The French side of this island is a different product from the Dutch side, and a different transaction. You buy in euro, under French law, through a notaire, and you pay roughly 8 to 10 percent to complete rather than the 5 to 6 percent you would pay in Sint Maarten. You also take on an annual taxe fonciere and a capital gains exposure on resale of up to 34 percent.
People buy there anyway, in numbers, and for good reasons. Grand Case is the best place to eat in the northeastern Caribbean. Orient Bay is the most recognised beach on the island and has the holiday rental demand to match. Marigot is a working capital with a harbour, a market and a fort above it.
This guide covers those three places honestly, walks through the French buying process, sets out the real costs, and says who should and should not be buying on that side of the border.
One island, two systems
The island is about 37 square miles and has been shared since the Treaty of Concordia in 1648, which makes it the smallest landmass in the world divided between two nations. There is no border control. You drive from Cupecoy into Terres Basses, or from Oyster Pond up to Cul de Sac, without stopping.
The systems underneath are separate. Saint Martin became a French overseas collectivity in 2007 and runs on French law and the euro. Sint Maarten became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010 and trades property in US dollars in practice. Neither side restricts foreign ownership. What differs is cost, tax and process, and the difference is large enough to change which side you should buy on.
Grand Case: the culinary capital
Grand Case is one long seafront village strung along the Boulevard de Grand Case, and the reason it matters is food. The Boulevard holds a concentration of serious restaurants no other town here comes close to, and at the northern end sit the lolos, the open air barbecue stands that are an island institution and cost a fraction of a table next door. In season, Tuesday nights bring Harmony Nights, when the Boulevard closes to traffic and fills with music and stalls.
The beach is calm, west facing and good for swimming and sunsets, and the bay is protective enough that small boats sit in it year round.
Property is mostly beachfront apartments in small buildings, village houses on and behind the Boulevard, and hillside homes above the bay with views toward Anguilla. It suits a buyer who wants to walk out of the front door into a real village and eat somewhere different every night. It is not the place for a large private estate.
Orient Bay: the rental engine
Orient Bay, or Baie Orientale, is the best known beach on the French side and the busiest. A wide arc of sand, beach clubs along the front, water sports, and a village of low rise buildings set behind it. Offshore you can see Green Cay and, further out, Tintamarre. The boats to Pinel Island leave from Cul de Sac just to the north.
For a buyer, this is the French side location with the most obvious holiday rental case. Visitors know the name and book it without being sold on it, and the beach clubs give guests somewhere to spend the day without a car. Stock includes apartments and small condominium complexes in the village, villas with pools behind, and hillside properties with sea views.
Two cautions. This is the liveliest part of the French side, so if your priority is silence, look further north. And demand is still seasonal: high season runs roughly mid December to mid April, while late August into October is slow across the island. Model a full year, not a peak week, in the किराये की उपज कैलकुलेटर.
Marigot: the capital
Marigot is the administrative and commercial centre of the French side: the harbour, the waterfront market, the shops around the marina, and Fort Louis on the hill above with the best free view in the area. Ferries to Anguilla leave from here, and being able to reach three other islands in under an hour is a genuine amenity.
Property in Marigot and the districts around it, Concordia, Sandy Ground, Baie Nettle and Rambaud, is generally the best value on the French side. You are buying town apartments, harbour or lagoon views and residential houses rather than resort product. It is more local and less polished than Grand Case or Orient Bay, which is precisely why the entry price is lower.
It suits buyers who want to live here rather than holiday here, and anyone looking at long term rental to residents instead of weekly holiday lets. Louis Constant Fleming hospital in Concordia is close, which matters more to full time residents than most listings admit.
Other French side pockets worth knowing
- Anse Marcel. A sheltered north coast bay with a marina and a contained, private feel, without going as far upmarket as the Lowlands.
- Friar’s Bay and Happy Bay. Two of the loveliest small beaches on the island, near Colombier and Rambaud, on the green slopes below Pic Paradis.
- Cul de Sac. The departure point for Pinel Island, quiet and close to Orient Bay without the activity.
- Terres Basses. The luxury villa market in the west, with Baie Rouge, Plum Bay and Long Bay.
- Oyster Pond. Split by the border, so check which side a property sits on before you offer.
How the French buying process works
- Offer and acceptance. Terms are agreed between buyer and seller, normally through the agents.
- Compromis de vente. The preliminary contract, setting out price, conditions and timetable. It binds both parties subject to the conditions inside it.
- Withdrawal period. French law usually gives a residential buyer a short statutory period after signing in which to withdraw without penalty. Confirm the exact position with the notaire.
- Deposit. A deposit, commonly around 10 percent, is normally held by the notaire rather than the agent or the seller.
- Conditions suspensives. Conditions to satisfy before completion, for example a mortgage condition, planning checks, or clearance of any right of first refusal a public body may hold.
- Searches and title work. The notaire verifies title, checks charges and mortgages, and prepares the deed.
- Acte de vente. The final deed, signed before the notaire, typically weeks or a few months after the compromis. Funds and keys change hands and the transfer is registered.
The notaire is a public officer, not your advocate, and is responsible for the legality of the transaction. Buyers often describe French property law as strong on consumer protection, and this structured timetable is part of why. You can usually appoint your own notaire alongside the seller’s without increasing the total fee, so ask.
What it costs to buy and hold
| Item | Saint Martin, French side | Sint Maarten, Dutch side |
|---|---|---|
| Notaire fees and transfer duties | Roughly 7 to 10 percent combined | 4 percent transfer tax plus roughly 1 to 2 percent notary fee |
| Total cost to complete | About 8 to 10 percent | Roughly 5 to 6 percent, about 6 to 7 percent with a local mortgage |
| Annual property tax | Taxe fonciere applies | None |
| Capital gains on resale | Up to 34 percent, with relief where it was the seller’s main home | None |
| Currency | Euro | US dollar in practice |
| Foreign ownership | No restriction | No restriction |
The two lines that change decisions are taxe fonciere and capital gains. A second home owner who buys, holds five years and sells into a rising market can face tax of up to 34 percent on the gain, where the same transaction on the Dutch side would attract none. Relief applies where the property has been your main home, which is why the French side often works better for people who actually move here. Put both sides together with the Dutch versus French comparison in our property tools. Rules change, so confirm the current position with your notaire and a tax adviser before you commit.
Who genuinely should buy on the French side
It is a strong fit if you:
- Intend to live here, or spend long stretches here, so main home relief becomes relevant on a future sale.
- Want village life, French food and beaches like Happy Bay and Baie Rouge more than a resort district.
- Are comfortable in euro and, ideally, with some French.
- Are buying for the long term rather than planning a quick resale.
It is a weaker fit if you:
- Are buying primarily as an investment with a defined exit inside a few years.
- Want the lowest entry and exit costs, in which case Simpson Bay, Cupecoy, Maho and Pelican Key deserve a look on our listings page.
- Earn and think in US dollars and do not want currency movement inside your asset.
- Need year round rental demand rather than a strong winter season.
Practical points before you commit
Everything here was tested on 6 September 2017, when Hurricane Irma made landfall as a category 5 storm and hit the French side as hard as the Dutch side. Ask what was rebuilt, when, and to what standard, and ask to see the insurance history. Concrete construction, impact glass or good shutters and a documented roof are what you want to find. Utilities are expensive by regional standards, so ask for actual bills. Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, with peak risk from August through October, which shapes both your insurance and your rental calendar.
अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न
Can a foreigner buy property in Saint Martin?
Yes. There is no restriction on foreign ownership on the French side, and none on the Dutch side either. The purchase completes before a notaire under French law and settles in euro.
How much are notaire fees in Saint Martin?
Notaire fees and transfer duties together usually come to roughly 7 to 10 percent of the price, which puts total cost to complete at about 8 to 10 percent. Ask the notaire for a written estimate for your transaction.
Is there an annual property tax on the French side?
Yes. Taxe fonciere applies, unlike the Dutch side, which has no annual property tax. The amount depends on the property, so ask the seller for the current bill.
What is the capital gains tax if I sell?
A resale at a profit can be taxed at up to 34 percent, with relief where the property has been the seller’s main home. The detail depends on your circumstances and on current law, so take advice before you buy rather than at the point of sale.
Which is better for rental income, Grand Case or Orient Bay?
Orient Bay usually has the broader holiday demand because of the beach and the beach clubs. Grand Case draws a guest who comes for the restaurants and the village, often at a higher rate for the right property. Both are seasonal.
Next steps
The French side rewards buyers who know why they are there. If you want the Boulevard de Grand Case on a Tuesday night, the market at Marigot and a beach at Happy Bay that most visitors never find, the extra cost to complete is a price worth paying. If you are optimising purely for entry and exit costs, be honest with yourself and look at the Dutch side first.
We work both sides of the border every week and will give you a straight comparison for your budget and your plans. Start with our contact page, or read about the team you would be working with on our team page.
