Financing Property in St Maarten: Foreign Mortgage Options (2026)
Financing property in St Maarten is realistic for qualified foreign buyers on the Dutch side, where foreign ownership is unrestricted. You can pay cash, take a local Sint Maarten bank mortgage with a down payment, or borrow against home-country equity. Budget 4 to 6 percent in buyer closing costs, and note the Dutch side charges no annual property tax.
- On the Dutch side there is no restriction on foreign ownership and no annual property tax.
- Buyer closing costs run about 4 to 6 percent: roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee. Your notary confirms the exact figures for your deal.
- Financing exists for qualified foreign buyers with a down payment. The bank sets the deposit, so ask early and get it in writing.
- The French side of the island is pricier to buy and hold, with transaction costs often 7 to 8 percent plus annual taxes.
Can foreigners get a mortgage in St Maarten?
Yes. Financing property in St Maarten is available to qualified foreign buyers on the Dutch side, where there is no restriction on foreign ownership. Banks lend against your income and a down payment. What a non-resident is asked to bring is a question for the bank, not something I can quote you in advance, so start that conversation early. Cash still closes the fastest here.
When clients ask me how they will pay for a place, I see three common paths: pay cash, borrow from a local Sint Maarten bank, or bring financing from their home country. Every one of them runs through the same closing. A civil-law notary is mandatory and handles the title search, the deed, escrow, and registration, which is why buyers here do not use US-style title insurance. The notary is the neutral office that makes ownership clean, and the notary, not me, is the person to confirm how that process applies to your specific purchase.
I live on the Dutch side and I work this market every day, so I will be direct: a mortgage is possible, but it is not the fast, pre-approved process many North American buyers expect. A lender file has to be assembled, reviewed, and approved on the bank's clock, and a seller weighing two offers will look hard at which one is certain to fund. That is the real cost of borrowing here, and it is not measured only in interest.
If you plan to borrow, tell me early so I can write the offer with a realistic financing timeline and prepare the seller for it. I would rather set that expectation on day one than renegotiate it under pressure later. For the full transaction start to finish, read my guide to buying property in St Maarten.
What are my financing options for property in St Maarten?
You have three realistic options for financing property in St Maarten: pay cash, take a mortgage from a local Dutch-side bank, or use financing from your home country such as a HELOC or a refinance. Some foreign buyers combine a home-country loan with a local account here.
| Option | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | Speed and negotiating power | Closes fastest, no lender conditions, still pays the notary and the closing costs |
| Local Sint Maarten bank mortgage | Buyers with local income or a strong file | Open to qualified foreigners with a down payment, terms and documents are set by the bank, ask them directly |
| Home-country financing (HELOC or refinance) | Owners with US or Canadian equity | You arrive here as a cash buyer, borrow against property back home, confirm the rules with your own bank |
In practice, the buyers who move fastest are the ones who tap equity at home and arrive here as cash. That is not always the cheapest route, and I am not your tax advisor, so confirm the interest treatment with your accountant before you assume anything about deductibility. A local mortgage keeps your borrowing in this market and in the currency you will actually spend, but it adds a lender to a timeline that already has a notary in it. There is no single right answer. It depends on your rates at home, your income here, and how quickly you want to close.
The question I ask clients first is not which product is best, it is which one you can prove you have. A seller cannot see your intentions. They can see a bank letter, a statement, or nothing at all. So whichever route you pick, get something in writing that a seller can hold, and get it before you start viewing seriously.
If you are borrowing, get a written pre-approval before you fall for a listing. I have watched buyers lose a home they wanted because their financing letter arrived after someone else's cash offer did. On this island, certainty of closing often beats a slightly higher price.
How much down payment and closing costs should I budget?
Budget for two separate things: a down payment for the bank, and closing costs on top of the price. On the Dutch side, closing costs run about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price, paid by the buyer, and there is no annual property tax.
Here is how the closing costs break down. The transfer tax is roughly 4 percent of the price, and the notary fee is about 1 to 1.5 percent. The seller usually pays the agent commission, so as a buyer your main line items are the transfer tax, the notary, and your own financing costs. Those are the Dutch-side norms as I see them in deals, and your notary will give you the exact quote for your purchase. Verify the current rates and treatment with them before you sign anything, because they are the office that has to be right.
The down payment is a separate number, and it is set by the bank, not by anything I can quote you in advance. What a lender asks of a non-resident can differ from what it asks of a resident, and it moves with your income, the property, and current lending conditions, so I will not print a fixed figure that could be stale by the time you read this. Ask the bank directly, in writing, and ask two of them if you can. That single conversation will tell you more about your real budget than any article, including this one.
One more practical note on money. Day-to-day life on the Dutch side runs in US dollars even though the official currency is the Antillean guilder, so most of these costs are quoted and paid in dollars. Across the French line, it is the euro. A local mortgage generally means opening an account here first, and I walk clients through banking in St Maarten early for exactly that reason.
Dutch side or French side: where is financing cheaper?
The Dutch side is generally cheaper to buy and to hold. Transaction costs there run about 4 to 6 percent with no annual property tax. The French side, Saint-Martin, follows French and EU rules: transaction costs are often 7 to 8 percent, and there are annual taxes to carry every year you own. Confirm your own position with a notary and a tax advisor before you commit to a side.
That gap matters when you are financing. Every extra point of transaction cost is money that does not go toward your down payment or your equity. This is one island of about 87 sq km, roughly 34 on the Dutch side and 53 on the French, with no border checkpoint between them, so many buyers weigh both, then choose the Dutch south for the lower entry cost and the notary-led process they can follow. The two sides even use different money in daily life: US dollars in the south, the euro in the north.
The French north still wins for buyers who want Grand Case dining, Orient Bay, or the Terres Basses luxury market, and who accept the higher carrying cost as the price of that address. That is a legitimate choice, not a mistake. It just needs to be a decision you made on purpose rather than one you discovered at the closing table. I lay out the full trade-off in my comparison of St Maarten vs St Martin.
On the Dutch side you can own a home with no annual property tax. On the French side you pay to hold it every year. That single difference reshapes how buyers finance the purchase, so confirm your own position with a tax advisor before you choose a side.Wei Landgraf, Dutch-side resident agent
What do lenders look at, and how do I qualify?
Local lenders qualify foreign buyers on the strength of the whole file: proof of income, your down payment, and how clean your documentation is. Financing exists for qualified foreign buyers with a down payment, and the bank decides what qualified means. Start that conversation before you shop, not after you find the place you want.
From what I see with clients, the smoothest applications share a few traits:
- Organized income proof. It arrives complete and consistent, not in pieces across three weeks.
- An accessible down payment. The money is already sitting somewhere the bank can see, not tied up in an asset that has to be sold first.
- A local bank relationship already open. The account is not a last-minute obstacle between you and the deed.
- Written requirements from the lender. The buyer asked the bank what it needs instead of assuming the process matches home.
The notary still runs the title search, the deed, and the registration no matter how you pay, so the lender's work sits alongside the notary's, not instead of it. Those are two separate offices with two separate clocks, and neither one moves faster because you are in a hurry. I am an agent, not a banker, a lawyer, or a notary, so treat the exact lending criteria as a bank question, the legal mechanics as a notary question, and any tax angle as one for your accountant.
Financing for qualified foreign buyers is real, but it rewards preparation. If you know you will borrow, I would rather introduce you to a banker in week one than in week six. That timing is often the difference between an offer a seller trusts and one they pass over without a second thought.
Is financing property in St Maarten worth it, or should I pay cash?
It depends on your cost of money. If your home-country rates are low and you can borrow cheaply against existing equity, financing property in St Maarten lets you keep cash invested elsewhere. If local mortgage terms are strict or slow, paying cash buys you speed and stronger offers. Neither is universally better. It is a math and timing decision, and it is yours.
The buyers happiest with financing treated it as a tool, not a rescue. They ran the numbers, confirmed the interest treatment with their own advisor, and kept a cushion for the 4 to 6 percent in closing costs that lands on top of the price. The buyers who struggle are the ones who assume the fast, pre-approved mortgage process they know at home exists here, and then write offers they cannot fund in time.
So ask yourself three questions before you decide. What does borrowing actually cost you, at home and here. How much certainty does your offer need in order to win the property you want. And what happens to your plan if the approval takes longer than you hoped. If you can answer those calmly, either route works, and I have seen both close well.
When you are ready to compare real numbers, browse current St Maarten homes for sale and I will map financing to a specific price, a specific property, and a realistic closing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreigner get a mortgage in St Maarten?
Yes. On the Dutch side there is no restriction on foreign ownership, and financing exists for qualified foreign buyers who bring income and a down payment. What a bank asks of a non-resident is a question for that bank, so open the conversation early and get the requirements in writing. Some buyers instead finance through home-country equity and close here as cash.
How much are closing costs when buying property in St Maarten?
On the Dutch side, closing costs are about 4 to 6 percent of the price and are paid by the buyer. That is roughly 4 percent transfer tax plus a 1 to 1.5 percent notary fee. The seller usually pays the agent commission. Confirm the exact figures for your purchase with your notary.
Do you pay property tax in St Maarten?
On the Dutch side there is no annual property tax, which is one reason buyers choose the south. The French side follows French rules with annual taxes and higher transaction costs, often 7 to 8 percent. For your own situation, confirm the current tax treatment with your notary or a tax advisor before you rely on it.
Is it cheaper to buy on the Dutch side or the French side?
The Dutch side is generally cheaper to buy and hold: about 4 to 6 percent in transaction costs and no annual property tax. The French side often runs 7 to 8 percent plus yearly taxes. It is one island with no border checkpoint, so most cost-focused buyers choose the Dutch south. Verify the current rules with a notary or tax advisor.
How much down payment do I need to finance property in St Maarten?
The bank sets the deposit, and what a non-resident is asked for can differ from what a resident is asked for. The exact percentage moves with your income, the property, and current conditions, so ask the bank directly and get it in writing. Budget the 4 to 6 percent closing costs separately, on top of the price.
Can I use a US or Canadian loan to buy in St Maarten?
Some buyers do. They borrow against home-country equity, through a HELOC or a refinance, then arrive here as a cash buyer, which closes faster and strengthens offers. Confirm the rules and the interest treatment with your own bank and tax advisor, since I am an agent, not a financial or tax authority.
