Sint Maarten Investor Residency

Sint Maarten, the Dutch constituent country in the northeast Caribbean, offers a residence permit to first-time investors who acquire qualifying real estate or make a substantive business investment on the island.

The route requires a real-estate purchase of at least US$510,000 (NAF 900,000) or an equivalent business investment, and the initial permit is typically granted for one year and renewed on multi-year cycles thereafter. After five continuous years of legal residence in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, holders may apply for Dutch nationality.

To qualify for the Sint Maarten investor residency, applicants must:

• Acquire real estate in Sint Maarten valued at a minimum of US$510,000 (NAF 900,000) — verified through a formal appraisal at both application and renewal — or make a comparable qualifying business investment
• Submit the residency application from outside Sint Maarten; first-time applicants must await the decision abroad
• Provide a certified passport copy, police clearance (no older than 6 months), original birth and marriage certificates (legalized or apostilled), proof of address, and bank statements
• Show proof of sufficient income and health insurance
• Pass compliance and background checks by the Immigration and Border Protection Service

Exception for U.S. citizens: under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, U.S. passport-holders may in some cases apply for residency before completing the real-estate purchase.

The application is submitted to the Immigration and Border Protection Service (Ministry of Justice) in Philipsburg. The processing fee is non-refundable, and additional documentation can be requested at any stage.

• No minimum income requirement
• Mild tropical climate
• English official language
• Path to Dutch nationality after five years
• Low personal tax environment for qualifying residents
• Freedom of movement within the Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Investment retains resale value

Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and naturalization is governed by Dutch nationality law.

After five consecutive years of legal residence in the Kingdom (including Sint Maarten), the holder becomes eligible to apply for Dutch nationality, subject to passing a civic-integration examination and, in most cases, renouncing prior nationality (with defined exceptions).

Browse 195 countries' paths to citizenship in the hyper-detailed IMI Citizenship Catalog.

Applications for this program may be directed to the Immigration and Border Protection Service, Ministry of Justice, Sint Maarten at A.Th. Illidge Road #8, Philipsburg.

Legislation upon which this program is based: the National Ordinance on Admission and Expulsion (LTU) of Sint Maarten.