Persons whose residency permit has been approved for the first time or renewed must register this at the Civil Registry Department on Pond Island. Persons who have received permanent residency must also register at the aforementioned office.
Persons with legal residency are also allowed to get a St. Maarten Identification Card (ID) which is compulsory.
The ID card must be carried at all times. You can only get an ID card if you are officially registered. Most of the social services and utility companies require that you provide proof of registration and a St. Maarten ID card.
The residency permit which proves that the person has a legal right to remain on the island entails that you now meet the legal requirements to be registered in the basic administration.
Once a person receives a residency permit from Police Affairs/Immigration, you should register within five days at the Civil Registry Department.
Validity of St. Maarten Identification Cards is also tied to the residency permit. When the residency permit expires, the ID card becomes invalid.
For persons who have registered their residency permits in the past, these persons whose residence permit has been renewed also need to visit the Civil Registry Department to update their permit information. If adjustments are needed to the ID card, this would also be done at the same time.