Starting a Business

Starting a Business on St. Maarten

All businesses operating in St. Maarten must be registered in the Commercial Register of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Citizenship: There are key differences in the procedure to start a business for Antillean-born and Non-Antillean born citizens

When starting a business in St. Maarten there are a few things you need to know to pertain to citizenship. There are some key differences in the process of opening a business when you are an Antillean-born citizen and when you are a Non-Antillean born citizen.

Antillean Born Citizen = you were born on Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius islands.

* Aruban born prior to Aruba’s independence (Jan 1st 1986).

Everyone else is considered an Non-Antillean Born citizen, even if you were born in The Netherlands, for instance.

Sole Proprietorship (Eenmanszaak)

N.V./B.V./Foundations/Associations/Partnerships