Doing business in Suriname from the diaspora

If you live in the Netherlands, Belgium, the US or elsewhere and want to start or invest in a business in Suriname, you can: you may own 100% of a Surinamese NV (company), and with a PSA document you travel visa-free, may live and work here and open a bank account. As a rule you cannot keep a second nationality. The biggest risks are not in the rules but in running things from a distance: who manages your money, your land and your staff when you are not there? This guide goes further than the short diaspora section in Investing in Suriname.

On this page (15)

• Your status: citizen, PSA or foreigner
• Which legal form from abroad
• Bank account and transferring money
• Tax in two countries
• Land, home and inheritance
• Staff and day-to-day management from a distance
• Choosing a local partner
• Spotting and preventing scams
• Networks, institutes and help
• Events for the diaspora
• Step-by-step plan
• Checklist for your first trip
• What if...
• Sources
• Frequently asked questions

Your status: citizen, PSA or foreigner

Under the Nationality and Residence Act you automatically lose Surinamese nationality if you voluntarily acquire another nationality (article 4(4)). The Dutch Nationality Act has a similar rule. That is why most Surinamese people in the Netherlands only hold Dutch nationality. For them there is PSA status.

Status	Work and residence	Business and land	Watch out
Surinamese citizen	No permit needed	All legal forms; land lease if you live in Suriname	If you live abroad and hold state land, you must be represented here
PSA holder	Visa-free, residence, work without a work permit	NV, licences (the KKF accepts the PSA card instead of a residence permit), bank account	PSA does not make you a citizen; land lease rules for non-citizens apply
Foreigner without PSA	Entry fee or visa; work and residence permits needed to work here	NV or branch; 100% foreign ownership allowed	More documents at the bank and KKF

Who gets PSA and what it gives

The PSA Act (S.B. 2014 no. 8) applies to people without Surinamese nationality who were born in Suriname, or who have a parent or grandparent of Surinamese origin. The legal spouse and minor children can be included. You apply fully online through the PSA portal; you need, among other things, a legalised birth certificate, and if you qualify through a parent or grandparent, their Surinamese birth certificate too. Since the fee cut (late 2025, made final in February 2026) it costs EUR 120 for an adult and EUR 70 for a child from Europe. The document is valid for 5 years and renewable. All details and the procedure: Work and residence permits.

What may change

At the PSA Diaspora and Investors Dialogue on 3 May 2026 in Amsterdam, the Speaker of the National Assembly presented proposals: making PSA status valid for 10 years instead of 5, extending the permitted continuous stay to 24 months, an import duty exemption for returning migrants, the right to own one home, and in time a "State Connection Act" or a "PSA-plus" without losing your other nationality. These are proposals, not law. Follow them in New laws and rules.

Which legal form from abroad

• NV (public limited company). The usual choice. You may hold all the shares, even if you live abroad. You set up the NV with a notary (or a model deed), register it with the KKF and apply for a tax number (FIN). The notary can prepare a lot with a power of attorney, but expect at least one visit for the bank. Steps and costs: Start a business.
• Sole trader (eenmanszaak). Meant for people who live in Suriname and run the business themselves; in practice the KKF only registers a sole trader for a resident. If you return with PSA and settle here, it is possible. Note: you are liable with all your assets, including in the Netherlands.
• Branch of your Dutch BV or sole proprietorship. Possible, with a manager in Suriname. Profit then runs through your foreign business for tax; have an adviser apply the treaty.
• Foundation (stichting). For a social or cultural purpose, not to distribute profit.

Need a licence? For a licence application the KKF asks for a nationality statement among other things and, if you are not a citizen, a copy of your residence permit or PSA card. See Business licences. If your NV wants to borrow from a local fund, check the ownership rules: the PKF, for example, requires at least 50% Surinamese ownership (Business financing).

Bank account and transferring money

• Opening an account. PSA gives you the right to open a bank account. For foreign shareholders and directors banks ask for more documents: passport, proof of address abroad, an ownership chart up to the ultimate beneficial owners (UBO), sometimes legalised signatures. Ask beforehand whether a power of attorney is accepted. See Opening a business bank account.
• Paying in capital. Transfer money through the bank to the NV's account and keep the proof. You need it for the bank, the tax office and later when you want to take profit or capital back.
• Source of funds. Banks in Suriname and the Netherlands must check where larger amounts come from. Keep payslips, the deed of sale of a house, savings or loan statements at hand. See Anti-money laundering rules.
• Transfers. A SWIFT transfer is traceable but costs money on both sides; money transfer offices are fast but meant for private amounts. Business payments belong on the business account. See Accepting payments and the rates in Exchange rates today.
• Cash. Do not carry large amounts in your suitcase. Anyone entering or leaving the EU with EUR 10,000 or more in cash must declare it to customs. Also ask Surinamese customs which rules apply.

Tax in two countries

Between the Netherlands (the European part of the Kingdom) and Suriname the tax treaty concluded in Paramaribo on 25 November 1975 applies. The Dutch government confirmed in 2025 that it is still in force. A new treaty is being discussed, but none had been signed on 26 October 2026. Note: the treaty signed in 2024 between Curaçao and Suriname does not apply to the Netherlands.

• In Suriname your NV pays 36% income tax on profit, and withholds 25% dividend tax when it distributes profit. See Business taxes.
• In the Netherlands you remain taxed as a resident on your worldwide income and assets. If you hold at least 5% of the shares, your holding falls in box 2 (substantial interest); smaller holdings and property in Suriname fall in box 3. The treaty decides which country comes first and how double taxation is avoided.
• If you move to Suriname, your actual residence decides where you are taxable: where your home, family and work are. If you emigrate with a substantial interest, the Dutch tax office imposes a protective assessment (conserverende aanslag).
• Benefits and pensions. If you receive a Dutch benefit or state pension (AOW), check with the paying agency what happens if you stay longer in Suriname or move. Not every benefit can be taken abroad.
• US citizen or green card holder? The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income, and Surinamese banks often ask Americans for extra forms.

This is not tax advice. Have a Dutch and a Surinamese adviser look at your structure together before you transfer money; fixing it afterwards costs more.

Land, home and inheritance

Land is where diaspora investors lose money most often: plots sold twice, family land with an unsettled estate, a land lease that cannot be in your name. The rules are in Buying land and property; the essentials for you:

• Freehold land can be bought by foreigners and PSA holders, always through a notary and the public registers.
• State land on a lease is for Surinamese citizens living here and Surinamese legal entities; as a non-citizen you hold it in practice through an NV or foundation.
• If you inherit land with family in Suriname and abroad, settle the estate with a notary (certificate of inheritance) before anyone builds or sells. Land leases have short deadlines after a death.
• Have a surveyor stake out the boundaries and get a mortgage register extract, even if a relative says it is "all arranged".

Staff and day-to-day management from a distance

Most diaspora businesses run with a manager on site. That works if the arrangements are on paper and you see the figures without having to ask for them.

• A written employment contract with the manager, with tasks, powers and a bonus on results, not on turnover alone
• A notarial or private power of attorney with limits: up to which amount, for which acts, until when
• At the bank: two signatures above a set amount, and online access for you
• A monthly report from an independent accountant: sales, costs, cash, stock, receivables
• A till and stock system with a daily close; use Cash counter and Stock tracker
• Payroll by the rules, with wage tax and AOV; see Employer costs and Payslip generator
• A fixed visiting schedule, also unannounced, and contact with customers and suppliers outside the manager

Hiring and contracts: Hiring staff and Labour law basics.

Choosing a local partner

A partner who knows the market, the language of the civil service and the suppliers is worth gold. Family is not automatically the best partner; a fight about money often costs you both the business and the family bond.

1. Check the background. KKF extract of their companies, references from customers and suppliers, and for larger amounts a round of the bank and the accountant.
2. Agree on roles. Who brings money, who brings work, who brings the network? Who decides what?
3. Put it in a shareholders' agreement: contributions, profit split, what happens on a dispute, death or exit, and who may buy the shares.
4. No nominees. Never put shares or land in someone else's name "because it is easier". What is in their name is legally theirs.
5. Start small. A pilot project or first order shows how someone works before you invest big.

In a dispute: Debt collection and disputes. The new Civil Code also changes rules for companies and contracts: New Civil Code.

Spotting and preventing scams

Scammers deliberately target the diaspora: you are far away, you trust fellow Surinamese, and you want to give something back. Warning signs:

• Land or a house "below market price", time pressure, and no time to let a notary check.
• Someone asking for money to "speed up" a licence, PSA document or land lease. You apply for the PSA document yourself on the official portal; licences go through the KKF and the ministries.
• Investments with guaranteed high returns, often in gold, property or "oil-related" projects.
• Contractors who want most of the money upfront, without a building plan or contract.
• Bank details "changed" by WhatsApp.

Safeguards: pay for land and houses through the notary; pay contractors in instalments against progress, checked by an independent supervisor with dated photos or video; when bank details change, call a known number yourself; and never give a general power of attorney.

Networks, institutes and help

• Diaspora Institute Suriname (DIS) and the International Business Directorate, both under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation. They organised the first Diaspora Business Summit in February 2025.
• Diaspora Institute Netherlands (DIN), the Dutch counterpart, since 2021. Organises meetings with partners on living, investing and doing business in Suriname.
• The Surinamese embassy in The Hague holds information and dialogue meetings for PSA holders and investors.
• SITA (the investment agency) and the KKF for information on sectors, licences and registration. See Government offices and contacts and Business resources.
• RVO in the Netherlands: for companies based in the Netherlands there are the Starters International Business (a coach) and DHI (a contribution to feasibility studies and investment preparation) schemes for projects in countries including Suriname. See Grants and support programmes.
• PUM sends Dutch senior experts to Surinamese businesses; also useful for your business on the ground.
• Industry bodies and chambers, including the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce: see Business associations.
• IntEnt, a Dutch foundation that coached migrant entrepreneurs starting in their country of origin, could not be found as an active programme on 26 October 2026.

Events for the diaspora

• SUSU & Partners Business Event: 3 December 2026, 5 pm to 9 pm, Amsterdam, free with a ticket.
• Living, Investing and Doing Business in Suriname (DIN and Sur Estate Group): the next edition is expected around February 2027, after editions on 30 May and 19 September 2026.
• SUSU Summit: April 2027, Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.
• In Suriname: the Diaspora Business Summit (February 2025) and the Diaspora Homecoming Summit (18 October 2025). No next edition had been announced on 26 October 2026.

Combine a visit to Suriname with SEOGS (June), the Agricultural Fair (May) or IBC (October). All dates: Business events.

Step-by-step plan

1. Sort out your status. Apply for PSA if you qualify; it saves a work permit, the entry fee and paperwork at the bank and KKF.
2. Test your idea. Sector, market and competition: Sectors and opportunities, Market research, Economy in figures. Write a plan with Business plan template and run the numbers at several exchange rates.
3. Get advice in both countries. A Dutch tax adviser and a Surinamese accountant and notary, before you buy or transfer anything.
4. Come and see for yourself. Visit the KKF, SITA, a notary, a bank and potential customers. Plan it around an event.
5. Set up the NV with a notary, register with the KKF, get a tax number (FIN) and a licence where needed.
6. Open the bank account and pay in the capital through the bank; keep all proof.
7. Arrange land or premises through the notary and the registers, in the name of the NV or yourself.
8. Set up remote management: a manager with a contract and power of attorney, dual signatures, monthly reporting by an accountant.
9. Track your deadlines: tax returns, KKF contribution, licence renewal. See Tax deadlines.

Checklist for your first trip

• Passport and PSA document (or entry fee paid)
• Legalised birth certificates and, if married, an international civil status extract
• Proof of address abroad, no older than six months
• Proof of the source of your investment money
• Draft business plan with budget
• Appointments with notary, accountant, bank, KKF and SITA
• List of questions about land: title, boundaries, mortgages, heirs
• A draft power of attorney for whoever represents you after you leave

What if...

• ...I cannot get PSA because my Surinamese ancestry goes back further? Then you invest as a foreigner: fully allowed through an NV. To work in your own business you then need a work and residence permit.
• ...I want to move back to live in Suriname? With PSA you may live and work here; your tax residence moves with you if you build your life here. Also read Living and working in Suriname.
• ...family has lived or worked on my land for years? Talk first, then put everything in a notarial deed: rent, use or division. Without paper you are in a weak position in a dispute.
• ...my manager stops responding or the account is empty? Revoke the power of attorney through the notary at once, have the bank change the signing powers, and bring in a lawyer. See Debt collection and disputes.
• ...I want to export to or import from Suriname from the Netherlands? See Importing goods, Exporting from Suriname and Shipping and logistics.

Sources

• Foreign Affairs: Persons of Surinamese Origin (PSA)
• PSA application portal
• National Assembly: speech for the PSA Diaspora and Investors Dialogue (3 May 2026)
• Waterkant: lower PSA fees (February 2026)
• Dutch parliamentary paper 36844 no. 1: Curaçao-Suriname tax treaty, with the status of the 1975 Netherlands-Suriname treaty
• Jongbloed tax lawyers: Netherlands-Suriname treaty, status April 2026
• Dutch tax office: international
• Regulation (EU) 2018/1672: cash declarations
• KKF: legal forms and licence applications
• Government: first Diaspora Business Summit (February 2025)
• Diaspora Instituut Nederland
• SUSU & Partners Business Event 2026
• RVO: starting a business in Suriname
• PUM: Suriname

Checked on 26 October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules on PSA, nationality and tax can change; check them before you decide.