A business can be established on St. Maarten in the form of a sole-proprietorship, a limited liability company (NV) or any other entity regulated in the Civil Code of the Netherlands Antilles. The issuance
of business and director’s licenses is based on the ordinance regulating the Establishment of Businesses- “Vestigingsregeling voor Bedrijven (PB 1946 no 43).” Based on this ordinance, Antilleans
(persons born in the Netherlands Antilles of Dutch nationality
are exempted from a sole proprietor’s and director’s license) but they are required however, to register at the Chamber of Commerce,
(as are other businesses).List of Requirements
Application Forms
Application form for Business & Director’s license
Application form for Sole Proprietorship
Certain types of businesses require an operational license.
All persons (including Antilleans) require an operational license.
Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable processing fee with the application. License holders are required to pay monthly or yearly fees for the licenses. These fees are regulated in various ordinances and are collected by the Island Receiver.List of Requirements
Application Forms
Application form for Operational License
Vending licenses can only be requested by a person not an entity. The person must be of Dutch nationality (exception for Market
license) - the person may be of foreign nationality but must be registered at least 10 years in the Census Office of St. Maarten (Dutch).
List of Requirements
Application Forms
Application form for Vending License
Application form for Carnival
Application form for Carnival Village
Contact Details
Zoutsteeg #3
Philipsburg,
Sint Maarten
Netherlands Antilles
Phone: (599) – 542-0668
Fax: (599) – 543-7822
Email: vosec@stmaarteneconomy.com
& Economic Control (VOSEC) The vision of the Department of Permits, Licenses and Economic Control is to promote a sustainable economic and social development
of the island of St. Maarten, through the issuance of business licenses. Our vision is attained through our mission, which is to regulate investments, by implementing diversification of business activities and by controlling the implementation of various economic
regulations.
The main tasks of the Department are to advise the Executive Council on requests for business, director’s and other licenses and to control all economic regulations. In Addition, we provide the information
required for the levying of the yearly fees on the licenses that are issued.
On a quarterly basis we provide the Department of Economic Policy
and Research with statistical data needed for its research and we further assist this department with preparation of economic policies.
The Control Unit of this department is in charge of controlling licenses issued based on economic ordinances, such as:
1. “Vestigingsregeling voor bedrijven- PB 1943 no. 46”;
2. “Vergunninglandsverordening Ab 1963 no.28”;
3. “Eilandsverordening Openbarestraathandel Ab 1995 no 11”
4. “Landsverordening Winkelsluiting PB 1969 no.58”
5. “Prijzenverordening 1961 PB 1961, 117”