from a country that is categorized as high risk. For travelers from the USA, US territories and Canada the time frame remains 120 hours.
• Alternatively, travelers originating from the USA and Canada can do an Antigen test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed within 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten. All FDA approved antigen tests including those with Emergency Use Authorization only (EUA) are accepted.
•  For travelers originating from Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao: for fully vaccinated travelers, a negative Ag test result within 48 hours before departure is required. Official proof of the vaccination status (national vaccination card) must be uploaded in EHAS. The Ag test must carry at least an FDA-EUA approval. For non-fully vaccinated travelers, a negative rt-PCR test result within 48 hours before departure is required.
• Travelers residing in and traveling from a low-risk country are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test.
• Children of age 10 and under are exempted from the mandatory rt-PCR or antigen test. As of the day after the 10th birthday, a rt-PCR or antigen test has to be submitted.
• Travelers who reside in a low-risk country but have visited a high-risk country in the 14 days prior to departing to Sint Maarten, must also have a rt-PCR or antigen test for the SARS-COV-2 virus performed within 72 respectively 48 hours prior to departure to Sint Maarten (last leg in case of connecting flights).
• The government of Sint Maarten has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 insurance for all travelers with destination Sint Maarten with the exception of Sint Maarten residents, transit passengers, flight crews, transiting cruise ship crews, French nationals residing in France or a French territory, BES-ZVK medical referrals and AUC faculty and students. The insurance purchasing process is an integrated step in the EHAS application. Check the St Maarten proctection plan website for more details. 
• All incoming passengers are subjected to temperature checks and other screening protocols and may be subjected to mandatory testing at their own expense. If re-tested upon arrival you will be required to self-isolate or self-quarantine at your place of lodging/residence until the test results are known. 
• For travelers originating from a high-risk country, 14 consecutive days of self-monitoring of body temperature and possible flu like symptoms is mandatory. The travelers in this category will receive during 14 days an automated daily email alert providing a link for submitting the required information online. 

The above measures have been put in place to control the spread of the Coronavirus and ensure St. Maarten remains a safe destination. You can check our travel tips to plan your vacation once the crisis subsides.

Coronavirus in Anguilla

• Obtain travel authorization by applying online at ivisitanguilla.com. Once your application is reviewed, you will know if you are part of the low-risk countries (less than 0.2% Covid cases) or the higher-risk countries (more than 0.2% Covid cases). 
• Provide a negative  COVID-19 RT PCR NASOPHARYNGEAL test conducted within 3-5 days prior to arrival date.
• Be insured for COVID-19 medical costs and full hospitalization, doctors’ visits, prescriptions and air ambulance.
• The use of mask is required on vessels to Anguilla, during transit through ports of entry (airport and seaport) and en route to your pre-approved accommodations.
• Upon arrival, all Travellers will be tested. A second test is administered to be medically cleared from quarantine (or the ‘Bubble’) after 14 days.
• Non-vaccinated visitors are required to stay in place for 10 -14 days at a Safe Environment Approved accommodation or private home. The quarantine time is 10 days for visitors coming from areas of low prevalence (less than 0.2%) of COVID-19 and 14 days for visitors coming from areas of high prevalence (more than 0.2%).
• The quarantine period for travelers with evidence of full COVID- 19 vaccination with final dose administered at least three weeks (21 days) before arrival date will be reduced to 7 days.
• Multi-generational families and/or groups with a mix of unvaccinated and vaccinated persons will all have to quarantine for a 10-day period, utilizing only approved short stay services.
• Travellers also need to pay a fee (payable only on approval of the travel application), to cover the re-entry protocols and procedures (2 tests per person, surveillance and costs associated with the additional public health presence). Fees for visitors are  $300 for individual + $200 for any additional person(s) on application.
• Spa, Gym and Cosmetology services will be permitted to short stay visitors if both staff and visitor(s) are fully vaccinated, i.e. three weeks have passed since the final dose of an approved vaccine.
• During the quarantine period, visitors are allowed to use Safe Environment Approved ground transportation to visit Safe Environment Certified restaurants and Safe Environment Approved Activities on island.
  Each approved property has a list of available amenities you can use during your quarantine.
• ONLY Safe Environment Certified establishments and Safe Environment Approved service/activities will serve visitors in the Guided Movement Period. ALL activities MUST operate through a booking/ reservations system.

From July 1st, all travellers to Anguilla, including returning resident are required to:

• Obtain travel authorization by applying online at ivisitanguilla.com
• All visitors to Anguilla who are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are required to be fully vaccinated at least three weeks before arrival.
• Travelers with evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination will not be required to quarantine (if the final vaccine dose is administered at least three weeks before the date of arrival).
• All travelers will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test administered 3-5 days prior to arrival.
• Fully vaccinated persons will not be tested upon arrival.
• No proof of health insurance is required.
• No fees for entry.
• Multi-generational families and/or groups with a mix of individuals who are not eligible for the vaccine (i.e. children), will not need to quarantine, but they will need a negative PCR test administered 3-5 days ahead of arrival, and may be tested on arrival and subsequently during their stay. Said tests may be subject to a fee.

Coronavirus in Saba

• Travelers who are fully vaccinated will not have to follow any quarantine measures unless they arrive from a banned country. Do ensure that you have your vaccination card readily available to present to Immigration and Public Health.
• Non-vaccinated travelers from high-risk areas who wish to visit the island, will have to quarantine in place for five days. A Rapid Antigen test will be administered on day 5.
• Day trips are only available for fully vaccinated travelers.
• All travelers must obtain approval before arrival through an automated Saba EHAS entry application. Travelers applying via the EHAS will receive an immediate automatic response, followed by an approval letter, with the necessary stipulations for entry to the island, within 24 hours.
• Corona test requirements:
• If you are fully vaccinated:
  
  - Persons traveling from a low-risk country will not require a pre-travel test.
  - Persons traveling from a high-risk country must show proof of a negative PCR or Antigen test result (test must be taken within 72 hours before arrival in Saba).
  - Fully vaccinated residents traveling from a banned country must show proof of a negative PCR test result. A Rapid Antigen test will be administered on day 5.
• If you are non-vaccinated:
  
  - If you are traveling from a high-risk country, you must show proof of a negative PCR or Antigen test result (test must be taken within 72 hours before arrival in Saba).  
  - Residents traveling from banned countries must show proof of a negative PCR test result. A Rapid Antigen test will be administered on day 5.
  - Persons traveling from low-risk countries do not require a pre-travel test.
• If you are non-vaccinated, and under 18 years old:
  
  - Upon arrival, a Rapid Antigen test (nasal) will be administered for children 2-10 years old. On day 5, a Rapid Antigen test (nasal) will also be taken for all non-vaccinated persons under the age of 18.
  - Children (residents) over 10 traveling to Saba from a banned country must show proof of a negative pre-travel PCR test result, no more than 72-hours prior to travel to Saba
•  Travelers need a travel insurance that provides coverage for COVID-19, hospitals, and any medivac circumstances that may occur.
• Masks are required during travel to Saba and inside the terminal and port buildings.
• Non-vaccinated travelers must ensure that a taxi pick-up from the airport is confirmed prior to arrival. Check the taxi list here. 

Risk categorization: 

• Low risk countries: Countries/ territories are considered low risk if there is no active local circulation of SARS-COV-2 over the past 14 days. These include St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis and Montserrat.
• Banned countries:Travelers from Banned Countries are not permitted to enter the island, unless they are residents of Saba. You can find the list of banned countries here. 
• High risk countries: All other countries are considered high risk including St. Maarten, Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, the Netherlands, United States of America, Canada, Anguilla and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

What can we do to help the locals?

*Sint Maarten - List of Countries with low risk of transmission (as per 20^th May 2021)

*Sint Maarten - List of Banned Countries
(as per 20^th May 2021)