PHILIPSBURG--Persons of the same sex who tie the knot and comply with the necessary documentation can register their marriages in St. Maarten as is the case in the Dutch Kingdom and EU countries.
Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina gave clarity on the matter on Wednesday in response to a question from former Member of Parliament (MP) Grisha Heyliger-Marten, who asked how same-sex marriages were registered in the country.
The question was asked in a meeting of Parliament’s Committee of General Affairs in November last year. Mercelina returned to Parliament on Wednesday to provide his answers. “When individuals are married in the Dutch Kingdom or EU countries, the Department of the Civil Registry registers the submitted request once all required documents, including the D79 [immigration interview – Ed.], are in order,” he explained.
The system in place is designed to accommodate all marriages, including those of same-sex couples. “The system is compatible with registering same-sex marriages,” he added.
