Getting married in Suriname
Suriname only marries couples where one of you lives there, so this is the one country I usually cannot arrange a wedding in. Here is what that means, and where to go instead.
The only Dutch-speaking country in the Americas, with a colonial capital on the edge of a vast Amazonian interior. Beautiful, and the one country on this list where a destination wedding is usually not possible.
Read this first
Only if one of you lives there
Suriname will only marry a couple where at least one of you actually lives in the country. Resident means living there with legal permission to do so, on a residence permit or as a citizen who lives there. A Suriname passport does not count on its own if you live somewhere else, and neither does visiting, however long you stay. If that is not your situation, any of the other eleven will work instead.
Best suited to: Couples where one partner already lives in Suriname.
What I can do today
The travel side is ready to go, and I can bring in a planner. The licence I will confirm for your date before either of us commits to anything.
- Confirming what Suriname asks of you, with the registry, for your date
- Telling you straight away if the timing will not work for you
- Flights into Suriname for the two of you and for guests coming from different countries
- Accommodation, including a block of rooms held together for your guests
- A local planner for the day itself, brought in and managed by me
- Airport transfers and moving everybody around on the day
- One travel page for your guests, so you stop answering the same question forty times
- The marriage certificate afterwards, legalised if you need it recognised outside Suriname
You don’t have to do this yourself
I can handle the licence, the documents and the travel for a wedding in Suriname for you. I work out what your country and your destination actually ask for, get the paperwork in order, and keep it moving, so you are not the one chasing offices and re-reading forms to figure out what happens next.
A few corners of Suriname
Somewhere to start if you have not settled on a spot yet.
Historic Inner City of Paramaribo
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002: a largely intact 17th-century Dutch colonial streetplan of wooden buildings along the Suriname River, blending Dutch, other European and Creole architectural styles.
Fort Zeelandia
Built in 1667 and the oldest surviving building in Paramaribo, now home to the Surinaams Museum, standing out as one of the district’s few stone structures amid the wooden colonial buildings.
Central Suriname Nature Reserve
A UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting 1.6 million hectares of pristine rainforest in the interior: jaguars, giant river otters, harpy eagles and over 400 bird species, reached by boat and small aircraft.
Brownsberg Nature Park
A tabletop mountain plateau about 130km south of Paramaribo, with hiking trails, waterfalls and panoramic views over the Brokopondo Reservoir; a strong spot for birdwatching.
Marrying in Suriname
Can we get married in Suriname if we live abroad?
Not in most cases. Suriname will only marry a couple where at least one of you actually lives in the country. Resident means living there with legal permission to do so, on a residence permit or as a citizen who lives there. Holding a Suriname passport while living somewhere else does not count, and neither does visiting, however long you stay. If one of you does live there, get in touch and I will take it from there.
What should we do instead?
Pick another CARICOM country. Every other one on my list will marry a couple who live elsewhere, and several will do it within a day or two of you landing. Tell me what matters to you about the day and I will tell you which ones fit.
Looking at more than one country? Compare the twelve and I will help you pick.
What it costs
$100
Tell me your date for Suriname and I will confirm the procedure with the registry and come back to you either way. There is no charge for asking. A full Move Planning Consultation is $100 and comes off the booking if you go ahead.