Personal Safety
AUTHORITIES IN SURINAME HAVE EXTENDED THE EXISTING 2200-0500 CURFEW AND OTHER INTERNAL MEASURES THROUGH NOVEMBER 22 AS PART OF THE NATION'S CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) RESPONSE. ALL RESTRICTIONS ON BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES REMAIN LARGELY UNCHANGED AS OF NOVEMBER 10. MOST INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER MOVEMENT AT ALL PORTS OF ENTRY WAS PREVIOUSLY BANNED, HOWEVER, AS PART OF THE MEASURES IMPLEMENTED NOVEMBER 9-22, OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED THE PARTIAL REOPENING OF THE BORDER TO AIR TRAVEL, SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS AND PROTOCOLS SPECIFIC TO THE TRAVELERS COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. FURTHER DETAILS ON HE PARTIAL REOPENING HAVE YET TO BE ANNOUNCED. NONETHELESS, INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO REMAIN RESTRICTED FOR MOST NONRESIDENT FOREIGN NATIONALS OVER THE COMING DAYS AND WEEKS. AUTHORITIES COULD REIMPOSE, EXTEND, FURTHER EASE, OR OTHERWISE AMEND ANY RESTRICTIONS WITH LITTLE TO NO NOTICE DEPENDING ON DISEASE ACTIVITY OVER THE COMING WEEKS. AUTHORITIES COULD IMPOSE HIGHLY TARGETED LOCALIZED MEASURES IN SOME COMMUNITIES IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED ACTIVITY.
Note: this page contains basic risk information. For more details, please contact the Risk Services Office at risk@berkeley.edu.
If you are traveling to Suriname on University-related business, please sign up for the University’s travel insurance program by going here. For more information on the travel insurance program, please go here.
Because everyone’s health is unique, we suggest seeking the advice of a medical professional before traveling internationally. Members of the campus community interested in protecting their health while abroad may schedule an appointment with the University Health Services International Travel Clinic.
The geopolitical threat is high in Suriname. While relatively stable, the government faces a number of short- to medium-term challenges that are more likely to impact the government than the state or political system. The country is a parliamentary democracy. The president, who is head of both the state and the government, is elected by members of the 51-seat National Assembly and serves a five-year term. Although the country has a history of political instability, national elections in 2010 and 2015 concluded without significant incident. President Desi Bouterse, who led a military dictatorship in Suriname during the 1980s, won re-election in May 2015 with an absolute majority, with his National Democratic Party (Nationale Democratische Partij), NDP) winning 26 seats in the National Assembly.
The country faces significant challenges, including diversifying its economy away from a reliance on the mining sector and overcoming widespread poverty. Disputes between rival political parties, many of which are ordered along ethnic lines, also present an ongoing challenge. Bouterse's status as an international fugitive - he was convicted of drug-trafficking in absentia by a Dutch court - presents additional problems for the government in its conduct of foreign relations. So too does his immediate family, as his son, who was once in charge of anti-terrorist efforts in the country, was convicted of providing material support to Hizballah, as well as drug-trafficking by a court in New York, and he is currently imprisoned in the US.
The threat of terrorism is low in Suriname. Authorities have not introduced ratings based on an official national terror threat level system. Foreign governments have not issued warnings regarding terror threats in the country. No specific threats exist, and Suriname is not currently considered a potential target.
The threat of kidnapping in Suriname is minimal. Kidnappers are more likely to target locals. In the rare kidnapping cases in Suriname that are reported, the most common type of abduction relates to local personal or business conflicts. Foreign nationals are not typically victims.
Legal/Political
Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the U.S., regardless of local law.
Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy in Suriname immediately.
LGBTI Travelers: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBTI events in Suriname.