New Sint Maarten COVID-19 Protocols Expand Test Entry Options

Sint Maarten has updated traveler protocols to permit passengers arriving from the U.S. and Canada beginning this week to utilize all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved rapid antigen tests for entry, Sint Maarten Tourism Bureau officials said Tuesday.

Travelers arriving from the U.S. or Canada are required to submit proof of an rt-PCR test for the SARS-COV-2 virus obtained from a naso-pharyngeal swab performed within 120 hours prior to departure, including the last leg in the case of connecting flights, said Tourism Bureau officials in a statement.

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Under the new protocols, U.S. and Canadian visitors may also use all FDA-approved rapid antigen tests for travel to Sint Maarten, including antigen tests with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) but not including at-home tests.

Test results must be uploaded “as soon as possible” within the EHAS application procedure to be processed. Results should also specify the name of the laboratory or clinic, full name of test subject, type of test administered, name of antigen test, swab date, source of the swab, result date and the result, said officials.

Sint Maarten offers several on-site testing locations for U.S.-returning travelers. The locations include the following local laboratories, with results available between 24 and 48 hours. Children ages nine and under are exempt from the testing requirements.

Visitors to the dual-nation island are required to submit a health authorization application via Sint Maarten’s Electronic Health Authorization System. Travelers must also purchase a St. Maarten Protection Plan covering Covid-19 related costs for travelers who test positive while in the destination.

Flights to Sint Maarten are available aboard American Airlines from Miami and Charlotte, with departures from Dallas beginning June 5. Delta Air Lines serves Sint Maarten from Atlanta and New York’s JFK International Airport, while JetBlue Airways flies to the country from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, and JFK, while service from Newark resuming in April. Spirit Airlines flies to Sint Maarten from Fort Lauderdale while United Airlines currently offers Sint Maarten flights from Newark, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.