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Dutch Sint Maarten permits non-resident couples to exchange vows on the island (for more than a century, non-resident marriages were prohibited). Today, couples over 21 years of agemust firstmake a written request to the Lieutenant Governor for a temporary tourist permit, not to exceed three months.

Telephones

International phone calls are expensive. Expect to pay about $40 for even the briefest call back home. NOTE: Use the international dialing code (011) before the country codes when calling the island.We exclude the international code fromthe numbers given in this book. The country code for St. Martin is 590, for Sint Maarten, it’s 599.

Money Matters

The official currency of Dutch Sint Maarten is the Netherlands Antilles florin, or guilder, (NAF). On the French side, the official currency is the French franc (FF). Don't worry about exchange rates or looking for a currency exchange – US dollars are the common means of exchange. Most prices are marked in US dollars and change is given in American greenbacks.

Health

Water is safe to drink on both sides of the island, although bottled water is often served in restaurants.
Doctors are on call atmost island hotels and you'll find several pharmacies around the island (on the French side these aremarked with a large green cross). Both Marigot and Philipsburg have hospitals with English-speaking doctors.

In Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the new $2.5 million Captain Hodge Wharf can accommodate triple the number passengers of the former tender pier. It's the first step in a $60 million master improvement plan for the area.