Handy Information for Suriname Visitors

If you are planning to make a trip to Suriname there are certain things you need to know. Obviously if you've never been to Suriname you don't know what to expect. This page is just to inform about several general issues regarding the precautions you should take prior to travelling to Suriname. It is not possible to provide all the information here, but the information one this page is what you at least need to know.

This page provides information regarding the following:

• Visa
• Consulates
• Embassies
• Vaccinations
• Transport
• Accomodations
• Telephones
• Visiting the Interior
• Embassy's of foreign countries

Travel Documents / Visa

If you want to visit Suriname and you are not a citizen of one of the countries of the Caribbean Community, you have to make your visa papers are in order. If you want to apply for a visa issued by the Surinamese Consulate within Netherlands you should fill in the visa application form wizard. More information regarding the application procedure can be found on this page (in Dutch) made by the Surinamese Consulate in theNetherlands. If you want to apply for a visa not issued by the Surinamese Consulate within the Netherlands please contact one of the other Suriname Consulates listed in the next section of this document.

Note that in most cases you will receive a single-entrance visa. So you only will be able to enter Suriname one time with that visa. In most cases this is no issue, but it can become an issue of you want to combine your trip to Suriname with a visit to for instance Guyana or French Guiana. More information about visa can be found on the page with information about necessities when going to Suriname.

When you arrive in Suriname it is important that you inform the authorities about your staying. Therefore you must give yourself up at foreigners registration office at the 'nieuwe haven' the within a week after your arrival.

Suriname Consulates

If you want to apply for a visa you have do that at one of the Suriname Consulates. Here is a list with adresses of Surinamese consulates in foreign countries:

The Netherlands

Surinamese Consulate
De Cuserstraat 11
1081 CK Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Telephone: +31 20 6426137 or: +31 20 6426717 (When dialing from within the Netherlands: 020 6426137 or 020 6426717)
Fax Number: +31 20 6465311 (When faxing from within the Netherlands: 020 6465311)
E-mail: info@consulaatsuriname.nl
Website: www.consulaatsuriname.nl

Apply for visa online: click here

The United States Of America

Surinam Consulate in the USA
7235 NW 19th St. Suite A
Miami, Florida 33126
U.S.A.
Telephone: +1 305 593-2166
Fax Number: +1 305 599-1034

United States citizens have to request a visa in either Miami or Washington.
United States citizens living in the European Union (EU) are eligible for a free visa, but have to register at the Surinam Consulate in Amsterdam or Brussels.

The United Kingdom

Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Suriname
89 Pier House
31 Cheyne Walk
London SW3 5HG
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 7768 196326
E-mail: ajethu@honoraryconsul.info
Website: www.honoraryconsul.info

Other Suriname consulates

Suriname Embassies

Kingdom Of The Netherlands - The Hague

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
Alexander Gogelweg 2
2517 JH The Hague
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 70 365 0844
Fax: +31 70 361 7445

Embassy And Permanent Mission Of The Republic Of Suriname To The Organization Of American States (OAS), Washington DC.

4301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, suite 460
Washington DC 20008

Tel: +1 202 244 7488 / +1 202 244 7590 / +1 202 244 7591 / +1 202 244 7592
Fax: 202 244 5878
E-mail: embsur@erols.com / Embsurwash@hotmail.com / HMacdo8444@aol.com

Permanent Mission Of The Republic Of Suriname To The United Nations

866 United Nations Plaza
Suite 320
New York, Ny 10017

Tel: +1 212 826 0660 / +1 212 826 0661
Fax: +1 212 9807029

Kingdom Of Belgium - Brussels

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
Avenue Louise 379
1050 Brussels
Belgium

Tel: +32 2 640 1172 / +32 2 640 1244
Fax: +32 2 646 3962
E-mail: Sur.amb.bru@online.be

Federal Republic Of Brazil - Brasilia

Embassy of the Republic Suriname
Shis - QI9 Conjunto 8 Casa 24
CEP 70457 - 900 Lago Sul
Brazil

Tel: +55 61 248 3595 / +55 61 248 1625
Fax: +55 61 248- 3791

Bolivarian Republic Of Venezuela - Caracas

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
4 Avenida es
Quinta 41 - Altamira, Edo. Miranda
Caracas 1060A - Venezuela
Apartado Postal 61140 - Chacao

Tel: +58 212 263 8094 / +58 212 263 3428 / +58 212 261 2724
Fax: +58 212 263 9006
E-mail: embsur1@cantv.net / embsur2@cantv.net

Republic Of Trinidad And Tobago - Port Of Spain

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
11 Maraval Road
5 th Floor Tatil Building
Port of Spain
Trinidad and Tobago

Tel: 868 628 0704 / 868 628 0089
Fax: 868 628 0086
E-mail: AmbSurPDE@opus.co.tt

People's Republic Of China - Beijing

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
1-3-31, Diplomatic Compound, Jianguomenwai
Beijing 100600

Tel: 8610 653 22938 / 8610 653 22939
Fax: 8610 653 22941

Republic Of India - New Delhi

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
B-8/25 Vasant Vihar
New Delhi 11057

Tel: 011 9111 615 4505 / 011 9111 615 4506
Fax: 011 9111 615 4507

Cooperative Republic Of Guyana - Georgetown

Embassy of the Republic of Suriname
171 Peter Rose & Crown Street
Queens Town, Georgetown
Guyana

Tel: +592 267844 / +592 252631
Fax: +592 250759
E-mail: surnemb@gol.net.gy

Vaccinations

Suriname is in the Tropics and therefore people visiting Suriname should that into account and make sure that they get the right vaccinations. This site is not the place to tell people what they need exactly, since the information here is ot reviewed by a doctor. But it is very legitimate to say that most persons visiting Suriname are advised to take these vaccinations:

• Hepatitis A
• Yellow Fever
• DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Poliomyelitis)
• Typhoid Fever

Additional it may be necessary to have medication to avoid Malaria and for Travelers’ Diarrhea. The risk to get Malaria is very small if you only reside in the nothern part of Suriname. Many parts of Suriname (Several parts within the interior country) require protection against Malaria. Please consult your doctor or health institution regarding these issues. You also may need other immunizations depending on the places you will visit and your medical history. People living in Amsterdam can go to the GG & GD Amsterdam. People living in other parts in the Netherlands should go to the site of the GG & GD Nederland to find where there is a division of this institution in their neighbourhood.

Note that you need to have yourself vaccinated at least a month before you go to Suriname. It takes a while before your body is immune to the diseases. The risk to be exposed to Malaria depends on the places you will visit and the time you will stay there. Depending on that risk you'll be advised to take Lariam (Mefloquine), Paludrine, Nivaquine or a combination of these medicines. In many cases you'll be recommended to start taking the medicins several days or weeks prior to your visit to the Malaria area and to stop taking the medicins four weeks after you have left the Malaria area.

It is also recommended to use protection against mosquito's. Use protection salve and wear clothes with long sleeves and trousers if it is not too warm. In that way you can protect yourself from Dengue also known as knuckle fever. Another benefit of wearing these kind of clothes is, that you will avoid to get sun burned. The sun in Suriname can be very hot and therefore dangerous if you are not adjusted to it.

You should definately read the information about Malaria provided by CDC and the travel health information by MDTRAVELHEALTH.COM, LLC.
The Health & Safety page also contains valuable information.

Transport within Suriname

In most of the cases you will enter Suriname via the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport at Zanderij. Surinam Airways (SLM), KLM and Caribbean Airlines are a few of the carriers with regular flights to Suriname.

You can take the bus or taxi from the Johan Adolf Pengel Airport at Zanderij to Paramaribo. The distance is about 45 kilometres. Within Paramaribo there are several taxi companies. During daytime many buses drive through the city. The buses don't have any predefined stops. If you want to take the bus, you have to stick out your hand and make the driver clear that you want to enter the bus. If you are in the bus and want to get out, you can press a bell and the busdriver will stop the bus as soon as possible.

Accomodations

It shouldn't be that hard to find a place to sleep in Paramaribo and the direct area around the city. There are many hotels with lots of rooms. It is sometimes also possible to rent a house from an individual in Suriname. To do that you have to be familiar with persons who let appartements. Be sure that your rental agreements are very clear for all parties.

Public and Cellular Telephones

Public telephones are available on the streets. You can only use them in combination with TeleSur Phonecards, which you can buy at the several TeleSur offices. Below is a list of adresses of the TeleSur offices within Paramaribo. This list also shows when the ticket offices are open.

Nowadays many persons in Paramaribo make use of mobile or cellular telephones. It may be the case that your cellular telephone provider has a roaming agreement with one of the cellular phone companies in Suriname. If that is the case it will be possible to use your cellular (mobile) telephone in Paramaribo, the area around it and at the Airport at Zanderij, but this can become very expensive. So... watch out: You're warned! It is for instance possible for customers of the Dutch companies K.P.N. and Vodafone to use their mobile phones within the area's mentioned earlier in this paragraph.

TeleSur provides a program which can be used to look up phone numbers in Suriname. Since it is in Dutch a short explanation on how to use the tool is given here:

1. Choose the Second field within the HTML form. It is labeled as "Zoek Telesur Telefoon Nummers".
2. Enter a search string, i.e. the name of the person or organisation you are looking for.
3. Press the "Zoek" button next to the second field. Zoek is Dutch for Search.

The program to look up phone numbers is behind this link.

Internet and Electronic Mail

In Paramaribo there are several Internet Cafés and other facilities where access to the Internet is provided. At the most places you pay a fee per half hour. The main Post Office at the Kerkplein has a few computers available. There are other public access providers at the Kerkplein, Gravenstraat, Domineestraat and the Kleine Combé in Paramaribo.

Visiting the Interior

It is very expensive to visit the interior of Suriname, but are worthwhile. The area is very beautiful to see and the traditions of the local people are interesting. You are probaly better off if you know people who can take you there, but if that's not the case you can always make trips using travel organisations. It may be wise to visit the tourist office at the Square of Independence (Onafhankelijkheidsplein) near the Kleine Combé or the other tourist office of the 'Stichting Toerisme Suriname', the Suriname Tourism Foundation, at the Dr. J.F. Nassylaan 2 in Paramaribo. The phone number of this organisation is (+597) 410 357.

Embassy's of Foreign Countries

Here is a list of embassy's of foreign countries in Suriname known by me:

Disclaimer

I tried to present the information on this page in the most honest and independent way. I don't promote any commercial organisation. If any reference to any organisation looks like promotion, its coincidential. I list companies with no additional means. I have to remind that I am not a doctor and that I cannot give any medical advice. I am not responsible for any harm done caused by information on any of my pages or pages accessed by followed links from my site. If any information is inaccurate or outdated I cannot be blamed.

Relevant links:

• The Suriname Anthem
• Our Father Prayer in the Surinamish Language
• Hail Mary Prayer in the Surinamish Language
• Information about Suriname
• Other information about Suriname
• Location of Suriname on the world map
• Nederlandstalige Suriname Pagina's
• Troon.ORG Page
• Some Suriname Links
• Peter's Suriname Pictures

Remarks about this page can be mailed to: pajtroon@dds.nl.

This page: Copyright © 2001 - 2019 Peter A. J. Troon

Note: This page is part of the Peter Troon Site.