St. Maarten Develops New Immigration Cards to Ease Visitors’ Faster Clearance

St. Maarten has developed a Tourism Statistical Data Information System (TSIS) along with new immigration cards for arriving and departing visitors to the island to facilitate easier and faster clearance through the airport.

Under St. Maarten law, travelers are required to provide complete and accurate information on these new immigration cards. The new TSIS scanners are in-place at Princess Juliana Airport and travelers coming and going through customs will experience less of a wait time allowing more time to enjoy the island.

The arrival cards are available on all airlines servicing St. Maarten and at counters in the arrival hall just before immigration at the airport. The new cards will now have to be scanned into a scanning device located at the front of the immigration booths.

The new procedures for arriving travelers are:

- All cards must be accurately and fully completed before getting into the immigration line to avoid any unnecessary delays.

- All immigration cards must be signed by the person whose information is on the completed card.

- Each person must complete an immigration card to be presented to the immigration officer.

- The visitor is required to scan the new arrival immigration card into the scanning device that is available directly in front of the immigration counter.

- Once the card is successfully scanned, the traveler may then proceed to the immigration officer with their card.

- Travelers may NOT FOLD or BEND the immigration card and should keep the card in good condition.

The departure cards will be available at the respective hotel properties, immigration, airline counters at check-in, as well as other locations at the airport before reaching the security checkpoint.

Similarly, the new procedures for departing travelers are:

- All departure cards must be accurately completed and scanned into the scanning devices located at the front of outbound immigration at the passport checkpoint.

- Travelers may NOT FOLD or BEND the immigration card and should keep the card in good condition.

The new immigration cards are currently available in English, but will be developed in Spanish, Dutch & French. This new system is designed to be customer-friendly and reduce the time it takes to go through the immigration process.