A valid travel document is required for travel abroad. If someone must travel due to an emergency and does not have a valid travel document shortly before the trip, they may, in exceptional cases, apply for a temporary travel document at the department of Consular Affairs.
This is only possible under strict conditions. The emergency document is for travel only. It is not valid as proof of identity.
Only persons with the Dutch nationality can apply for an emergency passport. In very exceptional cases, a laissez-passer may be issued to a non-Dutch national. If they have lost their travel document, they must contact the embassy or consulate of their country of origin.
An emergency passport is issued only to persons who can prove they have the Dutch nationality. When submitting the application, the applicant must provide supporting documents proving their Dutch nationality.
The following documents may be requested with the application:
- The expired Dutch passport;
- Two recent color passport photos according to these specifications;
- A valid proof of identity (such as driver’s license or ID);
- A recent original birth certificate (not older than 6 months) for minors and for adults who have never previously held a passport;
- A valid proof of identity of the parent(s) of minors;
- Original guardianship papers, if applicable for minors;
- Official consent from both parent(s), if applicable, with a copy of the passport of the parent residing abroad, if that is the case;
- Proof of an appointment to apply for a new national passport at the Census Office if the person lives in Sint Maarten;
- Proof that the trip cannot be postponed.
If your Dutch passport was lost, you must first make a declaration to the Cabinet of the Governor before obtaining an emergency passport. This is done by filling out the form ‘Declaration of loss of travel document’. The Cabinet then contacts the issuing authority of the missing passport.
Based on the information obtained, the applicant for the emergency passport is identified. An emergency passport can only be issued after the applicant has been identified.
In the event of theft of the Dutch passport, an original proof of a police report must be presented when applying for the emergency passport.
If you need to travel for medical reasons, you can obtain an emergency passport valid for a maximum of one year. If the reason for the trip is non-medical, you receive an emergency passport for the duration of the trip.
If you’re traveling for a non-medical reason and won’t return to Sint Maarten, the emergency passport is valid for the duration of the outward journey. If you do return to Sint Maarten, the document is valid until the date of return as stated on the return ticket. Upon return, you must hand in the emergency passport to the Cabinet of the Governor of Sint Maarten.
Personal application and pick up
The person for whom the emergency document is intended must, in principle, be present in person both during the application and when collecting the travel document. This is for identification purposes. In cases of medical urgency, exceptions can be made.
Visa
Some countries impose additional or different requirements on a travel document. For example, you may need to have a visa. The embassy or consulate of the country can confirm if the emergency document is valid for travel to that country.
Traveling to the US
In principle, it is not possible to enter the United States of America with a Dutch emergency document. The Consulate General of the United States of America in Curaçao can provide more information about this by telephone +5999 461 3066.
Liability
The Cabinet of the Governor of Sint Maarten is not liable if a trip cannot proceed due to the emergency passport not being received in time.
Medical trip
For travel for medical reasons, Social & Health Insurances (SZV) informs the Cabinet of the necessity of the trip. The SZV informs the client which documents are required. Then, the SZV schedules an appointment for the client at the Cabinet to submit and sign all necessary forms. As soon as the file is complete, the emergency passport can be collected.
Non-medical trip
For non-medical travel, you must contact the Cabinet of the Governor yourself. The consular officer will provide information about the required documents for your specific situation. Then, an appointment can be scheduled at the Cabinet to submit and sign all forms. When the file is complete, a decision will be made on the issuance of the emergency passport. The travel document can be collected afterwards.
The costs (fees) for an emergency document in 2026* are: Cg 121,90.
* The fees for the emergency document are indexed annually.
Customers can pay in cash or by debit card in Caribbean Guilders (XCG) at the Cabinet of the Governor of Sint Maarten. Payment by credit card or cash in US dollars (USD) is not accepted.
Appointment
The contact details for scheduling an appointment can be found on our contact page.
Acute medical emergency
Sometimes an acute medical emergency arises. In that case, an on-call officer can issue an emergency passport even outside office hours. However, the SZV must confirm in writing that the person needs to travel due to acute medical reasons. For these cases, an on-call officer can be reached via telephone number +1 721 587 8349 or +1 721 520 8349.