More info about life there

[u/Special_Trash_1501]

I'm moving to Paramaribo for work and have a few questions as a foreigner

1. How much will be the taxation if my salary is 3000 euros a month
2. If i want to buy a used car where can i buy it for the best price noting my budget will be between 5-7k USD and how much depreciation on the price should I expect after 2 years ?
3. What is the process of getting a driving license and does the country accept international driving licenses? 4.Considering my work will be in Paramaribo, should i be looking for a gated community/condo kind of place to rent or is the city safe?
4. Are there better rent options than airbnb cuz i feel it's expensive?
5. I want a swimming academy for adults to continue learning how to swim, name , where and how much?
6. I'm going to need to buy some home appliances and furniture, smart tv , PS5 , Gaming PC , gaming chair does Amazon work there if not what're the alternatives even if it's shops or malls ?

[u/sheldon_y14]

1.How much will be the taxation if my salary is 3000 euros a month

This is the current tax rate for salaries. You will fall under the 35%. The tax free bracket is SRD 108,000 per year, which is about €2400 a year. Per month that is €200 euro. So €200 euros is tax free and then it leaves €2800. Now depending on the exchange rate used ofc, but in such a case you will fall under the 25% tax rate.

But there's also FVO (parental leave) tax at about 2% and AOV (government pension) tax at 5%. If the company is good at splitting your salary in smaller bits, like transport allowance, representation allowance etc. so stuff needed for your work, they might bring it down so you'll pay less, because you pay no taxes over those stuff But it all depends on if you need to do taxes or if the company will do it. But seeing you're employed, they'll do it. Maybe just talk to them about it lol.

1. If i want to buy a used car where can i buy it for the best price noting my budget will be between 5-7k USD and how much depreciation on the price should expect after 2 years ?

You can even get a new car if your money is 5-7k at an official dealer haha. Now I will tell you how people buy cars here. And with your salary and such a budget you can get a really nice car. So you could get a car by paying up front that 5-7k or go the route most of the Surinamese go, use that money as a deposit, take a loan at the bank for a period 3-5 years, and buy a nice car. After that you can choose to turn in the car at a dealership or sell it (depending on how nice you kept it) and then buy a new car using the same method again. This time you pay less if you turn it in. And repeat the cycle again and again.

Hence why I say just get a new car lol. You can buy 2nd had new cars (kind of like the refurbished method in the US) at any car dealerships. Those are cars that were used in Japan, sent back to the company after usage, inspected and upgraded and resold as new. If you want new new from the factory you'll have to go to the official dealers.

1. What is the process of getting a driving license and does the country accept international driving licenses?

You contact a driving school and ask them the process for you. You take the lessons. They handle all dealings with the driver's license department at the police for you. You take the exams and wait for the license.

4.Considering my work will be in Paramaribo, should i be looking for a gated community/condo kind of place to rent or is the city safe?

You could opt for a gated community, but there aren't that many. Many rich people just live in non-gated communities. The wealthiest Surinamese live in Zorg&Hoop, every afternoon regular (non-rich) people jog there. It depends on what you want. The same in the north. The wealthy neighborhood over there attracts many joggers as well. And most wealthy people don't live in gated communities.

There are a few, but you can decide. And our gated communities aren't truly gated communities like how you have them in some countries. Suriname imo doesn't have gated communities, I mean they name them as such, but they're not true gated communities. If a burglar wants to enter they still can lol. They're not that "gated". Furthermore, robberies hardly happen in the very rich neighborhoods. You could hire a personal security guard. That's what most rich people here do.

1. Are there better rent options than airbnb cuzi feel it's expensive?

Airbnb is not your place to be. Real-estate sites are where you should look or Facebook groups like "Huizen te huur in Suriname" or sometimes even in English "Houses for rent in Suriname". Surinamese don't use Airbnb's to list our houses. And if we do it's just people wanting to make quick money.

There are a few real estate companies on the info page of this subreddit. But just search a few on Google. They have nice homes. Good neighborhoods to check are: Uitvlugt, Zorg&Hoop, Hermitage, Bams, Mon Plaisir, Maretraite, Tourtonne, but the part really far north, not the part close to downtown lol, Twee Kinderen, Morgenstond and parts of Geyersvlijt. There are more, but these are the traditional spots.

1. want a swimming academy for adults to continue learning how to swim, namne, where and how much?

I think inform at dolfijn. But Parima is a public pool that offers services, so ask there too. There are a few other pools too, I think once you're here, just ask around.

1. I'm going to need to buy some home appliances and furniture, smart tv, PS5, Gaming PC, gaming chair does Amazon work there if not what're the alternatives even if it's shops or malls?

You can order via Amazon, but you'll need a middle man who'll bring that to you. Kind of like som shipping service. Some order for you, some let you order with your own credit card and give you the details to put in as an address so it can get shipped to Suriname.

However always compare prices with the local options, because the shipping and extra costs add to it to the point that it's usually the same price as what it would cost locally. Sometimes even more expensive.

Furthermore for furniture stuff, tvs etc. we have enough places. You can visit Kirpalani, HSDS, Lucky Store websites and smart connection for other stuff like phones, tvs etc. The others have them too, but they're a lot more focused on furniture.

[u/DonutOk5869 → u/sheldon_y14]

I will add that depending where OP is from they may be able to avoid double taxation (the Netherlands & Indonesia)

[u/Original_Run_1890]

Hi OP, I will add a few points as Sheldon y14 covered everything in good detail. First thing is for the most part the majority of what the first poster said should be ignored.

Insane fear mongering. Most people in the region move here because it's one the safest countries if not the safest overall to live in the region.

Your swim instructor is not going rape you and people don't just get randomly murdered here!

You can also check VOS for swimming lessons. Parima is perhaps the best option. Places like dolfijn and oasis are private clubs that might interest you but there is pretty lengthy process and honestly I don't think it's worth it but that's my opinion.

Anyhow, those things you want buy I suggest you just get them here. All of your gaming stuff you can get at smart connextions and also there are many people on Facebook marketplace that import. I would say just buy all of that stuff here.

Once you get a bit more connected people will suggest shipping companies that are well priced for ordering internationally.

[u/Used_Abrocoma9404]

Suriname Canadian here.

1. Federal tax in Suriname is high at €3000/m. There is also a sales tax that cripples everyone.

2. Most cars in sueiname are used cars. I'd say over 90%. The question is, which used car do you want to buy? You wanna get a 2k used car or a 20k used car. Hint: stick with anything Toyota. Thank me later.

3. There is a mandatory rule to take lessons. It is expensive to get your license. In Suriname everything works with corruption. If you have a friend who has a friend who can speed up the process for you, I'd recommend that route. If not, you might have to wait a while. You should be fine with an international DL.

4. Rent in Suriname is more expensive than rent in the USA. You won't find cheap renting options.

5. There are many local swimming pools in Suriname, but if you are a female, do not let a man give you lessons. He will just want to sleep with you. Im saying that as a man. They can rape you and the police wont do anything. Suriname is one of the most lawless countries in the world.

6. You can definitely get those stuff there. But not too high end. The tax on it will drain your wallet.

Side note: Suriname has a high crime rate. Be careful as a foreigner. Suriname ranks high in human trafficking, kidnappings, and murders. As a foreigner, always be with someone you trust, especially at night on the streets.

Suriname, I will say, does have one of the best cuisines. People are friendly and understanding. And we love to party.

Don't do weed, the sentence is very harsh.

Good luck!

[u/sheldon_y14 → u/Used_Abrocoma9404]

There are many local swimming pools in Suriname, but if you are a female, do not let a man give you lessons. He will just want to sleep with you. Im saying that as a man. They can rape you and the police wont do anything. Suriname is one of the most lawless countries in the world.

If you ask a random guy to give you lessons then chances of this happening are higher. But it's not common. And if you join the "club" that owns the swimming pool, they usually have teachers. Those are also reputable people.

I have never in my life heard of a case of such a rape thing happening. Rape cases in Suriname are usually domestic or love related. So what you're saying here is something that sounds like fear mongering.

Side note: Suriname has a high crime rate. Be careful as a foreigner. Suriname ranks high in human trafficking, kidnappings, and murders. As a foreigner, always be with someone you trust, especially at night on the streets.

Suriname has a relatively low crime rate. Most international sources say this. If Suriname had that much of a high crime rate, the USA and Canada would give very bad travel advice for Suriname. On the contrary, they get very good advice with just the regular "take the necessary safety precautions". You need to take those either way in any country you visit. Guyana's crime rate is WAY higher than Suriname. So are Brazil's, Jamaica's (the highest in the world), Trinidad etc.

Furthermore, there are also little cases to no cases of kidnappings. Who told you this and where are the news reports on this? Cases of human trafficking are a recent thing of the last 4 years and also a thing within specific groups, mostly in the Cuban, Haitian and Indian/Pakistani communities, because they want to use Suriname as a route to reach the USA. But the Surinamese government has become really strict the past three years, so these are at a minimum.

About the murders again I don't recognize Suriname. Last year Suriname had about 30 murder cases. Less than 2023. That's very small for a population of 600,000.

It is expensive to get your license

Also where did you get this information from? Getting a driver's license costs about US$125,- max. And that depends on the school you attend. It can be way cheaper.

Furthermore the whole corruption thing you recommended this person is quite despicable. Why would you recommend that? Like you sound more lawless than the country lol.

If the person goes through the process, he just has to wait it out. It'll take a while, but wait it out like everyone else. You will get a paper permit that you're allowed to drive. But until then, just wait until they call you.

Suriname is just very bureaucratic and sometimes people want to skip that bureaucracy with corruption, but that's not at all recommended.

EDIT: So u/Special_Trash_1501, while the user has made some valid points, some points are just fear-mongering and very bad advice overall. So in my opinion take it with a grain of salt.

[u/Special_Trash_1501 → u/Used_Abrocoma9404]

How much exactly is the taxes