New members of the Suriname forum, introduce yourselves here - 2019

Hi there...

I will be moving to Suriname, Paramaribo around September, and im starting to search for information about the country, city, good neighborhoods to live in, expats community etc. 
We are a couple with 1 year old baby + 3 dogs (i hope we can manage to bring them with us...) will be moving from Israel for a few years for my husband job.

Will be great if i will be able to get some help here!

K

Hi Karen:
To find a place for rent won't be a problem. Lots of places for rent. Both furnished and unfinished. I suggest you use a realtor. Private rentals can be tricky. They'll blame you for everything and you'll end up paying.

Renaissance realty ( Omayra Bouterse ) is the realtor. She has rentals and definitely will be up front with you. Surgoed real estate is another company. Piquero is the realtor.

Furnished sometimes is not the quality you may be used to.

We live in North Paramaribo. Streets are wider and everything is within 5/10 minutes drive.  Paramaribo South is more established but the roads are narrower. That part is also very busy because of the narrow roads. In the rainy season streets every where flood. Some places worse than others. Ask the realtor.

You'll definitely will need a car. Keep in mind that people drive like crazy. Motor cycles (mopeds) are a pain.

Life is relatively inexpensive. There are all kinds of restaurants. You won't go hungry.

We lived in Suriname twice for four years each time. After all was said and done we decided to move on.

Doctor visits are about USD 9.00 let visit. Prescription drugs are cheap.

Keep in mind that this  a third world country. Lots of garbage every where.

If you  have I specify questions let me know.

Many thanks for the detailed answer!!

The information i'm getting online on a few subjects when i search in English is a bit limited, so that helps a lot!

Do you know something about tax that expats needs to pay in Suriname? the %? or maybe a website link to where i can find it...?  i have a dutch passport together with Israeli one, but my partner will have a work visa that the company he will work for will get him. I'm not planning on working there.

I have managed to find a few real estate agencies (Re/Max etc.) i will look into the names you wrote.

Something else i'm trying to look into is how to bring our dogs with us, i found a few websites that wrote that it is not such a big deal, they need vaccines like rabbis (we do it here anyway..) and a few more, and a health certificate from the veterinarian up to 2 weeks before arrival, but any other information you can help me with will be great!

I'm not worried about the trash around, (unfortunately in Israel the situation is not that good as well) but do they have in Paramaribo basic infrastructure like sewage? running water ? (i see in pictures that many homes have a big black water tank near the house...why? ) electricity 24/7? or it's only in some areas where infrastructure is working?

I am trying to accept the fact we are moving to a country where life quality is lower then what we used to, but am looking at that as a big experience... i understand that the food is good, and with big variety, and that people there are very friendly...

Hi Karen:

We are expats from Canada and presently live in SME (Suriname). 

We have our income from Canada and pay our taxes in Canada. In your husband case he probably will need to pay taxes in SME. Not sure. ReMax is not on my favorite list. We had a house In a gated community and ReMax just wasn't interested. We listed with renaissance and the house was sold right away. That really surprised me as houses don't sell fast.

There is electricity 24/7. No problem. Everyone has those black tanks that hold water. The reason being that the pressure isn't great so all houses have a duro tank with a pump. The tank fills up during the day and night. All rentals have one. We have two large tanks so we never run out of Water. Cooking is done with gas bombs. We have two so when one runs out we switch and have the empty one filled right away.

Bringing a dog is no problem. Just make sure all vaccination are up to date.

The infrastructure is not too bad. Watch out for the pot holes. They is no city sewer but all houses have septic tanks.
Is your husband working in the oil industry?

Make sure you rent a place where the street doesn't floods.
[link moderated]. She speaks English. You can mentioned I gave you her name. She has contacts and will be able to assist.

Hope this helps. Any thing else just ask

Thank you for the welcome.

I'm a retired (due to disability) foreign language teacher planning to move to Suriname for its climate (hot and humid is ideal for me!), its low COL, and its relative safety (from natural disasters, crime, war).

I've been toying w/the idea for a while, but, after the recent, unexpected death of my father, whom I helped care for, I am having to light a fire under my butt and move beginning 2020.

I read in @ercoyc's replies that flooding is a problem and that a car is a necessity. I do not drive, except for an electric mobility scooter. I'd like to be able to zip around in that as much as possible.

I have loads of questions, but, for right now, transportation is a major concern, especially since rain/thunderstorms are forecast for 9 days straight in Paramaribo.

Any suggestions/instructions/contacts appreciated!

Thank you again!

Having a mobility scooter will.present many challenges. There are no bicycle paths and cars can be less than  considerate some time. Not all roads are paved.
Keep in mind you'll need a visa to stay long term in Suriname. Canadians and Americans can obtain a short term tourist visa on the airport. It might be worth your time to check it out first. Cops Airline just started with flights to Suriname. Worth looking into.

Hello everyone,

My name is Adrián. I am from Costa Rica.

I am planning to move to Paramaribo with my wife, baby  (2 years) and cat.

I have many questions regarding housing, vehicle, pets, doctors.

To start, is there an update regarding the best way to find a nice house. I am not liking REMAX.

Also, is there a sports club or country club where my family could spend time while I am away (i might be traveling in the region).

If there is a way to get in more direct contact with some of you (private message, skype, etc) to have a talk, please let me know.

Best regards and many thanks.
Adrián.