The people who move to St. Maarten and stay tend to do the same three things first. They rent for a season. They take their immigration questions to a qualified lawyer rather than to a Facebook group. And they visit once in September, when the island is hot and quiet and halfway through hurricane season, not only in February.
This guide covers the decisions in the order you will face them: which side to live on, why renting first matters, what to ship, why you need a car, and what GEBE bills, TelEm internet, banking, schools and healthcare actually look like.
One point first. Buying property on St. Maarten does not automatically give you the right to live here. Ownership and immigration status are separate matters on both sides. Anything touching residency, work permits or length of stay belongs with a qualified immigration lawyer or the relevant government office, because the rules change and are applied case by case.
First decision: Dutch side or French side
The island is about 37 square miles and it is the smallest landmass in the world divided between two nations, shared since the Treaty of Concordia in 1648. You can drive from Philipsburg to Marigot without stopping at a border post, but the two sides run on separate systems and that shapes daily life.
Sint Maarten, the Dutch side, became an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands on 10 October 2010, the date locals call ten ten ten. English is the working language of daily business. The guilder is official and pegged to the US dollar at about 1.79, but property is priced and settled in dollars. Transfer tax is 4 percent and notary fees roughly 1 to 2 percent, so most buyers complete for about 5 to 6 percent, or 6 to 7 percent with a local mortgage. There is no annual property tax and no capital gains tax on resale, and transfers are registered at the Kadaster.
Saint Martin, the French side, became a French overseas collectivity in 2007. Administration and schooling are in French and the currency is the euro. Notaire fees and transfer duties together usually run 7 to 10 percent, so entry cost is about 8 to 10 percent. The annual taxe fonciere applies, and capital gains on a profitable resale can be taxed at up to 34 percent, with relief for a main home.
Neither side restricts foreign ownership. The Dutch versus French calculator in our property tools compares both on a real price. Confirm current figures with a notary or tax adviser, because rules change.
Rent before you buy. Seriously.
We sell property for a living and we still tell most relocating clients to rent for six to twelve months first.
The island is small but not uniform. Wind, noise, sun and cell signal change within a few hundred metres. A ridge above Almond Grove that is perfect in a light January breeze can be relentless in a strong easterly. Homes under the runway approach at Maho, where the Sunset Bar and Grill draws plane spotters every afternoon, suit some people and defeat others.
Renting also teaches you the road. The Simpson Bay bridge opens on a published schedule for yachts and the queue builds fast, which is why locals learn the Causeway bridge across Simpson Bay Lagoon. Living on the wrong side of that bridge from your school or the airport is a mistake you make once. After a season, look at current listings with real knowledge instead of a holiday impression.
Choosing a neighborhood
| Area | Side | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Simpson Bay | Dutch | Restaurants, marinas, nightlife and Kim Sha beach on foot. |
| Cupecoy | Dutch | Modern condos, Porto Cupecoy, Mullet Bay Golf Course, minutes from SXM. |
| Pelican Key | Dutch | Elevated, low density, sea views, minutes from Simpson Bay. |
| Maho | Dutch | Resort district, Maho Plaza and Blue Mall, aircraft overhead. |
| Dawn Beach | Dutch | East coast, sunrise over the water, lower density, calmer. |
| Oyster Pond | Both | Sheltered water, Oyster Bay Marina, boating. |
| Point Blanche, Guana Bay, Almond Grove | Dutch | Residential quiet and views. You drive everywhere. |
| Terres Basses | French | Villas, large parcels, Baie Rouge and Baie Longue. |
| Grand Case | French | Village life, lolos, fine dining, Harmony Nights on Tuesdays in season. |
Indigo Bay is worth a look for newer construction, and Orient Bay on the French side for holiday rental demand. The neighborhood finder in our property tools filters by quiet, walkability and budget, which saves a few weekends driving Union Road and Sucker Garden Road at random.
What to ship and what to buy here
Salt air and humidity are hard on possessions. Sort everything into three piles before you book a container.
- Ship it: teak and outdoor furniture, good kitchen equipment, tools, protected artwork, anything sentimental.
- Leave it: heavy upholstery that holds moisture, particle board that swells, winter clothes, appliances that will not match the voltage.
- Buy here: mattresses, white goods, outdoor cushions. Freight and duty often exceed the value, and the suppliers along Bush Road and Union Road in Cole Bay stock what the island uses.
Voltage matters. The Dutch side generally runs on 110 volts with US style outlets and the French side on 220 volts with European outlets. Confirm what a building uses before shipping anything with a motor.
Get a written quote from a customs broker before booking freight. Expect import duty, clearing fees, port charges and inland delivery on top of the shipping line’s price, and ask how used household goods are treated, because that drives the total.
You will need a vehicle
There are shared minibuses and taxis, but neither replaces a car when you live here. Groceries at Le Grand Marche, a hardware run to Cole Bay and the fact that Marigot and Philipsburg are twenty minutes apart all argue for your own vehicle.
Traffic drives on the right on both sides. You do not need four wheel drive, though ground clearance helps on the driveways above Pelican Key and the climb up Sucker Garden Road. Salt corrodes everything, so look underneath any used car carefully. Buying locally beats importing, because mechanics already stock parts for the common models. Registration, inspection and insurance rules differ by side.
You do not always need to fly to leave. Ferries run from Marigot to Anguilla, and from Simpson Bay and Philipsburg to Saba and St. Barths. Three other islands within about an hour is one of the real pleasures of living here.
Utilities, internet and phones
GEBE supplies electricity and water on the Dutch side, and bills carry a fuel charge, so your cost per unit is not fixed. That is why the first summer bill surprises almost every newcomer. Air conditioning is the driver, and households using ceiling fans, cross ventilation and elevation pay a fraction of what heavy users pay. Owners who intend to stay often fit solar with battery storage and an inverter.
Water is largely desalinated. Many hillside homes and most villas run on cisterns and pumps, so ask about capacity and pump condition. Outages happen and are usually short, but plan for them if you work from home or refrigerate medication.
TelEm is the main Dutch side telecom provider and fibre reaches many neighborhoods, though check the address rather than the area. Get a local SIM on the side you live, because a handset in Cole Bay can latch onto a French network across the lagoon and generate roaming charges.
Banking and money
Dutch side property is priced and settled in US dollars even though the guilder is official at about 1.79. The French side runs on euros, so if you live on one side and shop or school children on the other, you convert constantly and the spread becomes a real annual cost.
Banks on the Dutch side include Windward Islands Bank, RBC, Republic Bank and Orco Bank. Opening an account requires documentation on your status, address and source of funds, and takes longer than you expect, so do not close your home accounts first. Carry some cash, because the lolos in Grand Case and many small vendors prefer it.
Schools and healthcare, at a high level
Schools
Dutch side schools teach mainly in English or Dutch depending on the school, and French side schools follow the French national curriculum in French. Places at the most sought after schools are limited. Contact them directly and early, ask about language of instruction, curriculum and exit qualification, and settle this before you sign a lease, because school choice decides which side many families live on.
Healthcare
Sint Maarten Medical Center in Cay Hill serves the Dutch side and Louis Constant Fleming Hospital in Concordia serves the French side, with doctors, dentists, pharmacies and specialists across the island. Plan for the tier above that: complex cases are frequently flown out, commonly to Guadeloupe, Colombia, Puerto Rico or Miami. You need health insurance that covers you where you actually live, and medical evacuation cover you have read closely enough to know who authorises a flight and what it pays. Take both to a licensed broker before you move.
The practical realities
Imported goods cost more
Freight, duty and small order volumes are priced in before anything reaches a shelf. Most residents shop both sides: Le Grand Marche for the weekly load, the Carrefour on the French side for French products, and local vendors for fish and produce.
Storm season is part of the calendar
Hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, with peak risk August through October. Irma made landfall on 6 September 2017 as a category 5 storm and reset the island’s building stock. Ask any seller what was rebuilt, when and to what standard, and look for concrete construction, impact glass or proper shutters and a clean insurance history. Then build your own routine: a shutter plan, supplies, documents stored remotely, and a deductible you understand before you need it.
Things take longer here
Permits, deliveries and installations run on island time. A part that takes two days at home may take two weeks. Build slack into every timeline.
What you get in return
Hikes up Pic Paradis, the highest point at about 424 metres, and lunch at Loterie Farm on its slopes. The Heineken Regatta in early March, Carnival in the spring, and St. Martin’s Day on 11 November, which both sides celebrate.
Frequently asked questions
Does buying property in St. Maarten give me residency?
No. Ownership and immigration are separate matters on both sides, and buying does not automatically grant the right to live or work here. Speak with a qualified immigration lawyer or the relevant authority, because requirements change.
Should I live on the Dutch side or the French side?
Most North American buyers choose the Dutch side for English, dollar pricing, lower purchase costs, no annual property tax and the short run to SXM. Buyers who want French schooling or the villa market in Terres Basses choose the French side.
Do I need to speak Dutch or French?
English carries you through daily life on the Dutch side. On the French side, functional French makes administration, schooling and medical appointments much easier, and you will be in Marigot and Grand Case regularly wherever you live.
Can I bring my pet?
Usually yes, with planning. Expect vaccination records, a health certificate issued within a set window before travel, microchipping and possibly an import permit, and note that airlines apply heat embargoes. Confirm current rules with the relevant veterinary authority before you book.
How long should I rent before buying?
Six to twelve months. It costs some rent and it prevents the most expensive mistake we see, which is buying a property that suits a holiday rather than a life.
Where to start
The sequence that works is immigration advice first, a rental second, and a purchase once you know the island rather than the brochure. We would rather tell you to wait a season than sell you the wrong house.
Run your numbers in our property tools, browse current listings, meet our team, and get in touch when you want a straight conversation about where you should actually live. Confirm anything involving tax, title or legal status with a notary, tax adviser or immigration lawyer, because rules change.
