More information about St. Maarten is available from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet.
U.S.- SINT MAARTEN RELATIONS
Sint Maarten is a semi-autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is responsible for the conduct of foreign affairs, including with the United States, and its embassies and consulates issue visas for travel to the island, although visas are not required for U.S. citizen tourists.
Tourism is the mainstay of Sint Maarten’s economy, accounting for about 45% of GDP. The IMF estimates that the global border closures and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic will result in a 25 percent contraction of the economy in 2020. In the 2019 cruise year, an estimated 1.6 million cruise passengers visited St. Maarten and 319,696 visitors arrived by plane, an increase from 2018. In 2018, U.S. exports to Sint Maarten were valued at $689 million, while U.S. imports from Sint Maarten totaled $130 million. The Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG) is the official currency in Sint Maarten and it is pegged to the U.S. dollar. The U.S. dollar is also accepted widely.
The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao is responsible for the day-to-day management of relations with the Dutch Caribbean, which includes Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. The consulate provides a variety of services to U.S. citizens and non-immigrant visas for certain travelers to the United States who wish to visit, work, or study for a temporary period. The consulate was opened in 1793. It was one of the earliest U.S. consulates, reflecting the importance of Caribbean trade to the new United States. The Consul General resides in the historic Roosevelt House, a gift of property from the local government to the United States in 1950 as an expression of gratitude for U.S. protection during World War II.
Principal U.S. consulate officials are listed in the Department’s Key Officers List. The Netherlands’ embassy in the United States is at 4200 Linnean Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 (tel: 877-388-2443; fax: 202-362-3430)
More information about Sint Maarten is available from the Department of State and other sources, some of which are listed here:
CIA World Factbook Sint Maarten Page
U.S. Consulate General
Travel Information
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
