How do I Request a Caribbean Visa
LEARN HOW TO APPLY FOR A CARIBBEAN VISA
Many tourists who need a visa to visit St. Maarten wonder how to request a Caribbean visa for St. Maarten. As St. Maarten’s leading immigration specialists, BrightPath Caribbean would like to help make your next visit to St. Maarten simple, so you can find the Caribbean visa information you need here!
According to The Kingdom of the Netherlands’ official website, “If you want to stay in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom for 90 days or less, you may need a short-stay visa. This depends on your nationality. You may also need a short-stay visa if you are transiting through the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom.”
What is a Caribbean short-stay visa?
A Caribbean short-stay visa is generally valid for 6 months. It is a multiple-entry visa, which means that you can use it more than once. The visa lets you stay in the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for up to 90 days in a 180-day period.
It also lets you travel between the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten).
You cannot use a Caribbean visa to travel to the European part of the Netherlands or another Schengen country.
Do I need to request a Caribbean visa to visit St. Maarten?
Most tourists will be exempted from the Caribbean visa requirement but check the list below to make sure. This includes visitors from the United States or European Union countries.
In most cases, you will not need a Caribbean visa if you are transiting or if you are a passenger on a cruise ship.
Countries whose nationals are exempt from requesting a Caribbean visa for St. Maarten:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana (visa required for St Maarten)
- Honduras
- Hong Kong – holders of British National Overseas passports
- Hong Kong – holders of Special Administrative Region passports
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica (Curaçao only. Visa required for Aruba, Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten)
- Japan
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao – holders of Special Administrative Region passports
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru (visa required for St Maarten)
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- St Christopher and Nevis (St Kitts)
- St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan – holders of a passport bearing their identity card number
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Vatican City
How to apply for a short-stay Caribbean visa
How and where you apply for a visa depends on your nationality. Please visit the Dutch Consulate or Embassy nearest to you before visiting St. Maarten.
Can I work with a short-stay Caribbean visa?
During your stay you may not carry out paid work. If you want to work, you must obtain a work permit. For more information, contact the local authorities and BrightPath Caribbean.
Can I extend my short-stay Caribbean visa?
You cannot extend a short-stay Caribbean visa. If you wish to stay in St. Maarten longer than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit.
Source: Netherlands WorldWide
Do you have any questions?