Alcohol regulations in Saint Martin (French part)

Licences needed

Customs authorization as an approved fiscal warehouse/distillery (statut d'entrepositaire agréé) and declaration of distillation equipment; ICPE (Installations Classées pour la Protection de l'Environnement) environmental filing.

Authority

Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI - Direction régionale de Guadeloupe) and Préfecture de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin / Collectivité de Saint-Martin

Documents

Commercial registration (Kbis), facility site plans, technical descriptions and capacity certificates of distillation equipment, security guarantee/financial bond, and environmental impact assessment.

Fees

No administrative fee for basic customs declaration; financial surety/bond required for customs status.

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Any legally registered commercial entity holding an active SIRET and EU Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number registered with French customs.

Licences or registrations

EORI number, registration with the Port of Galisbay customs bureau.

Authority

Direction régionale des douanes de Guadeloupe (Bureau de douane de Saint-Martin / Galisbay)

Documents

Single Administrative Document (DAU) / customs import manifest, commercial invoice, bill of lading (B/L) or airway bill, packing list, and health certificates if applicable.

Fees

No statutory import licence fee; port facility and stevedoring fees apply at Galisbay.

Time to obtain

2 to 5 business days for EORI issuance; import customs clearance usually completed upon vessel discharge.

Required

no

Process

Spirits do not require pre-market brand or label registration, formula approval, or label certification prior to importation and distribution. Compliance with EU and French consumer labeling regulations is verified via post-market surveillance.

Authority

Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF) / DAAF

Documents and samples

None required prior to import; technical product specification sheets and certificates of analysis must be retained by the importer.

Fees

None

Renewal

None

Time to obtain

None (immediate access upon customs arrival)

Commercial imports must enter via designated points of entry (Port de Commerce de Galisbay or Grand Case Airport). Under Article 2 of the EU Customs Code and the 1648 Treaty of Concordia heritage, Saint-Martin operates under a historic 'port franc' (free port) regime. No import quota or state import monopoly exists for spirits. Shipments are free of mainland excise stamps and fiscal strip stamps. If imported goods are subsequently transshipped or re-exported from Saint-Martin to mainland France or other French overseas departments (such as Guadeloupe or Martinique), they become fully subject to EU Common Customs Tariff duties, VAT, octroi de mer, and excise duties upon arrival.

0% (exempt under Saint-Martin's 'port franc' / free port status; EU Common Customs Tariff duties and dock dues / octroi de mer are not levied on imports into Saint-Martin).

Excise duty: 0 € (national French consumption/excise duties on alcohol under the Code général des impôts and social security surcharges do not apply locally). Sales tax: 4% TGCA (Taxe Générale sur la Consommation / Chiffre d'Affaires) levied by the Collectivité de Saint-Martin on local retail sales (VAT does not apply).

Private retail and on-premises sales. Retailers and bars must hold a relevant beverage licence under the French Public Health Code (Code de la santé publique): Licence IV (Grande licence) for on-premises consumption of spirits (Group 4 and 5 drinks), and Grande licence à emporter for off-premises retail/takeout of spirits. Operators must obtain an operating permit (permis d'exploitation) via accredited training and file an administrative declaration with the Préfecture/Collectivité at least 15 days before opening. Late-night takeout sales (22:00 to 08:00) require specific nighttime training, and operating hours are subject to municipal and prefectural closing orders.

Allowed with restrictions. Online vendors delivering within Saint-Martin must hold a 'licence à emporter', verify that the purchaser and recipient are 18 years of age or older, and adhere to local prefectural restrictions on nighttime alcohol sales and delivery.

Must comply with Regulation (EU) 2019/787 and Regulation (EU) 1169/2011. Mandatory information in French: legal designation of the spirit, nominal volume, alcoholic strength by volume (% vol), lot number, name and address of producer/bottler or EU importer, and indication of potential allergens. Must include the French mandatory pregnancy health warning pictogram (silhouette of a pregnant woman inside a crossed-out circle) or the statutory health warning statement ('La consommation de boissons alcoolisées pendant la grossesse...'). Excise tax stamps or strip stamps are not required.

Strictly restricted pursuant to the French Loi Évin (Code de la santé publique, Articles L. 3323-1 et seq.). Direct or indirect alcohol advertising is permitted only through legally enumerated channels (printed press for adults, broadcast radio outside youth hours, factual websites without interactive games/competitions). All ads must be limited to factual product attributes and must display the statutory warning message: 'L’abus d’alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération'. Under Article L. 3323-5-1, the Prefect of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin has specific authority to designate advertising-free perimeter zones around schools and youth facilities. Sponsorship of cultural or sports events by alcohol brands is prohibited.

Governed by Regulation (EU) 2019/787: minimum ABV requirements include Rum (37.5%), Whisky/Whiskey (40%), Vodka (37.5%), Gin (37.5%), Brandy (36%), and Neutral Alcohol (96%). Geographical Indications (e.g., Rhum des Antilles françaises, Rhum agricole) are protected.

No dry areas exist in the collectivity. However, statutory protection perimeters ('zones de protection') apply around schools, sports centres, hospitals, and youth facilities pursuant to the Code de la santé publique, within which new drinking establishments (Licence IV) may not be opened and alcohol advertising may be banned by prefectural decree.

• In January 2025, Decree No. 2025-38 established the Préfecture of Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin as a full-fledged State prefecture (préfecture de plein exercice), separating its administrative oversight from the Préfecture of Guadeloupe.
• Stepped-up joint enforcement between the Gendarmerie, French Customs, and the Préfecture targeting unlicensed late-night alcohol sales, illegal mobile drink vendors, and non-compliance with the 4% TGCA local indirect tax.

Saint-Martin presents an attractive entry point due to its duty-free 'port franc' status, eliminating customs duties and excise taxes on spirits imports into the territory. International premium spirits brands benefit from strong demand driven by international tourism and vibrant on-trade dining, though products must comply with standard French language and pregnancy warning labeling rules.

• Direction régionale des douanes de Guadeloupe (compétente pour Saint-Martin)
• Préfecture de Saint-Barthélemy et de Saint-Martin
• Collectivité de Saint-Martin (Direction de la Fiscalité)
• Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCCRF)

1. Portail de la Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects - Cas particuliers de l'île de Saint-Martin et de l'île de Saint-Barthélemy
2. Site de la Fiscalité de la Collectivité de Saint-Martin - Doing Business & Guide Fiscal
3. Les services de l'État à Saint-Barthélemy et à Saint-Martin - Préfecture et Recueil des Actes Administratifs
4. Légifrance - Code de la santé publique (Réglementation des débits de boissons, vente aux mineurs, Loi Évin)
5. Règlement (UE) 2019/787 du Parlement européen et du Conseil concernant la définition, la désignation, la présentation et l'étiquetage des boissons spiritueuses