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Residence Permit – Penshonado (Pensioner) / Rentenier (Retiree)

Sint Maarten · Caribbean

Source: Mobility Asset DatabaseLifecycle: UnknownResidency-to-PassportIndependent Means Visas

Program facts from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database. Unknown facts are shown as Unknown, never as zero.

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Publication state
Mobility Asset Database
Lifecycle status
Unknown
Facts checked through
Sep 21, 2026
Source snapshots
Database edition

Identity and current status

The route identity and current status.

Present
Year establishedUnknown
Unknown
Governing lawPublished
Landsverordening toelating en uitzetting (LTU, admission and expulsion ordinance); penshonado tax status under the Sint Maarten Income Tax Ordinance (Landsverordening inkomstenbelasting 1943)
Responsible authorityPublished
Immigration and Border Protection Service (IBPS), Ministry of Justice of Sint Maarten

What the program provides

What the program gives the holder.

Present
What the program providesPublished
Retire to the Dutch side of St. Maarten on your pension, own a home and pay a flat 10% on foreign income, with a route to a Dutch passport

Best suited for

Who the program tends to suit. Research only, never a personal recommendation.

Absent

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Eligibility

Personal qualifications an applicant must establish.

Present
Minimum agePublished
50 years
Clean criminal record requiredPublished
Yes
Local health insurance requiredUnknown
Unknown
Nationality restrictionsPublished
No
Basic eligibilityPublished
Proof of pension or other steady income, plus an owner-occupied home in Sint Maarten worth at least NAf 450,000 (~US$251,000) by renewal; for the 10% penshonado tax rate also age 50+ and 60 months living abroad beforehand
Generational limitPublished
Not applicable

Household inclusion

How spouses and children are treated.

Present
Family sponsorshipPublished
Yes
Spouse includedPublished
Yes
Children includedPublished
Yes
Child age limitUnknown
Unknown
ChildrenPublished
Spouse and children apply for their own permits (family formation / cohabitation purpose) sponsored by the retiree. A spouse who meets the conditions can also elect the penshonado tax rate.

Documents

Evidence categories and filing documents.

Absent

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Process and timeline

How you apply and how long it takes.

Present
Processing timePublished
6–8 weeks
Can apply without travelingPublished
Yes
How you applyPublished
Application to the Immigration and Border Protection Service in Philipsburg (in person or through a local agent/lawyer)
Required in-person stepPublished
Register with the Census Office in Sint Maarten and collect the permit locally
What the processing time measuresPublished
Government states permit requests take about 6-8 weeks (sintmaartengov.org Residency Permit page)
Official application routePublished
https://services.sintmaartengov.org/

Costs and investment

Fees, income and savings thresholds, and investment amounts.

Present
Minimum investmentPublished
$251,397
Minimum passive investment (July 2026)Published
$251,397
Minimum active investment (July 2026)Published
None required
Processing feeUnknown
Unknown
Application feeUnknown
Unknown
Total cost to applyUnknown
Unknown
Monthly income requiredUnknown
Unknown
Monthly pension income requiredUnknown
Unknown
Monthly rental income requiredPublished
None required
Savings requiredUnknown
Unknown
Proof of sufficient fundsPublished
Yes
Local bank deposit requiredPublished
No
Minimum local bank depositPublished
None required
Fees paidPublished
Before approval
Cost notesPublished
Processing fee is paid on filing and is non-refundable (IBPS). Current fee amounts were not found on an official page; an older (2021) unofficial figure was NAf 1,000 for two adults.

Presence and maintenance

Stay, renewal, and how long the status lasts.

Present
Stay required to keep statusUnknown
Unknown
Physical presence requiredPublished
Yes
In-country visit requiredPublished
Yes
Move-in windowPublished
18 months
Length of residencyUnknown
Unknown
Residency is lifetimePublished
No
RenewablePublished
Yes
Maximum durationUnknown
Unknown
Maximum duration is lifetimePublished
Yes
Stay rule (Sept 2026)Published
Permit is tied to actually living in Sint Maarten (Census registration and an owner-occupied, unleased home); no fixed day count found in official sources
Tax residency rulePublished
Residence is decided by facts and circumstances (where you actually live and have durable ties); registration with the Census Office starts resident tax liability
Personal income taxPublished
range between 12.5%-47.5%

Rights and onward pathways

Work, healthcare and other rights, and the path to permanent residence and citizenship.

Present
Time to permanent residencyPublished
5 years
Time to citizenshipPublished
5 years
Work for a local employerPublished
No
Start a businessPublished
No
Remote or freelance workUnknown
Unknown
Local healthcare accessUnknown
Unknown
University accessUnknown
Unknown
Can buy landPublished
Yes
Local bankingPublished
Yes
Permanent residence timeline basisPublished
Years stated
Citizenship timeline basisPublished
Years stated

Risks, limitations, and uncertainty

Notes on changes, conflicts, and limits.

Present
Plan B note (Sept 2026)Published
Penshonado is a tax status layered on an ordinary retiree residence permit. The home (NAf 450,000+, own use, not rented) must be bought within 18 months of Census registration and is checked at permit renewal. Permanent residence after about 5 years of temporary permits; Dutch naturalisation after 5 years' residence. US and Dutch nationals need no permit for stays under 180 days. The list claim of a 183-day stay was not confirmed in any official source. Since 31 March 2025 the Caribbean guilder (Cg) replaced the NAf at the same peg (1.79 per USD).

Sources, freshness, and conflict disclosure

Where the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database took these facts from.

Present
Official program websitePublished
https://www.sintmaartengov.org/services/pages/Residency-Permit.aspx
Plan B sources (Sept 2026)Published
https://www.sintmaartengov.org/services/pages/Residency-Permit.aspx | https://services.sintmaartengov.org/pdf/STANDARD%20DOCUMENTS.pdf | https://www.sintmaartengov.org/Documents/Income%20Tax%20Forms/Toelichting_A-biljet_2024%20ENG%202.pdf | https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/caribbean-visa/long-stay

Every fact on this page comes from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database (Sep 21, 2026 edition). A blank is shown as Unknown.

This anonymous dossier is read-only research. It does not establish personal fit, eligibility, legal or tax advice, filing, approval, residence, citizenship, or a held Right.