Overseas Removals

Clearance of your personal effects and household goods(motor-vehicles excluded)
When you move to Suriname, it is possible to obtain exemption of import duty for your personal effects.

In order to apply for this exemption you will be asked to produce the following documents:
1. A residence permit, issued by the Ministry of Justice and Police.
2. A certificate of registration, issued by the Central Registration Office (C.B.B.).
You will need your certificate of removal from your former place of residence.
3. Your passport with stamps of registration.

It may take several weeks to several months in order to obtain a residence permit.
Therefore we recommend you start your application as soon as possible.
Costs of storage and port fees will be charged to your account as soon as the ship with your effects has arrived in Paramaribo.
Please take into account that new goods will be taxed with import duty.

These import duties range between 35 – 40 % of the C.I.F.-value*

If you have diplomatic status, no import duty will be imposed on your effects.
We need a copy of your passport, and we will contact Protocol for the clearance of the goods.

Export documents for your personal effects and household goods (motor-vehicles excluded). Relocating out of Suriname

When you move from Suriname, it is possible to also obtain exemption of export duty for your household effects.

In order to apply for this exemption you will be asked to produce the following documents:
1. A copy of your passport. .
2. A certificate of removal from the register (C.B.B.).
3. A packing list of your effects.
4. A certificate of the value.

If you don’t remove your name from the register, you will have to take in to account that export duty will be imposed on your effects.
Export tax is set at 0,6 % of the total value of your belongings.

* C.I.F.-value: Cost, Insurance, Freight = price with insurance and freight included

Motor vehicles

Clearance of a motor-vehicle (import)
The import of passenger cars and motor-bicycles older than 5 years is not allowed in Suriname.
For autobuses an import-prohibition is valid, in case these are older than 8 years.

If however, you should want to import a vehicle older than 5 years, you are obliged to apply for an exemption at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The vehicle may not be shipped until remission is obtained.

For your motor-vehicle to clear Customs, we draw up an ‘Enig Document’.
In order to enable us to do so, the following documents are required:
1. The documents of shipping.
2. A certificate of the value of the motor-vehicle or an invoice in case of new motor vehicles.
3. A registration certificate of the vehicle (the vehicle should be registered to your name for a period longer than 6 months).
4. Certificate of insurance for the motor-vehicle.
5. A copy of your passport.
6. A copy of your driver’s license.
7. Form of proxy to obtain clearance.

When importing a motor-vehicle you should keep in mind that Customs will always impose import duty.
This rule also applies when the motor-vehicle is part of a removal: no exemption will be given.

The import duty as set for a motor vehicle with a maximum C.I.F.-value* of US$ 25,000.- will amount to 40 % – 55 % over the total C.I.F.-value*.
In case of a higher C.I.F.-value*, the import duty may go up to 85 %.
Only if the vehicle belongs to someone with a diplomatic status, exemption of import duties can be applied for.

Export of a motor-vehicle

For the export of your motor-vehicle we require the following documents:
1. A valuation document of your motor vehicle.
2. The registration certificate of your car (the vehicle has to be registered to your name for period longer than six months).
3. Certificate of insurance for the motor-vehicle.
4. A copy of your passport.
5. Form of proxy to draw up the export documents.

The export tax for a motor-vehicle is 0.6 % of the total value.

We will make an appointment for you with the Customs preventive force, for the inspection of the motor-vehicle.
After inspection, the motor-vehicle has to be stowed in the container right away.
The container will be placed under seal by the Customs preventive force.

We strongly advise you to contact the Customs department of the country of destination, before you export your motor-vehicle.
Every country has its own Customs regulations for the import of a car.

* C.I.F.-value: Cost, Insurance, Freight = price with insurance and freight included

Import duty for gift parcels
According to the Decree issued by the Minister of Finance, no import duty will be charged for that part of the shipment per consignee which consists of: provisions, household articles, clothes, shoes and/or used bicycles, for personal use only.

The value shouldn’t exceed € 100.- (or the counter-value in foreign exchange).
If inspection by the Customs department shows that the value of the shipment surpasses € 100.-, import taxes will be charged.

These import taxes are usually set at 20 % of the value of the contents of the parcel.

Incoming and outgoing gift parcels will always be inspected by Customs.
You will be asked to establish your identity when you send a packet as well as when you come to collect your parcel.

Each consignee may receive two packages per shipment, and each consignor is allowed a limit of two packages per shipment too.
Please keep in mind that the import (as well as the export) of fish, meat and/or wood sometimes requires special permits.

*C.I.F.-value: Cost, Insurance, Freight = price with insurance and freight included

Commercial Shipments

Import documents
All goods that are not in the category of gift parcels have to be cleared.
The goods have to be reported to Customs by means of the so-called ‘Enig Document’ (a standard application-form).
Apart from the application-form, there are forms required for other purposes. For example: certificates of origin and permits.

In order to take care of the Customs clearance for your company, we require the following documents:
1. Bill of Lading.
2. An inventory of your goods.
3. An original invoice.
4. A certificate of the value.
5. Import number / Export number.
6. Tax standing number.
7. KKF number (Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

When exporting goods for the first time, your company will not yet have an import number or export number.
We can apply for these required numbers, with a certified copy of the entry at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKF) as well as a certified copy of the entry at the Tax department.

When you are a resident and you want to clear goods once only, the following documents are required:
1. Form of proxy to obtain clearance.
2. A copy of your passport or ID-card.
3. An inventory of your goods.
4. An original invoice.
5. A certificate of the value.

Export documents
When exporting commercial goods, your shipment has to be declared to Customs by means of an ‘Enig Document’ and an ‘I.T.’-form.

If you use a company name when exporting, we require the following documents:
1. An inventory of your goods.
2. An original invoice.
3. A certificate of the value.
4. Import number / Export number.
5. Tax standing number.
6. KKF number (Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

Note: some goods require export permits, for example timber.

Export tax has been fixed at 0,6 % of the invoice value of the goods.