Opening a business bank account in Suriname

For a business account you usually need a KKF extract, valid ID for everyone who signs, the articles of association (for an NV or foundation), a UBO declaration and a first deposit. Under the anti-money laundering act (WMTF) the bank must know who is behind the company and where the money comes from. The more complete your file, the faster it goes.

On this page (14)

• Arrange first
• Documents per legal form
• UBO declaration and due diligence
• Foreign shareholders and directors
• SRD, USD and EUR
• The banks
• Fees: what to ask about
• Timeline and steps
• Internet banking, POS and mobile payments
• Depositing cash
• What if the bank refuses you?
• What gets an account stuck
• Sources
• Frequently asked questions

Arrange first

1. Register with the KKF. You get an extract (uittreksel) from the trade register. Most banks want an extract no older than 1 to 3 months. See Start a business.
2. Business licence. Only if your activity requires one. See Business licences.
3. Tax office (Belastingdienst). A FIN number for your business. Above SRD 1,000,000 turnover a year also VAT registration: VAT in Suriname.
4. Business address. A lease or title deed. The bank may check the address.

Documents per legal form

This is what banks ask for on their own sites (October 2026). Each bank has its own forms and may ask for more.

Legal form	Usual documents
Sole trader (eenmanszaak)	Owner's ID, KKF extract, business licence (if required), sometimes a CBB extract (civil registry) or, for foreigners, the residence permit
General partnership (openbare vennootschap, formerly VOF)	As for a sole trader, for each partner, plus the private or notarial partnership deed
NV (limited company)	Articles or deed of incorporation, shareholder list, ID of directors, supervisory directors and shareholders, UBO declaration, signing authority rules, annual accounts or forecast
Foundation (stichting)	Articles, register extract, ID of board members and signatories, UBO declaration, annual report
Branch of a foreign company	KKF registration of the branch, articles and register extract of the parent with translation, structure chart up to the natural persons, ID of the local manager

What almost every bank asks for

• Completed and signed application form and KYC questionnaire
• Valid ID (ID card, passport or driving licence; a passport for foreigners)
• Recent KKF extract
• UBO declaration
• Power of attorney (procuratie): who may sign and up to what amount
• Statement of business activities, expected turnover and source of the starting capital
• A first deposit. On bank websites in October 2026 this ranged from SRD 150 to SRD 1,000, or USD/EUR 100 to 250

Older articles may still mention bearer shares. These were abolished in 2016 (S.B. 2016 no. 103); shares not converted became registered shares by law in 2019. The bank wants to see who the shareholders are.

UBO declaration and due diligence

Since 2022 the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act applies (WMTF, S.B. 2022 no. 138). It replaced the Unusual Transactions Reporting Act (Wet MOT) and the Identification Act for Service Providers. The WMTF was tightened in August 2024. What this means for you:

• UBO. The ultimate beneficial owner is the natural person who owns or controls your business. With a chain of companies the bank goes all the way to the natural person at the end.
• Risk profile. The bank builds a profile of the business and the UBO. Higher risks (cash, gold, foreign structures, politically exposed persons) mean more questions and more evidence.
• No account without due diligence. If the bank cannot complete due diligence, it may not open an account. If it later turns out the information no longer holds, it must end the relationship (article 9).
• Record keeping. Banks keep your data for at least seven years after the relationship ends.
• Keep it current. Report changes in directors, shareholders or address straight away, to the KKF as well.

Foreign shareholders and directors

Foreigners can open an account without restriction, but they need to supply more documents.

• Passport of every director, signatory and UBO
• Proof of home address abroad (for example a recent utility bill or bank statement)
• For a foreign corporate shareholder: register extract, articles and share register, legalised and translated if not in Dutch or English
• Source of funds: statements of the account the capital comes from, the parent's annual accounts or a sale deed
• For a director living in Suriname: residence permit and, if needed, work permit. See Work and residence permits
• For US citizens and US taxpayers: FATCA forms

If a director must sign from abroad, ask beforehand whether the bank accepts a power of attorney and whether signatures need legalisation. If you invest as a foreigner, also read Investing in Suriname.

SRD, USD and EUR

• Banks offer business accounts in SRD, USD and EUR. Many businesses hold two or three: SRD for local costs and wages, USD or EUR for imports, exports and buffers.
• Domestic transfers in SRD and USD run through SNEPS, the national payment system of the Central Bank and the banks. EUR payments and transfers abroad go by international (SWIFT) transfer and cost more.
• Exporters must bring export proceeds in through a local bank and sell at least 35% to a local bank within three working days (General Decision no. 228 of the Foreign Exchange Commission, since 17 August 2026). See Exporting from Suriname.
• Currency exchange is at your bank's rate. Compare with the Exchange rates today. A wide gap between buying and selling rates is also a cost.
• Cheques no longer exist: banks abolished them from 1 August 2020.

The banks

These are the banks that are members of the Suriname Bankers Association (Surinaamse Bankiersvereniging), in alphabetical order. We give no preference or ranking. The Central Bank of Suriname supervises the banks and publishes the official register.

Bank	Business page
De Surinaamsche Bank (DSB)	dsb.sr
Finabank	finabanknv.com
GODO Bank	godobanknv.com
Hakrinbank	hakrinbank.com
Republic Bank Suriname	republicbanksr.com
SCB Bank (Surichange Bank)	scbbank.sr
Southern Commercial Bank (SCOM)	scombank.sr
Surinaamse Postspaarbank (SPSB)	spsbbank.sr
Trustbank Amanah	trustbankamanah.com
Volkscredietbank (VCB)	vcbbank.sr

The National Development Bank (NOB) is also a member of the bankers' association; it focuses on development finance. For loans and credit: Business financing and Loan calculator.

Fees: what to ask about

Fees change and differ per bank and per package. Ask for a current fee schedule and compare on your expected use, not just the monthly price.

• Monthly account fees per currency, and the minimum balance
• First deposit
• Fees per domestic transfer, per salary payment and per bulk file
• Fees for foreign transfers, incoming and outgoing, plus correspondent bank charges
• Fees for cash deposits, especially in USD and EUR
• Debit card and withdrawal fees. According to the bankers' association a withdrawal at another bank's ATM costs SRD 5 and at your own bank SRD 2.50 to SRD 5 (rate since 15 November 2021)
• Internet banking: cost per user, token or app, and limits per user
• POS terminal: rent, set-up fee and commission per transaction, and how fast the money reaches your account
• Exchange rate spread when converting between SRD, USD and EUR
• Fees for bank reference letters, bank guarantees and statements

Timeline and steps

1. Get the list. Call or email the bank, or check its business page. Ask about fees as well.
2. Build the file. Mind validity: KKF and CBB extracts are often only accepted for 1 to 6 months.
3. Submit. At a branch, by email or online, depending on the bank. Some banks want to see all signatories in person.
4. Answer follow-up questions quickly. Due diligence takes up most of the time.
5. Activate. First deposit, debit card, internet banking and, if needed, a POS terminal.

Banks do not publish a fixed processing time. A simple sole trader with a complete file goes faster than an NV with foreign shareholders. Ask when you submit how long it will take and who your contact is.

Internet banking, POS and mobile payments

• Business internet banking. Ask for multiple users with their own limits, dual approval (one enters, another approves), bulk payments for salaries and statement downloads for your bookkeeping.
• POS (card terminal). Customers pay with their debit card. The bankers' association reported that customers can pay up to SRD 100,000 a day by card; limits differ per bank and per card. Ask whether the terminal also takes credit cards.
• Mobile and QR payments. Banks and payment companies offer wallets and QR payments. Choose what your customers use; you can offer more than one.
• Payment links and online sales. Ask about e-commerce or payment links if you sell online.

Make invoices with your account numbers on them: Invoice generator. For a QR code with your payment details: QR code generator.

Depositing cash

• Banks must report unusual transactions to FIU Suriname. For banks the objective reporting threshold is USD 10,000 or the equivalent; those reports go to the FIU within 14 days. The bank also reports anything it finds suspicious, whatever the amount.
• For a one-off transaction from USD 15,000 the bank does due diligence, even if you are not a regular customer.
• If you cannot show where a large cash deposit comes from, the bank can refuse it or end the relationship.
• Keep proof: receipts, cash book, sales invoices and Z reports. Count your till with the Cash counter.
• Do not split deposits on purpose to stay under the threshold. That in itself is a reason to report.
• Ask about fees for USD and EUR cash deposits; they can be higher than for SRD.

What if the bank refuses you?

1. Ask what is missing. Often it is an expired extract, an unclear UBO or insufficient proof of source of funds.
2. Complete and reapply. An accountant can prepare a forecast or statement of assets the bank will accept.
3. Use the bank's complaints procedure if you think you were wrongly refused. Ask for a written response.
4. Try another bank. Each bank makes its own risk assessment.

A bank cannot always explain why it refuses: if a report has been made to the FIU, it may not tell the customer. The Central Bank of Suriname supervises the banks.

What gets an account stuck

• Receiving business income into a personal account. It complicates your bookkeeping and tax return and can raise questions at the bank. See Bookkeeping and invoices.
• Bringing a KKF extract that is too old.
• A UBO declaration that does not match the share register.
• No proof of where the starting capital came from.
• Looking only at the monthly price and forgetting the cost of foreign transfers and USD cash.
• Not reporting changes in directors or signing authority, so payments get stuck.
• One user with full rights in internet banking. Use dual approval.

Cash flow planner · Unpaid invoices tracker · Government offices and contacts

Sources

• WMTF, S.B. 2022 no. 138 (FIU Suriname)
• FIU Suriname: reporting guideline (July 2025)
• Suriname Bankers Association: members
• SBV: phasing out cheques and SNEPS
• SBV: ATM withdrawal fees
• SBV: POS limits raised
• Finabank: business account requirements
• Trustbank Amanah: business current account
• VCB: business current account
• U.S. Department of State: 2026 Investment Climate Statement Suriname
• Frielink: new Book 2 Civil Code Suriname (bearer shares)
• RVO: how to start a business in Suriname

Checked on 21 October 2026. General information; the bank decides which documents are needed. This site is independent and does not recommend any bank.