Suriname Entry Requirements: Entry Fee, Visas and ICF

The short version

• Most nationalities do not need a visa for tourism or family visits of up to 90 days, but must pay the Entry Fee online first.
• 21 countries need a visa instead. See the list below.
• Everyone flying to or from Suriname must complete the ICF online.
• Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you leave Suriname.

Which category are you?

Entry Fee (most nationalities)

Since 1 July 2022, most visitors have entered Suriname visa-free for tourism or family visits of up to 90 days, in exchange for paying the Entry Fee online before travel. This includes travelers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union. The Entry Fee replaced the tourist visa, and you will still see it called the "tourist card" on older pages.

The Entry Fee is a payment, not a visa. It covers tourism and family visits only. It does not allow you to work.

No Entry Fee

According to VFS Global, the following travelers do not pay the Entry Fee:

• Holders of CARICOM passports
• Holders of diplomatic and service passports
• Holders of a Vatican City passport
• Holders of a UN Laissez-Passer
• Holders of a PSA document or PSA card (Persons of Surinamese Origin)
• People who already hold a still-valid visa
• Residents of Suriname
• Children aged 0 to 2, of any nationality

Guardians of children aged 3 and older still pay for them.

Transit works differently. If you are changing planes and leave the airport, you need a transit visa and do not pay the Entry Fee. If you stay inside the airport, you need neither a visa nor the fee.

Visa required (21 countries)

Since 1 May 2023, travelers from these 21 countries must have a visa before they travel: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tunisia, Venezuela and Zambia.

Apply through the same VFS Global portal. VFS warns that visa applications are checked closely and can take longer than 72 hours, so apply well ahead of your flight. For Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, the government has also brought back the tourist card alongside the visa. Confirm your exact situation on the portal.

Business, internship and work-related visits also still require a visa, whatever your nationality.

Other visa categories

Suriname's government issues five official visa types in total: the Transit Visa, Business Visa, Diplomatic & Service Visa, Short Stay Visa (MKV) and Collective Visa. Most tourists never need to know these exist. If you are entering for business, transiting to a third country, or traveling as part of an organized group, check with the official portal or your nearest Surinamese consulate.

What it costs

So a single entry costs about $58 or €58 in total, and a multiple entry voucher about $83 or €83 (checked September 2026).

You can only pay in US dollars or euros, with a Mastercard, Visa or Maestro card. The card does not need to be in your name, but it must be a 3D Secure card with international payments switched on.

Single or multiple entry?

Since 1 May 2025, travelers who pay the Entry Fee can choose between the two. The Multiple Entry Fee allows up to five entries within three months. The government introduced it to make trips easier between Suriname, Brazil and French Guiana, so it suits you if your route leaves the country and returns.

VFS states two things about the voucher's validity: that it is valid for three months after your first arrival, and that its validity starts on the date you pay. Until that is clarified, pay for it close to your trip, and plan to use all five entries within three months of paying.

How to apply

Use the official portal, suriname.vfsevisa.com, operated by VFS Global for the Government of Suriname.

1. Start an application and enter your passport details.
2. Upload a copy of your passport.
3. Pay the fee online.
4. Receive an email with your payment confirmation, a reference number and a copy of your application.

Apply at least 72 hours before departure, and earlier during busy travel periods. Fees are generally not refundable once an application has been processed.

Airlines check for the Entry Fee at check-in, so have your confirmation ready on your phone. Carrying a printout as a backup costs nothing.

Paying at a land border

Since 1 January 2023, the government has also allowed the Entry Fee to be paid in person at the border posts in Cayenne and Saint-Laurent (French Guiana) and at South Drain in Nickerie (the Guyana border), instead of online.

Agencies charge extra

Third-party agencies will submit the application for you, and they add their own fee. For example, the Dutch agency YourVisa lists €108 including VAT for a single Entry Fee (checked September 2026), compared with about €58 on the official portal. You do not need an agency to apply.

The Immigration Customs Form (ICF)

Since 15 January 2025, every passenger traveling to or from Suriname must complete the ICF online at icf.sr. You fill in an arrival form before you fly in and a departure form before you fly out. The form opens 7 days before your flight, and you receive a QR code to save or screenshot.

Surinam Airways states that passengers without a valid ICF QR code may be denied boarding or entry. The ICF itself has no fee, and it is separate from the Entry Fee, so you need both. Our ICF FAQ covers the details.

After you apply

What to expect

Once you pay, the portal emails you a reference number, and the approved voucher or visa follows as a PDF, usually within about 72 hours. VFS counts working days as Monday to Friday, so a weekend or public holiday adds time. The same PDF can be downloaded again after you log in, so there is nothing to post and no stamp to collect. Save it on your phone and keep a paper copy as a backup.

If nothing has arrived after five working days, or you want to check where an application stands, use the application tracker or the contact page.

When something goes wrong

Most problems trace back to a few causes.

• No email arrives. A typo in the address is the usual reason, because the login link goes to that address. You generally have to start again with the correct one. If the address was right, check spam before contacting VFS.
• The payment fails or produces no confirmation. Look at your bank statement before trying again, so you do not pay twice. The card needs 3D Secure and international payments enabled. If money left your account but no confirmation came, VFS asks for a copy of the statement through its contact page.
• The details do not match your passport. The name on the voucher has to match the passport you will show at check-in and at immigration. If you hold two passports, apply with the one you will travel on. You also need at least a surname on the passport. If a mistake slips onto an issued document, VFS can correct it, and how long that takes depends on the error.
• VFS asks for more documents. You have 30 days. After that the application is denied and you start over.

What approval does and does not mean

The fees are not refunded, including when an application is refused. A refusal is at the discretion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and you can apply again. If you applied with family, each person is assessed separately, so one refusal does not stop the others.

Approval also does not guarantee entry. The Immigration Service makes the final decision at the airport or border, so keep your passport, voucher or visa, onward ticket and ICF QR code together and answer questions about your trip plainly.

Passport and entry conditions

Even with an Entry Fee confirmation, immigration officers check the basics at the border.

• Passport validity: at least six months from the date you leave Suriname, with at least one blank page. VFS Global words it this way, and some government pages say six months from arrival, so a passport valid six months past your departure date meets both.
• Onward travel: you may be asked to show a return or onward ticket.
• Yellow fever: a vaccination certificate is required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever transmission risk. Travelers arriving directly from Europe, North America or the Caribbean usually do not need one. Always check the current health requirements before you travel.

How long you can stay

The Entry Fee covers a stay of up to 90 days. The immigration officer decides the length of stay stamped in your passport on arrival, so check your stamp. If you receive a shorter stay, such as 30 days, you can ask the Aliens Police (Vreemdelingendienst) in Paramaribo for an extension before it expires. The total stay cannot exceed 90 days.

Overstaying can lead to fines or problems with future entry. Do not assume an extension will be granted.

Traveling in the interior

Your Entry Fee confirmation or visa allows travel throughout Suriname, and trips outside Paramaribo do not need extra immigration permits. Some protected areas and nature reserves require separate park permits, which tour operators usually arrange. Carry your passport and a copy of your entry stamp when you travel within the country.

Final advice

Pay the Entry Fee on the official portal, complete the ICF within a week of your flight, check your passport's expiry date, and keep both confirmations on your phone. Fees and rules change, so confirm the current amounts on suriname.vfsevisa.com before you pay.