TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Passport renewal return time

So things have just opened up for us to possibly plan a May trip this year and i have a few questions.

We sent out our passports for renewal mid Feb. for an Aug. expiration. Tracking shows they received them 2 weeks later, but they haven't cashed the check yet. We sent an inquiry yesterday and got a reply today that they are in process.(normal process time 10-12 wks) Question is how quickly have others got theirs completed and returned recently?

Secondly, does anyone have preference on the rt-PCR or the antigen test, or is it location dependent?

Thirdly, if your stay is totally on the French side, i assume you still have to summit a daily temperature check to the Dutch government, but are there French requirements?.
Sorry if this has been answered somewhere

Thanks for any help

Good luck with the passport. If it was me, I would see if I could pay to have it expedited. I've known people who have waited up tp 5 months for a standard renewal.

Sorry, can't help with the other questions.

I sent mine in December 15. They acknowledged it on Jan 23, approved it Feb 17 and I received it about a week later.

OK, it's too late now, but if you were contemplating going in May, there was no need to send your passport in for renewal in February, if it was still good until August. US Passports do NOT need to be valid for 6 months past your date of travel to Sint Maarten. They just need to be valid through your dates of travel. I don't have any personal experience with getting a passport renewed right now, but I might give it another week or two and then pay to expedite it.

With regard to testing in the US, to go TO SXM, please make sure you read the Sint Maarten travel requirements, which are linked in this post here on TTOL. Link
With regard to which test is preferable, my understanding is that if you have HAD Covid and recovered, a PCR test could come back positive for quite a length of time after, so if you have had Covid, you probably should opt for the antigen test. Otherwise, again, look at the Sint Maarten travel requirements--a PCR test (for US and Canadian citizens) must be taken no more than 120 hours before the time when your last leg of your trip leaves to go to SXM. An antigen test must be taken no more than 48 hours before your last flight. In many places, the results from an antigen test are available in as little as 15 minutes. But PCR tests are considered more reliable. You cannot get your clearance to fly to SXM until you have your negative test results in hand. What I have decided to do, and I think a lot of other people have done the same, is to schedule a PCR test, around that 120 hour timeframe. Since a lot of people have had problems getting accepted, even when their results were negative, this gives more time to get the approval. I will have a backup antigen test planned, in case the PCR test doesn't come back in time. One place I was looking at recently said their PCR tests were averaging between 24 and 36 hours turnaround time, so that is probably where we are going to go.

The temperature checks are to an email address and it doesn't matter where you stay, you are supposed to reply to them, but it appears that this is not very strictly enforced at all, as some people never get the emails and some have not responded to them.

As far as additional French side requirements, that I do not know.

Thanks eightzerobits, thats a little more encouraging. Turns out they cashed my check today, finally.

Carol, we sent them in Feb. just to get them done, because we really didn't think we would be able to go back until 2022, but like you said, too late now. I think waiting a week or two is probably a good idea.

I did read the link and the form. I think i understand most of it. Looks like i would answer no to the transit passenger question as i'm leaving the airport, correct? That's a great idea scheduling the PCR test and use the antigen test as a back up. Neither of us has had Covid btw.

Thanks, for the very useful info!

Yes, 'in transit' means you never leave the airport. Best wishes!

Carole,
Our husband & wife friends of ours got the WuFlu shortly after New Years. He was treated at a hospital twice. We cancelled a USVI sail charter scheduled 17Feb. They quickly recovered, and got the vaccine w/in 7 days. (Though some “experts” say not to, their Dr authorized, and it was administered in a hospital 2X)

They passed the quick test 30Jan, which came back as Not Detected. We rebooked for 24Feb. We all took both the quick test and the r/t PCR test 20Feb. We all got Not Detected on the quick w/in 15 minutes via email. All Received Negative PCR test results by late afternoon the following day. You milage may vary.

What's that got to do with passports?

Excuse me!
It was a reply to Carole's comments about testing three posts above my reply. Slight thread hijack by the moderator.
We now return to our regular programming.

I actually typed the same question, until I looked back at the original poster's question and saw that he or she had also asked about about testing. The backspace button is helpful!

So the test times seem to be all over the place depending on where you get them. I've heard PCR test taking 12-24 hrs. and now up to 36. It seems i hear antigen test taking 15-1hr? I can see why this and the summiting/approvals is the stressful part. Carol, you are going May/June time also? Is it a little quieter than early spring. It's seems i hear a lot of people planning trips around this time.

Thanks

SXMbeacher--PCR tests were taking 3-4 DAYS at the height of the pandemic, but the antigen test is MUCH quicker, yes. Yes, we're going in June. Frankly THIS year, I expect it may be a little busier than early spring, because so many people now are getting vaccinated and may feel more safe to travel by summer.

jphart--actually, as Georgia points out, the original poster may have titled the post about passports, but also asked about testing..

My wife just received her renewed passport today, hers took 10 1/2 weeks.

Wow, was that from the time she sent it? Ours took 14 days priority mail to get to PA.

Yes.

Thanks. Starting to get a little anxious now.