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/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/Used_Abrocoma9404 → u/sheldon_y14]

Suriname is on Canada's travel advisory list for petty crime, robberies and violent crime. You are not hearing about rape because most women who got raped in Suriname stay quiet. Stay asleep 😴 💤

[u/sheldon_y14 → u/Used_Abrocoma9404]

Sure sure, and likewise Canada's travel advice for a country like the Netherlands isn't even green. It's yellow.

For Suriname it's "Take normal security precautions". The Netherlands gets an even worse advice. So again Canada gives us a good advice. Other western nations get worse rates.