Rules, weather and jurisdictions
One island, two clearance systems
Distinguish Dutch and French vessel formalities, identify the French pleasure-vessel declaration, and keep port administration, passenger entry and cross-island logistics separate.
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ForCaptain · Purser
Reviewed9 September 2026
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Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin share an island, but a yacht’s administrative journey is shaped by the waters it enters and the activity it undertakes. A guest crossing the island by car, a vessel changing anchorage and a shipment arriving at SXM Airport do not follow one interchangeable clearance process. Start by describing the actual movement before choosing the paperwork.
Map the movement and the operating status
Record the departure point, destination waters, intended berth or anchorage, people joining or leaving and any goods travelling separately. Also state whether the vessel is operating privately or commercially. These details help the agency identify the appropriate authorities instead of repeating a procedure used for a different visit.
An apparently simple change inside the lagoon can still raise a jurisdiction question. Physical proximity and a marina booking do not establish that vessel formalities have been completed. Ask which departure and arrival steps apply to the proposed movement and retain the answer with the call’s documents.
Keep Dutch clearance and lagoon administration distinct
On the Dutch side, Customs, Immigration and lagoon administration serve different purposes. Customs’ public information describes its control of goods; SLAC’s published document list asks for customs and immigration clearance as well as registry, insurance and relevant prior fee records. Payment of a lagoon charge is therefore not a substitute for the people or goods formalities.
The Dutch-side clearance guide covers file preparation and version control. Use it for the document brief, then add the specific onward movement. This avoids maintaining a second set of names and vessel particulars that can drift out of agreement.
The French pleasure-vessel declaration
The French government clearance portal covers pleasure vessels in personal or professional use arriving or departing by sea in the French Antilles, including Saint-Martin. It allows the declaration to be prepared before the movement. Its scope should not be silently extended to every type of commercial ship.
The portal distinguishes the clearance certificate bearing the digital Customs stamp from the separate filing summary. Retain the certificate, not just the email confirming that information was submitted. At the September 2026 review, the portal also continued to instruct users to print and obtain endorsement at an approved clearance point pending recognition by Caribbean states. Recheck that instruction when preparing documents for the next port.
Local port formalities
The Port of Saint-Martin clearance page separately describes online movement reporting and finalisation at the port office. This local guidance and the national pleasure-vessel declaration should be reconciled for the yacht’s status and destination, rather than treated as two interchangeable links or automatically duplicated filings.
Ask the agency which local reporting, attendance and mooring steps accompany the national declaration for the planned call. A stamped vessel document does not itself reserve a berth, settle every port account or establish passenger-entry permission. Keep each confirmed outcome identifiable in the file.
People and freight travelling separately
A crew member arriving through SXM enters through the Dutch-side airport even if the yacht lies on the French side. A replacement part landing there also follows its own import and release process before any onward movement. Give the agency those routes explicitly; the yacht’s clearance does not answer every separate traveller or cargo question.
Use airport transfers and freight preparation for the relevant handovers. Prepare a Sea Grapes itinerary brief that identifies the vessel movement, people and goods separately, keeping each authority’s role clear.
Two-side movement check
- Arrival waters and first port identified.
- Dutch or French arrival authority identified.
- Vessel, crew and passenger documents complete.
- Online and in-person steps checked.
- Berth and bridge requirements checked.
- Cargo and contractor jurisdiction identified.
- Outward clearance for the next port arranged.
- Weather and emergency rules reviewed.
Sources
- Government of Sint Maarten · Customs
- Port St Maarten · Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority
- Port of Saint-Martin · Clearances
- French Customs · Pleasure-vessel clearance declaration
Sources checked 9 September 2026.
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