Let's Talk Immigration (People and Pets)

Hi people.  I hope you are having a wonderful day :)  

Let's talk immigration...

When you purchase a vessel in a foreign country and plan to sail it around the world, immigration gets confusing.  It is even more confusing when the island is controlled by two separate countries, such is the case in St Maarten where half the island is Dutch and the other half is French.  Most who come to St Maarten fly into the Dutch side and either go to the French side or stay on the Dutch side, but SXM is the main airport and it is on the Dutch side.  Our boat is on the Dutch side, however we are staying in an Airbnb on the French side until we launch the boat.  Confused yet, because I am :)  Something important to note, there is free movement between both sides between people and goods.  Okay, so get this...

The Dutch side only allows a US person to stay for 30 days.  The French side allows a US person to stay for 90 days???  You also need a return ticket, so it will be a long customs conversation on Sunday I am sure.  If anyone knows what we will need, PLEASE email us.  I plan on bringing our "Bill of Sale" for the boat, and I have all contact info and the Airbnb address...am I missing something.  I hope it will not be too much of a hassle, but I fear already that it will...

Next, Pet Importing...

I think the USDA pet import is a scam.  Yep, I said it.  I'll lay out the process below and you make your own opinion, but to me...scam.  The below steps apply to many countries, but not all...I am only referring to St Martin since that is where we are going.  Okay...

1 - You have to get your dog cleared within 10 days of landing.  Not 14, not 11...10.

2 - To get your pet cleared, you need to go to the vet and get them to fill out the 20 pages of forms required for International travel.  Anything the pet does not have, you will need to get, such as flea and tick preventative, heart worm preventative, etc.  The total cost for the exam is about $50 and the cost for the International Paperwork is $80 (at our vet).  In addition, it took a good 1.5 - 2 hours.

All that is fine, I understand having to do that...here is where I have an issue:

3 - THEN you have to head right on over to Fed Ex and take the paperwork the vet just filled out and signed and OVERNIGHT it to USDA (since I am in NC the USDA is in Albany, NY) and on top of that, you have to purchase a prepaid return label so they can overnight it back to you AND write them a check for $38.  WHAT?!?!?  

WHY does the USDA have to validate a form for my pet that they do not even look at??  Think about it, it makes zero sense.  You end up spending over $100 for the USDA to sign a document?  Seriously USDA, I call bullsh*t!  I can only imagine the USDA telling other countries that they need to be the final approval, just so they can keep government employees employed.  Ridiculous.

4 - 24 hours upon landing in the country, you have to take your pet to a vet in St Maarten to get them examined...AGAIN.  

There HAS to be a more efficient and/or better way to do this people.  

So, those two elements are what we have been working through over the past 2 days.  Sunday cannot come soon enough....

Renn