Business trip to Suriname: entry, flights, money and meetings

For a business trip to Suriname you arrange three things online before you fly: your entry (a business e-visa, or the entry fee if you come only as a visitor), the free ICF form with its QR code, and a passport valid for at least 6 more months. Bring USD or EUR in cash, because ATMs sometimes run dry and not every shop takes a foreign card. Book meetings in the morning: government offices close early.

Entry fee

USD/EUR 50

since 15 May 2024, was 25

Passport

6 months

minimum validity on arrival

Time zone

UTC-3

no daylight saving; 4 hours behind the Netherlands in winter, 5 in summer

On this page (19)

Visa or entry fee: what do you need?
ICF, passport and vaccination record
Flights and airports
From the airport to town
Money: cash, cards and exchange
Phone and internet
Getting around
Choosing a hotel for business
Business culture and meetings
Opening hours and public holidays
Safety
Health
Samples, demo equipment and laptops
Practical: climate, power and time
Sample programme: a fact-finding week
Checklist before you leave
What if...
Sources
Frequently asked questions

In short

Entry: if your nationality is on the entry fee list and you come as a visitor, you pay USD or EUR 50 through VFS Global. If you come on business (meetings, negotiations, a trade fair), the Dutch and US governments tell travellers to get a business e-visa through the same portal. Working is something else: that needs a work permit.
ICF: every traveller aged 18 or over fills in the free Immigration Customs Form at icf.sr before arrival and before departure. Without the QR code the airline will not board you.
Yellow fever: vaccination is recommended, and compulsory if you arrive from a yellow fever country (including a transit of more than 12 hours there).
Money: the SRD traded around 37.5 to 37.8 per USD in late October 2026. Change money at a bank or licensed exchange office, never on the street.
Driving: on the left. A Dutch licence is valid for 14 days; after that, and at many rental firms from day one, you need an International Driving Permit.
Samples: Suriname does not accept ATA carnets. Temporary import of demo goods works with a deposit equal to the import duties.

Visa or entry fee: what do you need?

Suriname scrapped visas for most countries in July 2022 and introduced an entry fee of USD or EUR 25. Since 15 January 2024 it must be paid online in advance, and on 15 May 2024 the rate went up to USD 50 or EUR 50. On 1 May 2023 visas came back for 21 countries, including India, Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, Egypt, Cuba and Venezuela. Everything runs through the VFS Global portal.

The entry fee is meant for tourism and family visits. The VFS portal also has a separate Business category for "business activity, meetings and conferences". The Dutch government's travel advice (October 2026) says you need a visa for business, and the US government says the same. So pick the business category if you come to discuss contracts, a branch or an investment. A business visa does not allow you to work; anyone taking a job in Suriname needs a work and residence permit.

Your situation	What you arrange	Watch out
Business trip, nationality on the VFS list (incl. Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, US, China)	Business e-visa through VFS Global, plus ICF	Fee per the VFS fee list; not refunded if refused
Short visit, tourism or family	Entry fee USD/EUR 50 (single or multiple), plus ICF	Multiple: up to 5 entries within 3 months
Nationality that needs a visa (21 countries)	E-visa in the right category	Haitians are not issued visas
CARICOM passport, PSA document or card, resident	No entry fee; ICF still required	CARICOM: an MKV for longer stays
Brazil, Colombia, Japan	Visa-exempt for all passports according to VFS; check the category for business	The list changes often
You will work in Suriname	MKV, residence and work permit	Work and residence permits

New in 2026: citizens of the Dominican Republic holding a valid Schengen or US visa can enter on the entry fee since 1 September 2026. The list changes, so check the VFS portal just before you book. Transit passengers who do not leave the airport need no visa.

The entry fee is per person. If you travel with colleagues, each pays separately. Keep the receipt on your phone: you show it at check-in and on arrival.

ICF, passport and vaccination record

Immigration Customs Form (ICF): compulsory since 15 January 2025 for everyone aged 18 or over, on arrival and on departure. The form at icf.sr opens 7 days before your trip and gives you a QR code. Take a screenshot.
Passport: valid for at least 6 more months on arrival, with a blank page for stamps.
Yellow fever: bring your yellow vaccination booklet if you come from a yellow fever country or transit there for more than 12 hours. The shot must be given at least 10 days before arrival.
Children: if you travel alone with a minor, bring a birth certificate or other proof of the relationship, and, where needed, a consent letter from the other parent.

Flights and airports

International flights land at Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM) at Zanderij, 45 km south of Paramaribo. In 2025 it handled 519,171 international passengers (arrivals and departures), 6% more than in 2024.

From	Airline	Note
Amsterdam	KLM, Surinam Airways (SLM)	About 24 arrivals a month
Miami	SLM	Via Georgetown since May 2026, no longer via Curaçao
Panama City	Copa Airlines	Connections across the Americas
Belém	SLM, Gol	Link to Brazil
Georgetown	SLM, Fly Allways, Sky High	Partly seasonal
Curaçao, Aruba	SLM	Year-round
Port of Spain, Santo Domingo, Kingston	Caribbean Airlines, Sky High, Fly Allways	Regional links

As of October 2026; schedules change by season. Check-in for Amsterdam opens 5 hours and closes 2 hours before departure; for regional flights it opens 3 hours before. The airport offers a paid Airport Courtesy Service to escort you on arrival and departure (book with name, passport number and flight details).

Zorg en Hoop is the small airfield inside Paramaribo. Domestic flights leave from there, for example to lodges and mining areas. Note: the European Commission has put all Surinamese airlines on the EU Air Safety List. According to the Dutch government SLM's transatlantic flights are not affected, but domestic and regional flights are. Companies with a European travel policy may need approval first.

From the airport to town

Allow about an hour's drive to Paramaribo, more at rush hour or in rain. Most flights from Europe land in the afternoon, regional ones often in the evening or at night. Your options:

Pick-up by your hotel or business partner: the safest choice if you arrive after dark. Ask for the driver's name and the licence plate.
Taxi: agree the price and the currency before you get in. The US government recommends taxis arranged through your hotel.
Rental car: rental firms have desks at the airport. They usually ask for an International Driving Permit and a credit card for the deposit.

Public minibuses run, but they are not a good idea on a first visit with luggage.

Money: cash, cards and exchange

The currency is the Surinamese dollar (SRD). It floats: in late October 2026 the CME exchange office sold a dollar for about SRD 37.8 and a euro for about SRD 42.1. Today's selling rate (26 October 2026): 1 USD = SRD 37.80, 1 EUR = SRD 42.10. Current rates: Exchange rates today.

Cash: bring enough USD or EUR in small notes. The US dollar is widely accepted.
ATMs: they accept foreign cards but charge extra fees and sometimes run out of cash, especially at the end of the month. Cards with only a V Pay logo do not work everywhere.
Credit cards: according to the US government only a few places accept foreign credit cards. Count on them mainly at hotels and larger businesses, and ask first.
Exchange: at banks and exchange offices (cambios) licensed by the Central Bank. Never change money on the street.
Border: the US government gives USD 10,000 or the equivalent as the cash threshold when entering and leaving. If you carry more, ask Customs beforehand how to declare it.

How Surinamese businesses take payments (POS, SNEPS transfers, mobile payments): Accepting payments.

Phone and internet

There are two mobile networks: Telesur (state-owned) and Digicel. Both sell prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs.

Provider	Product	Price (October 2026)
Telesur	Prepaid SIM or eSIM, anniversary offer with 45 call minutes and 1 GB	SRD 115
Digicel	Tourist eSIM, 30 days, 5 / 10 / 15 GB	SRD 400 / 600 / 800 excluding tax
Digicel	SIM-To-Go, prepaid SIM with data, at petrol stations, pharmacies and shops	Ask the seller

Telesur branches open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 15:30. Check beforehand that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. Hotels and offices have Wi-Fi, but the connection is not stable everywhere; your own data bundle as a backup saves trouble during video calls.

Getting around

Drive on the left: Suriname drives on the left and most cars are right-hand drive.
Licence: a Dutch licence is valid for 14 days after arrival. If you stay longer you need an International Driving Permit (1949 model) together with your own licence. Many rental firms ask for the international permit from day one.
Roads: potholes, few markings and poor lighting. In the rainy seasons (long: May to August; short: December to February) streets often flood. Avoid driving outside town at night.
Rules: seat belts are compulsory, phones hands-free only. After a serious accident, leave the car where it is, call the police and wait for them.
Districts: a drive to Nickerie or Albina takes a day. See distances and what each district offers at Business by district. Fuel cost per trip: Trip and delivery cost.
Interior: by small plane from Zorg en Hoop, or by boat. Have a licensed travel agency or your host arrange it.

Choosing a hotel for business

Business hotels are in and around central Paramaribo and along the Suriname River. When booking, check mainly for:

A backup generator. Power cuts happen; see EBS power outages.
Reliable Wi-Fi and a desk or meeting room.
Airport transfers, especially if you land in the evening.
An invoice in your company's name, with VAT shown separately if you need to reclaim or account for it. Ask beforehand which currency the invoice will be in.
Guarded parking if you rent a car.
A short walk or drive to the ministries and banks in the old town.

Looking around after your meetings: Explore Suriname visitor guide.

Business culture and meetings

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO, with the Dutch embassy in Paramaribo) lists the main rules of conduct. We add some practice:

Relationship first. Open with small talk and do not rush into business. Lunch or dinner is part of it; accept an invitation.
Formal in business. People are informal in private, but titles and positions count in business. Use surnames at a first meeting.
Hierarchy. If the other side's director attends, send someone of equal rank. Decisions are often made at the top and take time.
Be on time. Arrive punctually and expect the same. Still leave room between meetings: traffic and rain cause delays.
Diplomatic wording. Direct criticism lands badly. Bring bad news carefully, preferably in private.
No informal middlemen. Build direct contacts. Someone who "knows the right people" and wants paying for it is a corruption risk.
Language. Business is done in Dutch; English usually works, especially at banks and larger companies. Sranantongo opens doors in informal talk.
Confirm in writing. After each meeting send a short email or WhatsApp with what was agreed. Business cards are still common: Business card maker.

Opening hours and public holidays

Suriname starts early. Government offices usually work from early morning to early afternoon; the tax office, for example, Monday to Thursday from 07:30 to 14:00 and Friday until 13:00. So book meetings at ministries between 08:00 and 12:00. Banks and businesses stay open longer, but there too the morning is when things get done.

Watch the public holidays: November 2026 has Divali (expected 8 November) and Independence Day (25 November), followed by Christmas and New Year. Hindu and Muslim holidays move every year. All dates: Public holidays 2026 and 2027. Around 25 November and between Christmas and the first week of January many decision makers are away.

Safety

Since 8 September 2026 the US government rates Suriname level 1 ("exercise normal precautions"); the Dutch government uses colour code yellow ("take care, specific safety risks"). In practice:

Pickpocketing and robbery happen in Paramaribo's shopping and business districts. Do not walk alone at night, including near the big hotels, and avoid the Palm Garden after dark.
Leave nothing visible in the car and drive with windows closed and doors locked.
Outside Paramaribo there is less police presence. The US government mentions robberies along the East-West Highway and the Afobaka road, and in Albina, Moengo and Brokopondo. Travel there with an established organisation or your business partner.
Drugs, including soft drugs, are illegal and penalties are severe.
Emergency numbers according to the Dutch government: 115 police and ambulance, 110 fire, 117 private ambulance. The US government gives 113 for medical help.
On 14 October 2026 the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Tourism launched Safe Guide (safe-guide.sr, also a free app) with safety information, emergency numbers and trip registration.

Health

Vaccinations: the Dutch travel health centre LCR (October 2026) advises yellow fever, DTP and hepatitis A. Yellow fever is compulsory if you come from a yellow fever country.
Mosquitoes: dengue, chikungunya and Zika occur. There was a chikungunya outbreak in 2026; use DEET and long sleeves at dusk. WHO declared Suriname malaria-free in 2025.
Care: private hospital care is only available in Paramaribo. Hospitals and doctors often ask for payment up front. Ambulances are unreliable outside Paramaribo and Nickerie.
Insurance: take travel insurance that covers medical costs and evacuation. Home health insurance does not always pay in full.
Water: tap water in Paramaribo is drinkable with caution, elsewhere not. Drink bottled water.
Medicines: bring enough in the original packaging, with a medical certificate where needed.

Samples, demo equipment and laptops

Suriname has not signed the ATA Convention, so an ATA carnet does not work here. If you bring goods for a demonstration, trade fair or job, you can import them temporarily against a deposit equal to the normal import duties, in cash or by bank guarantee. You get the deposit back when you re-export. The Import Duties Tariff Act also exempts samples of negligible value and samples that are re-exported after taking orders; the minister sets the conditions. Bring a packing list with values and serial numbers and ask Customs beforehand which route applies. Ordinary personal items such as your laptop and phone count as travel luggage.

If you then start trading for real, read Importing goods.

Practical: climate, power and time

Time: Suriname time is UTC-3, all year. The difference with the Netherlands is 4 hours in winter and 5 in summer. Handy for meetings: the Surinamese morning is the Dutch afternoon.
Climate: hot and humid, around 30 degrees. Light business wear; a jacket is often not needed except at ministries and formal occasions. Bring an umbrella in the rainy season.
Power: plugs and voltage differ between buildings; you see both American and European sockets. Bring a universal adapter and check that your chargers handle 100 to 240 V.

Sample programme: a fact-finding week

A one-week orientation trip for anyone checking whether investing, importing or opening a branch makes sense. Book meetings at least two weeks ahead and confirm them the day before.

Day	Programme
Sunday	Arrive, sort out a SIM or eSIM, change cash, quiet dinner with your local contact.
Monday	Morning: SITA (Suriname Investment and Trade Agency) for investment information and contacts. Afternoon: KKF (Chamber of Commerce) on registration, licences and a list of companies in your sector. See Start a business and Investing in Suriname.
Tuesday	The relevant ministry (for example EZOTI for trade and licences, LVV for agriculture, TCT for tourism). Afternoon: a business association, see Business associations.
Wednesday	Two banks: business account, foreign currency, financing (Opening a business bank account). Afternoon: an accountant or tax adviser on VAT and profit tax (Business taxes).
Thursday	Company visits: potential customers, suppliers, distributors. Find them in Business directory. Afternoon: a lawyer or notary on legal form, contracts or land (Buying land and property).
Friday	Site visit: office, warehouse or plot, possibly in Wanica or Commewijne. Check power, water and internet (Power, water and internet). Finish early: many offices close earlier on Friday.
Saturday	Visit markets and shops for prices and competition (Market research), write up notes, plan follow-up meetings.

Your own country's embassy in Paramaribo (if there is one) or your trade promotion agency, in the Netherlands RVO, can arrange introductions. For fairs or conferences during your week, see Business events.

Checklist before you leave

4 weeks ahead: check your passport (6 months valid), the visa category on the VFS portal and your vaccinations at a travel clinic.
3 weeks ahead: apply for the business e-visa or pay the entry fee. Book hotel and airport transfer. Get an International Driving Permit if you plan to drive.
2 weeks ahead: plan and confirm your meetings. Send a short company introduction in Dutch or English.
7 days ahead: fill in the ICF and save the QR code. Take out travel insurance or check your cover.
Packing: see the list below.
After arrival: buy a SIM or eSIM, change money at a bank or licensed exchange office, and register your trip in Safe Guide if you like.
Before flying home: fill in the ICF again for departure and allow for the 2 to 5 hour check-in window.

Passport, e-visa or entry fee receipt, ICF QR code (also offline)
Yellow vaccination booklet
Driving licence plus International Driving Permit
USD or EUR cash in small notes, plus two payment cards from different banks
Universal plug adapter and a power bank
DEET insect repellent, sunscreen, umbrella
Business cards and a short presentation on both laptop and phone
Packing list with values if you bring samples or equipment
Medicines in the original packaging

What if...

...the airline won't check me in? Usually the ICF QR code or the proof of entry fee or visa is missing. Fill in the ICF on your phone and pay the entry fee online; both take minutes. An e-visa takes longer, so arrange it well in advance.
...I want to sign a contract or set up a company during the trip? That is what a business visa is for. To set up an NV you need a notary; see Start a business. If you then want to work in Suriname yourself, see Work and residence permits.
...I want to stay longer than planned? The entry fee covers a stay of up to 90 days and a business visa is also for a short stay. Anyone staying longer needs a residence permit and, if you need a visa, first an MKV from your home country. See Work and residence permits.
...my debit card doesn't work? Try another bank's ATM, or a credit card. That is why you always carry spare cash and two cards.
...I am robbed? Report it to the police and ask for a copy of the report for your insurer. Report a stolen passport to your own embassy in Paramaribo.
...I want to move and stay? Read Living and working in Suriname. If you have Surinamese roots: Doing business from the diaspora.

Starting a tourism business · Economy in figures · Sectors and opportunities · Doing business by country · Business resources

Sources

Checked on 26 October 2026. Entry rules, fees and flight schedules change; check them with VFS Global and your airline just before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa for a business trip to Suriname?

For tourism and family visits most nationalities only pay the entry fee. For business, such as meetings and negotiations, the Dutch and US governments advise a business e-visa through the VFS portal. Anyone who will work in Suriname needs a work permit.

How much is the Suriname entry fee?

USD 50 or EUR 50 per person since 15 May 2024, plus VFS Global service charges. You pay online in advance and show the receipt at check-in. CARICOM citizens, PSA holders and residents are exempt.

What is the ICF form?

The Immigration Customs Form has been compulsory since 15 January 2025 for everyone aged 18 or over, on arrival and departure. You fill it in free of charge at icf.sr, from 7 days before your trip, and get a QR code to show at check-in.

Can I use a foreign debit card at ATMs in Suriname?

Yes, but ATMs charge extra fees and sometimes run out of cash, especially at the end of the month. Cards with only a V Pay logo do not work everywhere. So bring USD or EUR cash as well.

Which side of the road do you drive on in Suriname?

The left. A Dutch licence is valid for 14 days after arrival; after that you need an International Driving Permit, and many rental firms ask for one from day one.

Can I bring samples or demo equipment to Suriname?

Yes. Suriname does not accept ATA carnets, but you can import goods temporarily against a deposit equal to the import duties, refunded when you re-export. Samples of negligible value can be exempt.

Is yellow fever vaccination required for Suriname?

It is compulsory if you come from a yellow fever country or transit there for more than 12 hours, given at least 10 days before arrival. For other travellers it is recommended.