Starting a business in Suriname: foreigner's guide (2026)

There are no general limits on foreign ownership or control, and foreign and domestic entities can establish and own businesses with as little as one shareholder; there is no nationality or residency requirement for founders.

The main exception is the hydrocarbon sector, where the law reserves petroleum-related activities to the state-owned oil company Staatsolie; foreigners participate only via contracts with Staatsolie, not direct ownership.

Reserve/verify the company name at the KKF, have a local notary ratify the articles of association/bylaws (in Dutch), obtain a tax number from the tax department, and submit for approval; an NV gains legal personality only after a presidential 'declaration of no objection' and a notarial deed, and applications also go to the Ministry of Justice and Police.

For non-residents, the notary must also submit a request to the Foreign Exchange Commission (Deviezencommissie), the body regulating foreign-exchange transactions, for approval as part of registration.

A public/limited liability company (Naamloze Vennootschap, NV) — the common vehicle for larger and foreign-backed enterprises — carries a minimum share capital requirement of SRD 100,000.

There is no online business-registration website, so incorporation is handled in person via the KKF and a notary; in November 2024 Suriname launched a Digital Business License Platform to streamline activity-specific licensing, though core company formation remains manual.