Company registration
All employers are required by law (in accordance to the Sickness Insurance and Accident Insurance Ordinances) to register at SZV. You qualify as an employer, if you employ one (1) or more persons, meaning that they work for you and receive wages. There are two possibilities for employing persons:
- You are established in Sint Maarten and your employees work for you in Sint Maarten
- You are established in Sint Maarten and your employees work for you outside of Sint Maarten
- You are a foreign company but have employees work for you in Sint Maarten
An employer can be a natural person (such as an individual, called a sole proprietor), or a legal entity (such as a corporation, an N.V. or a B.V.)
Who
The director, or in case of a sole proprietorship, the owner, of the company can do the registration personally or he/she can authorize someone to perform this task.
Authorization is done by submitting a letter stating the name and date of birth of the person being authorized (note: other information can also be requested if an accountant is authorized for example). This letter should also include the level to which the person is authorized to act on behalf of the director and a copy of the director's valid identification document. This can be: a valid Sint Maarten ID card, a valid driver’s license or, a valid passport.
Please note:
The authorization letter cannot be emailed or faxed. The original authorization letter needs to be submitted at SZV.
Procedure
- Make an appointment with SZV
- Bring along all the required documents to process the registration
What to bring
If you are registering a Sole Proprietorship, a Foundation, a Cooperation or Limited Liability or a Limited Private Company (NV or BV), you need to bring the following documents:
- An excerpt of the sole proprietorship, foundation or company from the Registry of the Chamber of Commerce (not older than 6 months).
- The articles of Incorporation (note: this is not applicable to the sole proprietorship).
- A statement from the Inspectorate of Taxes, including your company name, address and crib number; the sole proprietorship has to submit an Income Tax statement from the Inspectorate of Taxes which includes the business address and crib number of the sole proprietor.
- A copy of the director(s) or sole proprietor’s valid identification document. This can be: a valid Sint Maarten ID card, a valid driver’s license or, a valid passport.
- If the sole proprietor is not an Antillean born Dutch person, a copy of the business license.
- The company’s/sole proprietor’s bank used and the account number
- If applicable, the original authorization letter for someone else representing the company at SZV.
- If applicable, the mutation (white) form with your first list of employees including a copy of their valid identification document. This can be: a valid Sint Maarten ID card, a valid driver’s license or, a valid passport.
FAQ’s
Can I register my company online?
No, you must make an appointment to come in personally so that the registration can be properly processed.
Can I submit a certified copy of the notarial deed of my company?
Yes, but make sure that the copy is certified (signed and stamped by the notary).
Why are my employees insured and not myself as a sole-proprietor?
The Sickness Insurance Ordinance as well as the Accident Ordinance specifically states that a sole proprietor and his/her spouse are not covered under these Ordinances.
