Government Building in The Bottom
~ Reduced quarantine time, increased connectivity ~
SABA--Saba’s entry policy will change, whereby the mandatory 10-day quarantine measure will be lifted, and the connectivity to the island will be increased as of May 1.
In the new phase, fully-vaccinated persons do not have to quarantine, while for non-vaccinated persons the quarantine period is reduced to five days. More flights will become available on Windward Islands Airways (Winair), and The Edge is planning a new schedule, re-establishing the ferry service between St. Maarten and Saba.
With 85 per cent of the adult population vaccinated against COVID-19, Saba is moving from a containment strategy to a mitigation strategy with a new entry policy and new on-island measures per May 1.
Island Governor Jonathan Johnson sent a letter to the local hospitality sector on Friday, April 16, to update the entrepreneurs. A stimulus package has been created to assist the hotels, dive shops and taxi drivers, in preparing to welcome more visitors to the island. Other elements of the stimulus package include endeavours that enhance Saba’s tourism product, funding for promotion and incentives to improve connectivity.
On May 1, Winair will start a new flight schedule between St. Maarten and Saba. Flights will be carried out on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. There will be two flights per day, in the morning and late afternoon. The Edge is planning to resume ferry service between St. Maarten and Saba. The preliminary schedule is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and twice monthly on Monday.
The risk categorisation policy has been updated with the addition of a new category: banned countries. Travellers from banned countries are not permitted to enter the island unless they are Saba residents. Banned countries are designated by Dutch Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport VWS, based on the widespread circulation of variants of the coronavirus. A link to the updated list of banned countries will on the COVID-19 page of the www.sabagov.nl website. Also on this website, people can find the list of low-risk countries and high-risk countries.
Different measures will be implemented depending on the risk categorisation and the vaccination status of the traveller. Fully-vaccinated persons from a high-risk country will not have to quarantine, but they will need to show a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result, not older than 72 hours before arrival. Non-vaccinated persons from a high-risk country will need to show a negative PCR or antigen test result, quarantine for five days and do a rapid antigen test on day five. There will be no measures for fully-vaccinated and non-vaccinated adults from low-risk countries.
Only fully-vaccinated persons can come to Saba for the day. These so-called day-trippers will need to show a negative test result, and secure approval before travel.
All travellers coming to Saba will continue to require obtaining approval before arrival. For now, approval can be requested at least 72 hours before arrival through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
After May 1, a new automated approval system will be introduced, similar to the Electronic Health Authorisation System (EHAS) system used by St. Maarten, whereby passengers will submit a digital application within 72 hours of their arrival on Saba.
Under the EHAS system, applicants will receive automatic response immediately, followed by an approval letter within 24 hours.
A new central testing location in The Bottom will open per May 1 for travellers who need testing before departure, or persons who need testing at the end of their five-day quarantine. The testing location will be open from Tuesday through Sunday, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. The cost of a rapid antigen test will be US $50 and $75 for a PCR test.
The Public Entity Saba is organising a town hall meeting this Wednesday, April 21, where the community will receive an update on the plans of the new reopening phase per May 1. Addressed will be the new entry process, the new entry policy, the measures on the island and the continuation of healthcare.
The town hall meeting will take place at Princess Juliana Sports Field in The Bottom, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.
