Richards urges residents: Stick to
rules for re-entry permit requests
PHILIPSBURG--A general notice has been issued by Local Chief of Police Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards to residents of St. Maarten who require re-entry permits when travelling abroad with intent to return.
Richards is recommending strict adherence to the rules, especially by non-nationals leaving St. Maarten for travel abroad. In his statement issued Thursday, Richards said it was the government of the island territory that issued re-entry permits, with the actual processing of such realised by the Immigration Department, based on specific conditions.
He said, “Those conditions are based on legal regulations and the decree on Admittance (toelatingsbesluit, P.B. 1985 No. 57) as stated in article 8, section 1, sub 1. The law states that a re-entry permit can be issued to persons, on their request, who are travelling abroad and who reside here legally.”
An important stipulation is that the person is in possession of valid documents. Those eligible to request and receive a re-entry permits are non-nationals who reside in St. Maarten with a residence permit for an indefinite period, those with temporary residence permits for an indefinite period, those with temporary residence permits and those with pending decisions on their requests for extension of their residence permits.
To receive a re-entry permit, the person to which the document is issued must have a valid ID such as a passport or ID card, a valid residence permit or a declaration act of guarantee, a NAf. 10 guilder stamp obtained at the Federal Receiver’s Office and a recent passport photo.
It is not necessary to present a letter from the person’s employer to the Immigration Department to obtain a re-entry permit. The re-entry permit is issued after the Immigration Department has verified that the person has met all the requirements.
Based on recent correspondence from the Minister of Justice addressed to Governors of the various island territories, a re-entry permit issued for visa purposes (visa request to travel to Holland) should be valid for three months after the date of return to the island.
Richards said, “This would mean that the Immigration Department would take into consideration the date of return to the island when preparing the re-entry permit.”
Requests for re-entry permits that meet these requirements should be finalised within one week. The re-entry permit can be requested and collected at the Immigration Department at the police station in Philipsburg.
