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: 28 Sept 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”.
• As of October 1, 2021 the current banned country list will be converted into a “very high-risk” country list and the following requirements will enter into effect for this category:
   
  • Travelers will need to be fully vaccinated
  • Travelerswill need a proof of a negatif PCR test not older than 48 hours before departure on last leg to Sint Maarten.
  • Non-vaccinated travelers must provide valid proof of a negative PCR test not older than 24 hours before departure on last leg to Sint Maarten

• 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.
• 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.
  - The approved vaccines are: Comirnaty (Pfizer), Moderna, Vaxzevria (Astrazeneca) and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen

• COVID-19 test requirements:

• 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, 5 consecutive days of self-monitoring of body temperature and possible flu like symptoms is mandatory. The travelers in this category will receive during 5 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
• 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. According to Anguilla’s Ministry of Health, fully vaccinated means, visitor has received last dose (in a 2 dose vaccine) only dose (in a 1 dose vaccine) 3 weeks/ 21 days prior to arrival on Anguilla.
• The Government of Anguilla’s exemptions to the mandatory visitors’ vaccination requirement for entry permission are: pregnant women and children 18 years and under. But they may be subjected to RT-PCR testing 4 days after arrival.
• All travelers will be required to produce a negative COVID-19 test administered 3-5 days prior to arrival.
• All travellers will be tested at Port of Entry.
• Travellers will be issued a yellow wristband.ONLY a Health Representative from the Ministry of Health is authorised to remove issued wristband
• After clearing Immigration and Customs, travellers will be required to travel immediately via Safe Environment Certified ground transportation to their accommodation/properties.
• All international leisure visitors stayin at hotel or villa are required to remain at their accommodation/properties until in receipt of their Port of Entry negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test result. (Test results are usually received within 12hrs of testing.). 
• All leisure visitors staying with persons leaving in Anguilla, at private home or rental accomodation which is not a licensed villa, are required to quarantine for 4 days.
• Business and technical short-term visitors must opperate in a Ministry approved bubble for 4 days. 
• Use of rental vehicles before receipt of Port of Entry negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test result, is prohibited.
• All visitors will be tested on day 4. 
• To assist with covering the costs associated with the tests (on the day of arrival and on day 4), a single testing fee of $200 will be charged as of October 1 2021. 

Coronavirus in St Barthelemy

Coronavirus in Saba

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.
In addition, most US Airlines also require a copy of an approved St Maarten EHAS form

If you are FULLY VACCINATED  (people are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after their final shot):

• Fully vaccinated visitors and residents residents traveling from a Very High-risk country - including USA - must comply with the following measures, effective from 26 August 2021
  • Negative PCR test taken maximum 72 hours prior to arrival on Saba
  • Valid EHAS forms - Saba and St Maarten
  • Always wear a mask when out in public
  • Avoid large gatherings, crowded areas
  • Practice physical distancing
  • Practice excellent hand hygiene
  • Ensure rooms are well ventilated
  • Work from home (Persons working with vulnerable people are required to stay at home for the first five days upon arriving on the island until being tested negative at day 5. These professions include all persons working with children and medical staff. We recommend that all organizations on the island make their specific plan on how this will work for them and their staff)
  • Test on the 2nd and 5^th day at the testing centre on Saba
     
• Persons traveling from a High-risk country must show proof of a Negative PCR test (max. 72-hours before arrival) or Antigen test result (max. 48-hours before arrival)
• Persons traveling from a Low-risk will not require a pre-travel test. However, travelers who reside in or have visited a low-risk country for 5 or more days, but have visited a high-risk country in the 14 days prior to departing to Saba, must have a Negartive PCR test result  (max. 72-hours before arrival) or an Antigen test result (max. 48-hours before arrival
• Vaccinated residents leaving the island for a maximum of 2 nights are not required to take a pre-travel test before returning to Saba
• Day Trippers - who are fully vaccinated - and their children, can also visit the island with proof of a Negative PCR or Antigen test result. Pre-travel PCR tests can be max. 72-hours and Antigen max. 48-hours old before arrival to Saba. Day Trippers must be able to present their Vaccination Card and approved travel exemption letter to the check-in counter of the airline or ferry, prior to travel to Saba, and again upon arrival on the island.

If you are NON-FULLY-VACCINATED:

• You must show proof of a negative PCR (max. 72-hours before arrival) or Antigen test result (max. 48-hours before arrival). A test will be administered on day 5
• You must quarantine for 5 days
• Persons traveling from a low-risk will not require a pre-travel test. However, travelers who reside in or have visited a low-risk country for 5 or more days, but have visited a high-risk country in the 14 days prior to departing to Saba, must have a rt-PCR test result  (max. 72-hours before arrival) or antigen test result (max. 48-hours before arrival).

If you are NON-FULLY-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 over 10 traveling to Saba from a very high-risk Country must show proof of a negative PCR (max. 72-hours before arrival) or Antigen test result (max. 48-hours before arrival).They will also need to quarantine in place for 5 days. On day 5, a rt-PCR test will be taken. 

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: Low-risk countries are places with no active local transmission of Covid-19 in the previous 14 days.
• High-risk countries: High-risk countries are places where there is local transmission of Covid-19.
• Very high-risk countries: Very High Rick Countries are designated by the Dutch Ministry of Health, based on widespread circulation of some Variants of Concern. Here is a link to the most updated list of these countries. The USA and Netherlands are considered as a Very High-risk countries for entry to Saba.

What can we do to help the locals?

*Sint Maarten - List of Countries with low risk of transmission (as per 1st September 2021)

*Sint Maarten - List of Banned Countries
(as per 19^th July 2021)