Capital: Philipsburg
Time zone: GMT – 4
Telephone services: Country Code: 599 Outgoing Code: 00
Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 599/5/222222, Ambulance – 599/5/22111
Tourist information: Caribbean Tourism Organisation, 42 Westminster Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR Tel: (020) 7222 4335 Fax: (020) 7222 4325.
Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of: Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands holding an Identity card. The USA holding voter’s registration cards or birth certificate, and alien residents of the USA with an Alien Registration card. Canada with proof of citizenship. San Marino holding a national ID card or a passport not expired by more than 5 years. Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad, and Tobago and Venezuela with a national ID card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.
Visa information: Up to date visa requirements can be obtained from the Office of the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Netherlands Antilles (See above).
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food
Currency: Netherlands Antilles Guilder of Florin (NAG) = 100 cents NOTE: Import and export of local currency is restricted to NAG 200.
MasterCard and Visa are accepted in large establishments. Travellers cheques are accepted, US dollars and French francs are the most welcome.
ATM availability: 10 locations.
Cost of living: Good variety of duty free shops especially in Philipsburg offering cheap spirits and imported luxury goods.
Languages: English. Dutch is the official language for legal documents. French is also spoken.
Weather: Hot tropical climate with cool sea breezes.
Electricity: 110/220 volts AC 60 Hz.
Post: 4 – 6 days.
Transport: SEA: Small boats may be chartered for fishing trips and scuba diving. ROAD: Most roads are good. CAR HIRE: Plenty of agencies at the airport and in the city. DOCUMENTATION: A national licence is acceptable.
Special information: St. Maarten is the most popular of the Netherlands Antilles with an estimated 900,000 tourists visiting each year. Usual social courtesies should be applied.