Before you go
Practical information for Suriname
Suriname is easier than most long-haul destinations if you speak Dutch, but a few things genuinely work differently. Cash rather than cards, WhatsApp rather than phone calls, no EU roaming, and visa rules that have changed more than once in recent years.
Below, each topic has its own page. For anything that changes, visas, money, safety, vaccinations, we name the source you should verify with yourself, and the date we last checked.
15 entries
-
🛂 Visas and entry
To visit Suriname as a tourist you need a passport with sufficient validity on arrival plus, depending on your nationality, either a tourist card or an e-visa. The rules have changed several times in recent years, so check them shortly before departure.
-
💶 Money and payment
The currency of Suriname is the Surinamese dollar (SRD). In practice cash is the norm: markets, warungs, taxis and small shops take cash almost exclusively. Bring euros or US dollars to exchange locally.
-
🛡️ Safety
Suriname is generally safe for tourists, with crime rates lower than most neighbouring South American countries. The incidents travellers actually experience are overwhelmingly pickpocketing and petty theft in busy parts of Paramaribo.
-
💉 Health and vaccinations
For Suriname, yellow fever vaccination may be required depending on your route, and malaria precautions mainly apply to stays in the interior rather than Paramaribo. Get advice from a travel clinic at least six weeks before departure.
-
🚕 Getting around
In Paramaribo you get around by taxi (no meters, so you agree the fare first) or by private minibus, and the historic centre is walkable at about a kilometre end to end. Outside the city a hire car or an organised tour beats public transport.
-
📶 Internet and SIM cards
Suriname has two mobile operators, Telesur and Digicel. A local prepaid SIM or eSIM is by far the cheapest option, because Suriname is not covered by EU roaming and standard roaming charges are high. WhatsApp is the normal business communication channel here.
-
🎒 What to pack
For Suriname, pack light but long: thin long sleeves against mosquitoes, repellent with DEET, a rain jacket even in the dry season, shoes with grip for the forest, and cash in small notes.
-
✈️ Flying to Suriname
From the Netherlands you fly direct to Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM), about 45 kilometres south of Paramaribo. The flight takes around nine hours and the time difference is five hours in European summer and four in winter.
-
🚖 From the airport to Paramaribo
Johan Adolf Pengel airport lies 45 kilometres south of Paramaribo, about an hour by road. A private transfer for 1 to 3 people costs €50 to €60 with local operators, a minibus for 6 to 7 people around €80, and a shared bus from $18 per person return.
-
🧭 Your first 24 hours
Three things decide your first 24 hours in Suriname: internet, cash and timing. Activate an eSIM before landing (from $6.50), withdraw at Republic Bank or exchange at a city-centre cambio, and expect hotel check-in from 15:00.
-
🌧️ Rainy day in Paramaribo
Rain in Paramaribo usually falls as a short, heavy afternoon shower, rarely as a lost day. For the longer spells there are the Surinaams Museum at Fort Zeelandia (Tue-Fri 9:00-14:00, Sun 10:00-14:00), the Surinaamsch Rumhuis, TBL Cinemas with five screens, two covered malls and a five-hour cooking class.
-
👋 Showing visitors around
You live in Paramaribo and someone is visiting. The shape that works: half a day is the historic centre on foot, a full day is one direction out of town (Commewijne, Colakreek or Brownsberg), and a weekend adds the Sunday markets and an evening in Blauwgrond. The morning is the scarce resource.
-
🗓️ Weekends in and around Paramaribo
For people living in Paramaribo rather than visiting for ten days: weekend options sorted by how far you want to travel. In the city it runs on the markets (Central Market on Saturday, the Sunday markets on Sunday), within an hour lies Commewijne, and a full day out means Colakreek, Jodensavanne or Brownsberg.
-
💼 Business travel to Paramaribo
Flying into Paramaribo for work needs three things settled before you land: a booked transfer (45 kilometres, about an hour, €50 to €60 for a private car), an eSIM, and cash for the first ride. After that: cards work in hotels but not at the market, and the holiday calendar is fuller than you expect.
-
🎤 Business events in Paramaribo
Paramaribo’s business event is the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (SEOGS), hosted by Staatsolie and held annually in June. Delegates grew from 800 in 2023 to over 1,200 expected in 2026, drawn from more than 40 countries. We are not affiliated with SEOGS; confirm dates with the organisers.
These pages were last checked in August 2026. For visa, health and safety information the official source always takes precedence over this site.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to arrange for a trip to Suriname?
A valid passport plus a tourist card or e-visa depending on your nationality, a travel clinic appointment at least six weeks ahead, travel insurance with medical cover, and cash in euros or dollars to change into SRD locally. Cards barely work outside hotels and supermarkets.
What language do they speak in Suriname?
Dutch is the official language and the language of education, government and media. Sranan Tongo is the everyday lingua franca that almost everyone speaks, alongside Sarnami Hindustani, Javanese, Chinese and several Maroon and Indigenous languages. English is widely understood in tourism.
What is the time difference with Suriname?
Suriname is four hours behind the Netherlands during European summer time and five hours behind in winter. Suriname does not observe daylight saving.