Published: July 17, 2025
This report is intended to supplement the U.S. Department of State Suriname Travel Advisory and Suriname Country Information Page.
Embassy Contact Information
U.S. Embassy: Kristalstraat 165, Paramaribo
Tel: +597 556-700; After-hours Emergencies: +597 710-1112
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 0730 to 1600.
OSAC Country Chapter(s)
The OSAC Suriname Country Chapter is active and meets on an ad-hoc basis.
Contact OSAC’s Americas team with any questions.
Suriname Travel Advisory
The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses that travelers should exercise normal precautions when traveling to Suriname.
Crime
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Paramaribo as being a HIGH-threat location for crime which could affect official U.S. government personnel or interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Crime “C” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Suriname, indicating that there is not widespread violent crime and/or robust organized crime present in the country, and that local law enforcement has demonstrated an ability to respond to serious crimes.
Around tourist areas, including popular hotels, as well as in popular shopping and business districts, visitors are occasionally targets of crimes of opportunity. Thefts and robberies have been reported in the Central Market, Palm Gardens, and many night clubs in Paramaribo. These areas should be avoided after dark. Those with perceived wealth or status, including western tourists, are more likely to be targeted. Carrying large sums of cash or wearing expensive clothing/jewelry may increase the likelihood of being robbed in Suriname. Prostitution exists, but is illegal, and police work to arrest and investigate prostitutes and others involved in human trafficking.
A recent uptick in residential crime, particularly targeting wealthier residences of business owners residing in the north of Paramaribo, has garnered the attention of the police, who are actively working to investigate incidents of break-ins, where in small groups of thieves, some armed, force entry to residences and rob them of significant sums of money stored in the house. Storing significant sums of money in a residence instead of financial institutions creates lucrative targets for potential thieves. Violence has been reported in these types of incidents.
Traditional organized crime is not necessarily a factor in incidents of armed robbery, theft, or burglary in Paramaribo. However, well-armed regional/transnational gangs, particularly near the Brazilian and French Guianese border regions in Suriname’s interior, are known to exist. Accounts of gang activity near the small scale (and often illegal)mining areas near the French Guiana border surface periodically in the media and by way of independent reporting.
Limited law enforcement presence in Suriname’s interior and border regions, exacerbated by gaps in training and inadequate resources (to include lack of state-owned aircraft and an insufficient number of patrol vessels), limit the government’s capacity to control immigration and illicit activity fully in much of its territory.
The criminality in Suriname is heavily impacted by the country’s use as a major transit country for cocaine en route to Europe and Africa, illegal gold mining/trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and concerns over corrupt state actors benefitting from such illicit activities. However, the sale or transport of other illicit drugs (heroin, cannabis, and synthetic drugs) remains low in Suriname, as does extortion, and mafia-style criminal groups remain largely absent. The country has also shown resilience against criminality by granting greater independence to the judiciary and creating an anti-corruption unit. Nonetheless, it still faces concerns over corruption and is working on improving the legal framework for combating organized crime. Lastly, Suriname has joined regional initiatives for crime prevention, made notable efforts to assist victims of human trafficking, and made progress on preventing environmental crimes in its interior.
Kidnapping Threat
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Kidnapping “K” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Suriname.
Kidnapping is not a common occurrence. Of the instances known, many are related to personal or business conflicts. No kidnappings involving non-Surinamese nationals in Suriname have been reported to the U.S. Embassy.
Terrorism
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Paramaribo as being a LOW-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Terrorism “T” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Suriname.
There are no known domestic Surinamese terrorist groups. Suriname has not been targeted by any known radical or terrorist groups.
While there have been criminal threats against U.S. private-sector organizations in Suriname, none were terror related.
Political Violence and Civil Unrest
The U.S. Department of State has assessed Paramaribo as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Civil Unrest “U” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Suriname. Civil unrest can develop quickly without prior notice, often interrupting logistics and services. Avoid demonstration activity, as even those planned to remain peaceful have the potential to turn violent.
Elections/Political Stability
Suriname is a constitutional democracy with a president elected by the unicameral National Assembly. Elections for the National Assembly took place in May 2025 and was seated in June 2025. International observers considered these elections to be free and fair. In July 2025, the National Assembly elected Jennifer Geerling-Simons as President, and she was sworn in on July 16, 2025.The transfer of power was orderly and peaceful.
Protests & Demonstrations
Protests organized by pro- and anti-government groups as well as labor unions occur occasionally and are generally smaller in scale and usually not disruptive These typically occur in the city center near ministry buildings and usually only create minor disruptions to traffic flow until resolving amicably.
In 2022, protests as part of the “Organic Movement” gathered daily outside of government buildings and garnered the support of a wide range of labor unions, political parties, and other civil society organizations. While there were occasional minor scuffles with police, the demonstrations were generally peaceful.
On February 17, 2023, planned demonstrations against economic reforms turned to rioting and an assault on the National Assembly. Looting of downtown stores also occurred. However, since 2023, no violent protests of similar scale have occurred.
Surinamese authorities have taken significant steps to improve the security response to demonstrations and protests, including extensive cooperation with the U.S. and other western nations to equip and train security forces, particularly riot police and crowd control units. This has resulted in more effective response to issues requiring police response, and prevented unnecessary escalation of tensions.
Anti-U.S./Anti-Western Sentiment
There is very little anti-U.S. sentiment in Suriname. Surinamers import U.S. goods and services, including movies, music, food, and clothing.
The governments of Suriname and the United States expanded bilateral cooperation when a new Surinamese government came to power in July 2020, and will continue to work with the newly elected administration which assumes leadership in July 2025..
Law Enforcement
There are three major law enforcement and security entities in Suriname. The largest is the Suriname Police Corps (KPS), the department responsible for all traditional policing efforts. The KPS has offices in all 10 districts in Suriname, as well as investigative and special tasks section takes responsibility for forensics, fraud, and homicide investigations. With nearly 3,000 personnel, KPS leadership has taken significant steps to address corruption, improve integrity of the police, and enhance international cooperation to improve the training and equipment of the force. Due to resource limitations across the Government of Suriname, military personnel and prison guards routinely ride in KPS patrol vehicles throughout Suriname to provide additional support.
The second-largest law enforcement/security entity in Suriname is the Military Police, a branch of the Surinamese Armed Forces. In addition to policing all members of the military, the Military Police oversees border control and immigration functions. Recent implementation of the electronic Immigration and Customs Form (ICF) has increased Suriname’s ability to manage their border control activities.
The third-largest security entity is the Directorate of National Security, responsible for the protection of the President and government ministers, as well as for coordinating internal security and intelligence efforts.
Police Response
Police officials frequently cite lack of basic equipment and resources anda shortage of trained staff for inconsistent emergency response times, depending on the nature and location of crime. Efforts by KPS have been taken to strategically station police elements across the city to improve police response time. The KPS has taken significant strides to improve upon the the percentage of crimes which go unsolved in Suriname.
Travelers with Special Considerations
For specific traveler concerns in Suriname, review the local laws and circumstances on the Department of State’s Country Information Page.
Rule of Law, Arbitrary Detention, Official Harassment, Corruption, & Transparency
The U.S. Department of State has not included a Risk of Wrongful Detention “D” Indicator on the Travel Advisory for Suriname.
The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention and provides for the right of any person to challenge the lawfulness of his or her arrest or detention in court. The government generally observes these requirements.
Surinamese law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, and the government implements the law effectively, at times.. There are regular open source reports that some government officials have engaged in corrupt practices, but these often come from accusations from political opponents, civil society, and media. The government has strengthened its capacity to investigate and prosecute alleged cases of corruption.
Cybersecurity
Suriname has been susceptible to transnational cybercrimes including computer banking trojans, malware, and ransomware.
Import/Export Restrictions
Authorities enforce strict regulations concerning firearms, artifacts, medications, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and business equipment. There are no known restrictions on satellite phones; however, Suriname's telecommunications authority has declared the U.S. firm Starlink illegal for use in-country.
A country-specific listing of items/goods prohibited from being exported to the country or that are otherwise restricted is available from the U.S. International Trade Agency website.
Additional resources and reports can be found in the OSAC Traveler Toolkit.
