Lifestyle
Money in Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin: currency, US dollars and cards
The Dutch side uses the Caribbean guilder (Cg), fixed at US$1 = Cg 1.79, and the French side uses the euro. US dollars are widely used but are not legal tender on either side. Old Antillean guilders can now be exchanged only at the central bank.
By SXM Daily ·
Last checked: 13 October 2026
Next check: 13 April 2027
The island has two currencies. The Dutch side, Sint Maarten, uses the Caribbean guilder. The French side, Saint-Martin, uses the euro. US dollars are common on both sides, but they are not official money on either. Here is what that means when you pay, withdraw cash or have old guilders at home.
Dutch side (Sint Maarten)
Currency: the Caribbean guilder. Its symbol is Cg and its code is XCG. It has been legal tender in Sint Maarten and Curaçao since 31 March 2025, according to the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS).
Fixed rate to the US dollar. The CBCS sets the rate at US$1 = Cg 1.79. This is a fixed peg, so it does not move from day to day.
The old guilder is history. The Caribbean guilder replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder. The two circulated side by side for three months. Shops could take the old guilder in cash until 30 June 2025, and it stopped being legal tender on 1 July 2025. For exchange purposes, one old guilder is worth Cg 1.
Exchanging old guilders. Commercial banks exchanged the old notes and coins only until 31 March 2026. Since 1 April 2026, the CBCS is the only place that exchanges them, and it will keep doing so until 31 March 2055.
In Sint Maarten, CBCS cash transactions are by appointment only. Book by email at cashdepartment-sxm@centralbank.sx. The CBCS lists the Sint Maarten cash department's hours as 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bring ID that meets the CBCS's requirements. The bank also notes that large exchanges are subject to anti-money-laundering rules.
French side (Saint-Martin)
Currency: the euro. Under French law (Code monétaire et financier, article L712-1), legal tender in Saint-Martin is the same as in mainland France.
Same notes and coins. Saint-Martin uses the same euro notes and coins as mainland France and the rest of the euro area. IEDOM acts as the central bank for Saint-Martin on behalf of the Banque de France.
Exchange rates. The euro's rate against the US dollar and the guilder changes every day. Check a current rate before you change money; we don't print one here because it would quickly go out of date.
US dollars on both sides
US dollars are widely used across the island, but they are not legal tender in Sint Maarten or in Saint-Martin. Each business decides whether it accepts dollars and at what rate.
IEDOM, the French side's central bank body, noted in its 2022 annual report on Saint-Martin that US dollar notes circulated commonly across the island alongside each side's own currency. It estimated that in 2022 about one third of cash payments on the French side were made in US dollars. That figure dates from 2022 and may have changed since.
On the Dutch side, the fixed peg makes conversion simple: US$1 = Cg 1.79.
ATMs and cards
No official source we checked covers which currencies ATMs dispense today or where cards are accepted, so treat this section as general advice.
When the new currency launched, the CBCS said ATMs on the Dutch side would be gradually switched to Caribbean guilders from 31 March 2025. Beyond that, we can't point you to an official guide.
General advice: before you pay, ask which currency a price is in, and whether the business takes cards or US dollars. If you pay in dollars, ask what rate applies. Check card and withdrawal fees with your own bank.
Update, 14 October 2026: currency on both sides
Dutch side. The Caribbean guilder (symbol Cg, code XCG) has been legal tender in Sint Maarten and Curaçao since 31 March 2025, when it replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder, according to the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS). The CBCS pegs it at US$1 = Cg 1.79, and old guilders exchange for Caribbean guilders one for one. The old guilder stopped being legal tender on 1 July 2025. Commercial banks exchanged it until 31 March 2026; the CBCS will keep exchanging it until 31 March 2055.
French side. The euro notes and coins in circulation in the Collectivité de Saint-Martin are the same as in mainland France and the rest of the euro area, and shops must accept them, according to IEDOM. IEDOM acts as the central bank for Saint-Martin on behalf of the Banque de France (IEDOM activity report 2025).
US dollars. We only state how widely US dollars are used where an official source says so. IEDOM estimated that about a third of cash payments on the French side were made in US dollars; that figure comes from its 2022 report on Saint-Martin.
FAQ
Q: What currency is used on the Dutch side of St. Maarten?
A: The Caribbean guilder (Cg, code XCG). It has been legal tender since 31 March 2025.
Q: Can I still pay with Netherlands Antillean guilders?
A: No. The old guilder stopped being legal tender on 1 July 2025.
Q: What is the exchange rate between the US dollar and the Caribbean guilder?
A: The central bank fixes it at US$1 = Cg 1.79.
Q: Where can I exchange old Antillean guilders?
A: Only at the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS), until 31 March 2055. In Sint Maarten, book an appointment by email at cashdepartment-sxm@centralbank.sx.
Q: Can I exchange old guilders at a commercial bank?
A: No. Commercial banks stopped exchanging them after 31 March 2026.
Q: What currency is used on the French side (Saint-Martin)?
A: The euro, the same as in mainland France.
Q: Are US dollars accepted?
A: US dollars circulate widely on both sides, but they are not legal tender. Each business decides whether to accept them and at what rate.
Sources
- https://www.centralbank.cw/storage/app/media/press_releases_2025_1/PB2025-008%20Caribbean%20guilder%20legal%20tender%20EN.pdf
- https://www.centralbank.cw/index.php/functions/banknotes-coins/caribbean-guilder
- https://centralbank.cw/storage/app/media/caribbean_guilder/20250404_caribbean_guilder_introduction_flyer_english.pdf
- https://www.centralbank.cw/functions/banknotes-coins/caribbean-guilder/frequently-asked-questions
- https://centralbank.cw/functions/banknotes-coins
- https://stmaartennews.com/banking/naf-now-only-exchangeable-at-cbcs/
- https://www.721news.com/2026/03/transition-to-caribbean-guilder-successfully-completed-naf-now-only-exchangeable-at-cbcs/
- https://librejustice.fr/norm/fr/code-monetaire-et-financier/partie-legislative/livre-vii/titre-ii/chapitre-i
- https://www.iedom.fr/Synthese-annuelle-2024-10842
- https://www.iedom.fr/IMG/pdf/z251574_iedom_ra_24_bd_pap.pdf
- https://www.iedom.fr/IMG/rapport_annuel_iedom_st-martin_2022/files/basic-html/page132.html
- https://www.iedom.fr/Les-billets-et-pieces-en-euro
- https://www.iedom.fr/IMG/pdf/iedom_ra_25_bd_pap.pdf