St Maarten Closing Costs: A Buyer's Complete Breakdown (2026)
St Maarten closing costs run about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price on the Dutch side, paid by the buyer: roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee. There is no annual property tax, and the seller usually pays the agent commission. A civil-law notary handles the title search, escrow, and registration. The French side runs higher, often near 7 to 8 percent, plus annual taxes.
- Dutch-side St Maarten closing costs are about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price, paid by the buyer.
- The main components are roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee.
- There is no annual property tax on the Dutch side, and the seller usually pays the agent commission.
- A civil-law notary is mandatory and handles the title search, deed, escrow, and registration, so US-style title insurance is not the norm here.
How much are St Maarten closing costs when you buy property?
On the Dutch side, St Maarten closing costs run about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price, and the buyer pays them. That breaks down to roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee. There is no annual property tax on the Dutch side, and the seller usually covers the agent commission.
When I show buyers the math, I keep it plain. Budget the purchase price, then add 4 to 6 percent in closing costs that you, the buyer, pay to the notary at signing. The transfer tax is the biggest piece at roughly 4 percent. The notary fee, which covers the title search, the deed, the escrow account, and the registration, usually lands in the 1 to 1.5 percent range. I tell buyers to plan against the top of that band rather than the bottom, so the number at the table is a relief instead of a shock.
What that band does not automatically include is everything else attached to owning a place here. Financing adds lender costs. A condo may carry a building or community fee that starts the day you take the keys. Furniture, insurance, and a maintenance reserve are all real. None of those are closing costs in the strict sense, but they hit the same bank account in the same month, so I would rather you see them early. Before you sign anything, ask the notary for a written statement of every line item on the closing, and ask your lender for theirs in writing if you are borrowing. Both will give you exact figures for your specific property, and those figures beat any blog estimate, including mine. For the full path from offer to keys, read my guide to buying property in St Maarten.
What does the notary do, and is there title insurance in St Maarten?
A civil-law notary is mandatory on the Dutch side and acts as a neutral public officer. The notary runs the title search, drafts and registers the deed, holds your money in escrow, and records ownership at the land registry. That public register is the reason buyers here do not use the US-style title insurance product.
A civil-law notary here is not the US notary who stamps signatures at a bank counter. This is a trained legal professional appointed to a public office, and the step is not optional on a Dutch-side purchase. The notary is neutral: they do not represent the buyer and they do not represent the seller, they protect the transaction itself. Because the notary checks title against the public land registry and then registers your new deed there, that register becomes the record of ownership, which is why the insurance product common in the US is not part of a normal Dutch-side deal.
I am an agent, not a notary and not a lawyer, so I will tell you how this looks from my chair and let the notary confirm the legal detail on your file. What I do for clients is make sure nobody is surprised by the sequence. I walk you through the purchase agreement, show you where your deposit sits and who is holding it, and make sure you know what the notary is checking before the money moves. If a property has anything unusual attached to it, a long-term lease, a shared driveway, an old building permit question, that is the moment to raise it with the notary rather than after signing. Ask them directly what their title check covers and what it does not.
The notary is the reason a Dutch-side closing feels boring in the best way: one neutral officer holds the money, checks the title, and registers the deed. Your notary will confirm what that check does and does not cover.Wei Landgraf, Dutch-side resident agent
Who pays what: buyer and seller closing costs in SXM
On the Dutch side the split is straightforward: the buyer pays the transfer tax and the notary fee, and the seller usually pays the real estate agent commission. So your out-of-pocket closing budget as a buyer is that 4 to 6 percent, sitting on top of the agreed purchase price.
| Cost | Who pays | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax | Buyer | About 4% of price |
| Notary fee | Buyer | About 1 to 1.5% |
| Title search, deed, registration | Buyer | Included in notary fee |
| Agent commission | Seller | Varies by listing |
The line people forget is the agent commission. On the Dutch side the seller normally pays it, so as a buyer you are not stacking a broker fee on top of your 4 to 6 percent. That is different from what a lot of North Americans expect, and it changes how you read an asking price.
Before you sign the purchase agreement, get clear answers on these:
- Who is paying the transfer tax and the notary fee on this specific deal, in writing.
- Where the deposit is held, and under what conditions it is released or returned.
- What the agent commission arrangement is, and who is responsible for it.
- Whether the property carries any building, community, or association fee, and when it starts.
- What has to be true for the deal to complete, and what happens if it is not.
A deal can be structured differently from the norm, so treat the table above as the usual pattern rather than a rule you can lean on blind. Your notary will list every cost before you sign, and that statement, not a general figure from a blog, is the one to budget against. If you are still shopping, browse current St Maarten real estate to see what fits your budget.
St Maarten vs Saint-Martin: which side is cheaper to close?
The Dutch side is cheaper to close and cheaper to hold. Total transaction costs there sit around 4 to 6 percent, with no annual property tax. On the French side of Saint-Martin, transaction costs often land closer to 7 to 8 percent, plus annual taxes you keep paying after closing. Confirm the current French-side figures with a notaire on that side before you rely on them.
| Factor | St Maarten (Dutch) | Saint-Martin (French) |
|---|---|---|
| Closing costs | About 4 to 6% | About 7 to 8% |
| Annual property tax | None | Yes |
| Everyday currency | US dollar | Euro |
| Foreign ownership | Freehold, no restriction | French rules apply |
You can drive between the two sides with no border checkpoint, so people assume the two systems match. They do not. It is one island of 87 square kilometres, split into a Dutch side of about 34 square kilometres and a French side of about 53. Same beaches, same weather, two separate legal and tax systems, and the paperwork you sign depends entirely on which side of that invisible line the property sits.
On the Dutch side you buy freehold with no restriction on foreign ownership, you use US dollars day to day, and there is no annual property tax to hold the place. On the French side you are buying under French rules, transaction costs run higher, the euro is the everyday currency, and there are annual taxes after closing. That combination is why a lot of my North American buyers end up on the Dutch south, though the French side wins on other things and I show clients both before they decide. If you are weighing the two, I break down the systems in my St Maarten vs Saint-Martin comparison, and I would still have you confirm the tax picture on either side with a tax advisor who knows your home country.
Is there annual property tax in Sint Maarten?
No. There is no annual property tax on the Dutch side of St Maarten, which is one of the first things that gets a US or Canadian buyer’s attention. You still budget for insurance, utilities, any building or community fees, and maintenance, but the recurring government property tax bill you know from home does not exist on this side. Verify how that interacts with your own tax residency with your tax advisor.
This surprises almost every US and Canadian buyer I work with. At home, the annual property tax line is a fixed, unavoidable part of the budget. On the Dutch side it simply is not there. What you do pay year to year is property insurance, which matters because the island sits inside the hurricane belt, plus utilities and any building or community fees on a condo. Utilities on a small island are their own conversation, and the honest answer is that the bill depends on the building, the age of the place, and how hard you run the air conditioning, so I would rather get you a real bill from a comparable unit than quote you a number I invented.
The other thing worth saying plainly: no property tax does not mean no tax exposure. Your home country may still care about what you own here and what you earn from it. That is a question for your tax advisor and your notary, not for an agent, and I say the same thing to every buyer who asks me at a showing.
I still budget clients for serious hurricane-grade insurance and a maintenance reserve. Construction standards improved after Hurricane Irma in 2017, but I plan for storms rather than around them. Insurance is a real holding cost here, and it is the line I would never trim just to make a deal work on paper.
Can foreign buyers get financing, and what deposit do you need?
Yes. Financing exists on the Dutch side for qualified foreign buyers, and it comes with a down payment. Plenty of buyers here still pay cash. Local lenders will look at your income, the property itself, and what you are putting down. Terms differ from what you may be used to at home, so I tell people to talk to a local lender early and get pre-approval before they fall for a place.
Cash still moves fastest here, and a strong cash offer can beat a financed one on the same property, which is worth knowing before you write your first offer. But financing is a real option, and I walk buyers through it regularly. Expect the bank to want a real down payment plus documentation on your income and the property. Ask your lender for their current down payment requirement, their rate, and their timeline before you make an offer, because those three answers decide what you can actually bid.
The practical order I give buyers is simple. Talk to a lender before you shop, so you know your ceiling. Get the pre-approval in writing. Set up local banking early, because moving money into a Dutch-side closing is easier when the account already exists, and I cover that in my notes on banking in St Maarten. Then, once you have a property in view, have the notary confirm the ownership structure and exactly which funds need to be in escrow and when. Lending rules and deposit requirements are set by the bank and can change, so confirm current terms with your lender and your notary rather than with a page you read online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are closing costs when buying property in St Maarten?
On the Dutch side, plan for about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price. That is roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee, and the buyer pays it at signing. There is no annual property tax, and the seller usually pays the agent commission. Your notary will give you the exact line items for your specific property before you sign.
Who pays closing costs in St Maarten, the buyer or the seller?
The buyer pays the transfer tax and the notary fee, together about 4 to 6 percent of the price. The seller usually pays the real estate agent commission. Confirm the exact split in your purchase agreement, because deals can be structured differently, and your notary lists every cost before you sign.
Is there annual property tax in Sint Maarten?
No, there is no annual property tax on the Dutch side of Sint Maarten. You still budget for property insurance, utilities, and any condo or building fees, but the recurring government property tax you know from the US or Canada does not apply here. Confirm any building fees with your notary, and check your own tax exposure at home with your tax advisor.
Do you need a notary to buy property in St Maarten?
Yes. The notary step is mandatory on the Dutch side, so plan on it as part of every purchase, and confirm the exact requirements for your deal with your notary. The notary runs the title search, drafts and registers the deed, and holds your funds in escrow. Because ownership is registered in the public land registry, buyers here do not use US-style title insurance.
Can foreigners buy property in St Maarten?
Yes. The Dutch side has no restriction on foreign ownership, and you buy freehold, meaning you own the land and the building outright. US, Canadian, and European buyers purchase here regularly. Financing exists for qualified foreign buyers with a down payment, though plenty of buyers still pay cash. Verify the ownership structure for your purchase with your notary.
Is it cheaper to close on the Dutch side or the French side?
The Dutch side of St Maarten is cheaper, both to close and to hold. Dutch-side transaction costs run about 4 to 6 percent with no annual property tax. On the French side of Saint-Martin, costs often reach 7 to 8 percent plus annual taxes. That gap is why many buyers choose the Dutch south. Confirm the current French-side figures with a notaire on that side.
