# Caribbean Vacations Forums > St. Maarten/St. Martin Travel Forum >  >  sxm will require covid insurance by the end of the year

## didier

they announced this today.  its not into effect yet , but sxm will be requiring all visitors to have covid insurance before you can enter the island of st. maarten.

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## JEK

> they announced this today.  its not into effect yet , but sxm will be requiring all visitors to have covid insurance before you can enter the island of st. maarten.



What is COVID insurance exactly? I’m not familiar with the coverage.

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## didier

> What is COVID insurance exactly? I’m not familiar with the coverage.



me either,  perhaps its a rider attached to travel insurance?   it most likely will not be required of in transit travelers, but I don't know, they will put the official announcement out soon.

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## KevinS

SXM has been working on this for months.  It appears to be similar to the requirement which Aruba has imposed.  According to this article from The Daily Herald, it appears to be in addition to any insurance which someone might already have.

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/island...-by-year-s-end

*Visitor travel insurance scheme to be implemented by years end*

PHILIPSBURG--A  mandatory travel insurance scheme for international travellers to St.  Maarten will be implemented by years end, said Minister of Tourism,  Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ludmila de  Weever, during the live virtual Council of Ministers press briefing on  Wednesday.

This will be another addition to the countrys travel requirements, said De Weever, adding that a portal will be placed on www.stmaartenehas.com.

The cost will be US $30 for persons above 14 years old and $10 for  those younger than 14. The scheme will be valid for up to 180 days, and  covers the cost of quarantine, isolation, hospitalisation and even  medical evacuation. De Weever said more details would be disclosed in  the coming days.

She believes that the insurance scheme will be one of the best in the  region because, unlike Arubas scheme, it covers medical evacuation.

Including the possibility for medical evacuation is why it took so long  to introduce, said De Weever. We have to manage our limited medical  resources. This is why it is important for our largest group of visitors  to be able to get the access to be medically evacuated to the US  [United States  Ed.], should we reach our [healthcare] capacity, she  said.

Residents will be exempted from having to purchase the insurance, as  well as cruise and transit passengers, because this category of visitors  are on-island for less than 24 hours.

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## didier

don't you love the word scheme.

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## JEK

A tax

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## amyb

Scheme? Why not plan? Who translates these things?.

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## KevinS

In this context, think of the word "scheme" in British English, not US English.  Having once worked for a UK company, I was at first a bit surprised at the British usage.

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## JEK

We Americans tend to use it as a pejorative, but . . 

Screen Shot 2020-12-17 at 9.08.04 AM.jpg

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## Bart -my real name-

I wonder if the shakedown will continue if you have been vaccinated?

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