When you expand overseas, you may want to bring your most experienced team members or hire top international talent to help your company succeed. In most cases, those employees need special permits to live and work in a country where they are not citizens.

Types of Work Visas in Suriname

There are only two types of work permits in Suriname — the Foreign Nationals Work Permit and the Gold Sector Foreign Nationals Work Permit. The latter applies only to workers employed in the gold mining industry, while the former applies to all other international employees.

Certain workers may not need a work visa at all. Since the nation is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), skilled nationals from other countries within CARICOM may live and work in-country without a permit. Other circumstances in which an international employee does not need a work permit include:

When their spouse is a citizen.
When they were born in-country, immigrated elsewhere, and re-migrated to the place of their origin.
When they have refugee status.
When they will be a country servant.

International workers must apply for a residence permit to qualify for a work permit.

Requirements to Obtain Suriname Work Visas

In Suriname, you apply for work permits on behalf of your employees. To receive a work permit for an international worker, you must complete the application and have the employee sign it. Besides the application, you need to submit:

A copy of the employee’s passport photo.
The worker’s passport or travel documents for inspection and a copy for record-keeping.
The employee’s residence permit or the VZ slip that proves they’ve applied for one — originals for inspection and copies for documentation.
Proof of payment for the application.
A statement that includes your company’s operating hours, the employee’s working hours, the expectations of their role, and a reason that an international employee is filling the position instead of a citizen.
Various documents proving your company operates lawfully, including your business license and articles of association.
Translated and legalized copies of any documents outlining the employee’s qualifications, such as diplomas and certificates.

Application Process

To obtain a work visa, follow these steps:

Consider the need for an international employee during recruiting and hiring. When you choose a candidate, draft a statement that explains why your company sourced talent elsewhere. If you’re transferring a worker from your parent company, your letter should explain why you did so.
Ensure the employee has obtained or applied for a residence permit.
Download the work permit application and complete it before having the employee verify the information and sign it.
Request all required documents listed above and make copies when necessary. You’ll need originals and copies of most official documents so agencies can inspect the originals and keep the copies on file.
Pay the application fee.
Submit the application, all employee documents, and your company’s records to the Ministry of Labor, Technological Development and Environment’s Foreigners’ Work Permit Department.
Wait for the decision — you should receive the work permit or a rejection within 30 days, but special circumstances may create a 60-day waiting period.
If the Ministry of Labor does not accept the application, you may submit an appeal within 30 days of the rejection.

Other Important Considerations

Failure to secure work permits for your employees can leave your company open for penalties. In countries where little information is available about work permit expirations and renewals, companies may struggle to employ international workers legally.

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Suriname

Suriname Work Visas and Permits

Types of Work Visas in Suriname

Requirements to Obtain Suriname Work Visas

Application Process

Other Important Considerations

Partner With Globalization Partners

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