TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin rt-PCR test

My husband and I are coming to St. Maarten early March for the first time since 2017. Our son and his family are joining us. They will need to have the required rt-PCR test. Trying to understand if the required covid test is a rapid test or one that takes 48 hrs. to get results. The EHSA form requires test 48 hrs. before departure. Many clinics and urgent cares are taking 48-72 hours to get results which would not be enough time to get result and complete the application. Some of you stated you used the Walgreens or CVS test. Are those rapid tests and do they give you lab info and swab source as required on the application form? Thank you so much for your comments and clarification.

If you have a Walgreens or Urgent Care office near you that is using the IDNow test, that test is a PCR test that is accepted by EHAS and the results are usually returned in 30 minutes to 2 hours( IDNow is a rapid PCR test). This test qualifies for the 48 hour submission.

The rapid Antigen test is offered in many places CVS, Walgreens, state testing sites etc and those tests usually give results in less than 30 minutes. These test qualify under the 24 hour submission.

Both of the solutions above should allow for plenty of time to get your results and submit to EHAS and get your pre-approval. Scheduling is important, don't schedule test at 6pm when you are scheduled to fly the next morning at 9am.

Both Walgreens and CVS will give you results that meet the requirements of EHAS. I recommend printing out a hard copy and saving a digital copy of the PDF results on your phone.

I hope this helps and any clarifications just ask.

bdeeley has given you good information. Just make sure that you go to the Walgreens and/or CVS and ask in person if they have the IDNow test. Last November, before the testing requirements were changed, we relied on the website stating that the test was available at our local Walgreens, and found out that it was not. Fortunately, the vaccine was accepted before we traveled, so it worked out fine for us.

Our first leg flight to FLL takes off at 6am CT. Our second leg flight from FLL to SXM is set to takeoff at 11:55am ET. I have scheduled our rapid Antigen tests for 22.5 hours prior to the stepping foot on that SECOND leg from FLL to SXM. Since it is a literal "24 hours" and not "1 day," is this correct?

Departure from the USA is the starting point of the 24 hours so 1155a.... any time AFTER that on the day prior

Is the IDNow given at Walgreens a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test?
Does it fall under the 48 hr testing time frame or the 24 hr time frame?
We are both double vaxed with no booster.

Thanks for your help!

Oops....I was thinking of the return to the USA test requirements,,,,I am vaxxed so no test needed to arrive in SXM

Sorry for my confusion

The Walgreens IdNow is an rt-pcr test and meets the requirements for arrival in SXM

Thank you! So does it meet the 48 hrs testing time frame? I don't want to get tested too soon and be denied.

The Walgreen's test is a PCR test, so it's 48 hours.

That's great! Thanks for the clarification.

Yes