Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Sint Maarten: when someone dies abroad
Non-resident, British Embassy, The Hague, Netherlands handles cases in Sint Maarten. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Sint Maarten before a body or ashes can leave the country. Consular staff will register the death with UK authorities, issue consular documents and give you a list of local funeral directors. They cannot meet any cost, arrange the repatriation, or authorise release of the body. If the person who died was not British, contact the embassy or consulate of their own country instead.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000Handling a death in Sint Maarten
British representation: Non-resident, British Embassy, The Hague, Netherlands
Authority that must release the body: Civil Registry of Sint Maarten; Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM, Korps Politie Sint Maarten)
Documentation language: Dutch, English
Dutch civil law jurisdiction. Non-resident British Embassy The Hague. Dutch/English documentation (certified English translation of Dutch documents required. Sint Maarten suffered major damage from Hurricane Irma (2017) but has largely recovered. The island shares a border with French Saint Martin) ensure the correct jurisdiction is confirmed. Direct KLM Amsterdam for UK connections.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, which covers Sint Maarten under the responsible post before a trip. The FCDO 24-hour line (+44 (0)20 7008 5000) is the most reliable point of contact in an emergency.
Contact details
British Embassy and consulates in Sint Maarten
What you need to know
What the British post in Sint Maarten can and cannot do
Non-resident, British Embassy, The Hague, Netherlands is the post that registers the death and can give you a list of local funeral directors. It cannot pay any repatriation cost, arrange the repatriation itself, release the body, or shorten a local timeline.
The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.
Death registration in Sint Maarten
The Embassy can register the death separately under UK law. This is optional and does not replace the local certificate, but some families find the UK death certificate useful for administrative purposes.
Typical timeline from Sint Maarten
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Sint Maarten cannot pay repatriation costs, funeral director fees, or any local charges, and cannot lend money to cover them.
They can give you a list of local funeral directors, contact next of kin, and help you reach an insurer. If there is no insurance and no family funds, they can explain what limited options exist.
What repatriation from Sint Maarten involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Sint Maarten?
We can take over the arrangements from wherever you are in the process, and bring your loved one home to the UK, Ireland or any other country. Send us the details and we will come back to you with a quote.