Relocation intelligence
🇲🇫 Moving to St. Martin: tax, residency and cost of living
Saint-Martin (French side) is a French overseas collectivity with its own tax code. A progressive income tax does exist, but with local rules and lower progressivity than mainland France, with rates from 5.5% to 41%, with a 40% tax reduction (capped at EUR 6,700). Residents with five years of residency are fiscally domiciled here rather than in France. The currency is the euro and the island is an associated overseas country and territory (OCT) outside the EU VAT area. Residents are French citizens. The Caribbean island is lively but faces poverty, crime and hurricane vulnerability.
Thinking of moving to St. Martin? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.
Key facts
- Top income tax
- 41%
- Corporate tax
- 20%
- Capital gains
- 30%
- Wealth tax
- No
- Inheritance tax
- Yes
- Cost of living index
- 72
- Safety
- 5/10
- Internet quality
- 6/10
- Visa-free destinations
- 194
- Foreigners can own property
- Yes
- Residency in
- 6 months
- Citizenship in
- 5 years
Taxes
Own tax code with a progressive income tax from 5.5% to 41% and a 40% tax reduction (max EUR 6,700). No VAT on the island.
Residency and visas
Settling runs via French frameworks; after five years of residency the fiscal domicile shifts to Saint-Martin itself.
Property ownership
Foreigners can own real estate and the market is accessible, though hurricane risk and insurance costs weigh on value.
Cost of living and quality of life
Saint-Martin offers a Caribbean climate and French services, but faces poverty, higher crime and hurricane vulnerability.
Passport and mobility
Residents are French citizens and travel on a French passport, with visa-free access to about 194 destinations.
Why people move to St. Martin
Lower progressivity than France
The own tax code has a top rate of 41% with a generous tax reduction, more favorable than mainland France for higher incomes.
French passport and euro
Residents enjoy French citizenship, strong mobility and the stability of the euro in a Caribbean setting.
Honest trade-offs
- Saint-Martin kent armoede, een hogere criminaliteit en grote kwetsbaarheid voor orkanen, zoals de verwoesting door orkaan Irma in 2017.
- Anders dan Saint-Barthélemy heft Saint-Martin wel een progressieve inkomstenbelasting tot 41%, met een niet-belastingdrempel die lager ligt dan in Frankrijk.
- Als overzees gebied (LGO) staat Saint-Martin buiten het EU-btw-gebied, met een eigen wetboek en beperkte lokale administratie.
See how St. Martin scores for your situation
Get your personal Freedom Score and a full relocation comparison based on your income, family and goals.
Calculate my score