What it costs to buy property in Suriname
A foreign buyer should budget roughly 8.1%–8.2% of the purchase price on top of the price itself. A licence is required before you can take title.
What you pay
- Stamp duty (zegelrecht)4.0% of the price$20,000
- Notary fee3.0% of the price$15,000
- MI-GLIS registration0.5% of the price$2,500
- BTW on the notary fee0.3% of the price$1,500
- Valuation0.3%–0.4% of the price$1,250–$1,750
| On a purchase of | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp duty (zegelrecht) | $10,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Notary fee | $7,500 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| BTW on the notary fee | $750 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| MI-GLIS registration | $1,250 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Valuation | $625 – $875 | $1,250 – $1,750 | $2,500 – $3,500 |
| Total on top of the price | 8.1%–8.2% | 8.1%–8.2% | 8.1%–8.2% |
Can you buy as a foreigner?
Licence required
A foreigner can hold freehold (eigendom), but a non-resident needs a foreign-exchange permit from the Deviezencommissie, which the notary applies for. Check the title before anything else: much land is state leasehold (grondhuur), which the state grants only to Surinamese nationals and companies, and whose transfer needs the minister's consent — in practice given against a nationality declaration.
Allow several weeks
No official turnaround is published; the commission's approval is reported to take weeks. Registration at MI-GLIS is slower still, and a transfer commonly takes three to six months from signing.
Take it with you
These figures as a PDF, worked out at the price you enter, with every source and the date it was checked.
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Nearby markets compared
What a foreign buyer pays on top of a $500,000 price, here and in the markets around it nearest in cost.
- VenezuelaNo licence0.9%–2.6%
- ColombiaNo licence2.4%–3.4%
- GuyanaNo licence4.3%–5.3%
- French GuianaNo licence7.5%–8.3%
- SurinameLicence needed8.1%–8.2%
An estimate for budgeting, not legal or tax advice. These rates are traced to published sources but have not been reviewed by a practitioner in this jurisdiction. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.
The 4% duty is from the amending law itself. The notary and registry figures come from MI-GLIS, whose FAQ still gives the pre-2022 stamp duty, so they may be older than they look. Together these come to about 8%, in line with the 8–10% local agents quote. Not included: agent commission, which the seller pays, and BTW on a developer's sale of a new build, which the 2023 BTW amendments left unclear — ask the notary before buying new.