TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Best and/or cheapest place for exit test for back to USA?

Any recommendations on where to go on Dutch side for either easiest (like quick or no appointment) or cheap or free exit test?

Does everywhere require an appointment? Does everywhere cost money?

Everywhere on the Dutch side costs money, yes. And frankly, you don't WANT a place that has no appointments, as then you wait in line, usually in the sun, wasting valuable vacation time. As far as I know, the places that do tests on the Dutch side are listed in the link in the very first post, pinned to the top of the forum. We used Medworks and it was extremely prompt and (fairly) painless. Unless the US drops it's testing requirements, that's where we will go back to in October.

$ 45.00 at the French Pharmacy in Bellevue.

We went to Sun Pharmacie in Marigot. $40 each. First checked in at the store about 9:30. Told to go to metal door down the street at 11:00. They give you a number. It gave us some time to go to Marigot market and get souvenirs for the grandkids. The metal door seriously leads into what looks like a dumpster area with a little tent. They start calling numbers and testing at 10:00. Returned about 10:45. Waited in line in sun until our numbers (59 & 60) were called. They swab, tell you to come back in 20 min. You get a paper that you then take back to pharmacy and they print results. We were done by about 11:45.

Would I do this again? Yes, but I would arrive at Sun Pharmacie at 8:00 when they open to have one of the first numbers, go to breakfast, and then return at 10:00 for test.

We used Medworks in Simpson Bay also at tge suggestion of my daughter who uses them all the time, and while they were more expensive, we booked from home before getting to the island and will definitely use them again next trip. We showed up at the reserved appointed time and were taken immediately with the tests done and results ready within an hour and a half in printed format. EZ PZ. Worth the money not having to wait around in the hot sun.

If your staying at Royal Palm, Atrium, Simpson Bay Resort, Flamingo or La Vista you can get test done without Appt next to Hollywood casino between 5pm - 7pm. Results at your resort Front Desk at 9pm same day. Cost is $75.

Scubaman--which is MORE than the tests at Medwork, where you can get an appointment, and you get your test result back in under an hour. How long do people wait in line there?

We got ours at SLS. St Martin Lab Services. 1 Street away from hospital. Hamster Dr. Dental clinic sign on corner. Made appt. $65. Very smooth.

We used Maho Resort next to Royal Islander where we were staying . Sign up the day before you want the test and time. Short wait. $60.00 each person.

Bluesfan--someone else here reported that they had to wait like two hours in line at SLS, even though they had an appointment. Did you wait?

We got there at 4:50 and was done with testing at 5:15. Picked up results at Flamingo front desk at 9. No parking, just a short walk. All about convenience.

SLS test: No. We made appt for 1pm and walked right in. With interview and injection it took about 45 min. Got email results by 4pm. This was around June 16.

OK

Thanks Kennys. We did this at Bellevue. Drive over day before and book a one hour test window for future day inside the pharmacy at the desk. I suppose it might be possible to call if you dont have a language issue on the phone. They give you a form to fill out and bring back. When you come back you go to courtyard behind pharmacy and give them your form and ID and they give you a new piece of paper with a number. They call your number, swab you and you wait 30 minutes or less for answer and you pay $45 card or cash and you get piece of paper suitable for travel if negative. Make sure they spell your name correctly and results paper in English.

Monoprix store and little restaurant right next door while you wait. Park n the Monoprix parking lot off Rue du Hollande.

Easy peasy if you are near the causeway on Dutch side.

Still sounds like a lot of work to me. Two trips to the French side, not sure how much time overall, and you saved $50 over what we paid, for two people. Maybe we'll be lucky and not have to test upon our return in October. If we do, we will go back to Medwork.

We were over there anyway and made the appointment. No traffic either time. So with the group we saved $300.

OK, forgot you had a big group. Makes a lot more sense.

With making the appointment from home for Medworks, do you happen to have the contact info on how to do that? Thank you.

Thank you for that site. And for getting back into the US, it's the antigen test, not the PCR or any other? Thank you!

Best and/or cheapest with ANYTHING does not usually go hand in hand.

Antigen test is all you need, very quick took us less than 5 mins to be tested, results by email in about an hour, if you want a print out, recommended, just go back during opening times and they print it out for you.

Antigen or PCR test are both acceptable to get back into the US. Antigen is cheaper and quicker.

I will be bringing these with me in October, and doing it this way.

https://www.veritasgenetics.com/covid-19-travelsafe/

Thank you, everyone!

This looks like a great option - 2 tests for $100 - has anyone else used Veritas for returning to US?

We did the Antigen test at the Pharmacy in Hope Estates. $40 each

We’re going to be using the Veritas tests this week 🤞

We did our Veritas Genetics rapid antigens tests in our hotel room this morning. The procedure was observed via Zoom for 2 adults and 2 kids. End to end took less than 15 minutes to complete and have the results read. Certification of results in PDF form was in my inbox is less than an hour. Send those off to Verifly (American Airlines partner) and they were accepted. Overall great experience, $150 to test four people and no lines or anything. I’ll update this thread of there are any problems getting home, but definitely glad we went this route. Divi “ran out of test kits” yesterday so we would have had to venture out to find tests 😬

Be sure and print out those results as they will want to see it at airport check-in.

Sorry, what's the purpose of this Verifly? In St. Maarten, you will still have to stand in line at the airport, I think..

Thanks for the feedback on your testing.

Honestly I don’t know if Verifly gains us anything in SXM but AA sent us an email to do it. Maybe it’ll let us check in online I don’t know. But yes we also have everything printed out (which Verifly also tells you to do).

At some airports (not SXM) Verifly let’s you skip the whole verification part at the airport.

OK, do post an update as to your actual experience on checking in and at the airport.

Really? We got our tests in our room at Les Balcons; they arranged for a nurse to come in to do the tests. 40 euro each.

Nobody ever checked the test results in Saint Martin or upon entry to the US. JetBlue had us sign a doc that stipulated that we had the tests and the results were negative.

Harry--AA definitely checked ours in SXM. They had people going through the HUGE check in line to verify test results, AND they checked them again at the counter. No one checked them in Miami though.

Thank you for updating, I ordered from Veritas this week for my wife and I. Let us know if the airline had any issues. Thank you!

We just made appts. @ Bellevue pharmacie for tomorrow 10 AM - $47 pp.

Same here.

After being verified by Verifly we were able to checkin online for our AA flight and get mobile boarding passes.

OK, checking in online is good. I assume you haven't left yet? Hopefully if most people are able to check in online, then there will be a line just to check bags, and that will greatly lessen the lines at check in at the airport. Please post another update when you can.