Overview
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Region | Latin America |
| ISO 3166-1 | SR / SUR |
| Registry | KKF (Handelsregister) |
| Last updated | 2026-05-06 |
Identifiers
Collect two identifiers from each business customer in Suriname and submit them as strings on the application body.| API field | Local name | Issuer |
|---|---|---|
businessInfo.taxId | FIN | Belastingdienst Suriname |
businessInfo.businessEntityId | KKF-registratienummer | KKF (Handelsregister) |
Sector regulators
CBvS · FIU Suriname/MOT · KKF
Legal structures
| Local name | Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Naamloze Vennootschap | N.V. | Share-capital company with separate legal personality; incorporated by notarial deed and KKF registration; shareholders have limited liability. The sole share-capital vehicle in Surinamese law. Equivalent to a US C-Corp. |
| Vennootschap onder Firma | V.O.F. | General partnership of two or more persons conducting business under a common name; all partners bear unlimited joint liability; separate legal personality; KKF registration required. Equivalent to a US General Partnership (GP). |
| Commanditaire Vennootschap | C.V. | Limited partnership with at least one managing partner bearing unlimited liability and one or more silent (commanditaire) partners with liability capped at their contribution; KKF registration required. Equivalent to a US Limited Partnership (LP). |
| Maatschap | — | Civil-law partnership of two or more persons pooling contributions toward a common purpose; no separate legal personality; partners share profits and bear personal liability pro rata. Used primarily by professionals (lawyers, accountants). Equivalent to a US General Partnership (GP). |
| Eenmanszaak | — | Sole proprietorship operated by a single natural person; no separate legal personality; owner bears unlimited personal liability; KKF registration required. Equivalent to a US Sole Proprietorship. |
| Coöperatieve Vereniging | — | Cooperative association formed by members to pursue shared economic or social objectives; incorporated by notarial deed; must be registered in the KKF trade register. Common in agriculture, credit, and housing sectors. Equivalent to a US Cooperative. |
| Stichting | — | Foundation with separate legal personality, established by notarial deed for social, charitable, or economic purposes; no members or shareholders; registered in the Public Foundation Register and (if conducting economic activities) also in the KKF trade register. Equivalent to a US Foundation or Association. |
| Vereniging | — | Membership association with legal personality; incorporated by notarial deed; must register at KKF if conducting economic activities. Used for trade associations, professional bodies, and non-profit purposes. Equivalent to a US Nonprofit Corporation or Association. |
| Buitenlandse Vennootschap (bijkantoor) | — | Branch or representative office of a foreign legal entity registered in the KKF trade register; not a separate legal entity — the parent company retains full liability. Equivalent to a US Branch or Representative Office. |
How documents combine
For each evidence area, this table shows whether the listed documents are alternatives (any one of) or a bundle (all required). The artifact-by-artifact lookup follows below.| Evidence area | Documents needed |
|---|---|
| Legal Registration | Uittreksel Handelsregister |
| Constitutive Documents | All required: Notariële Akte van Oprichting + Statuten |
| Tax Registration | Any one of: FIN · BTW-registratiebewijs |
| Operating Permit | Bedrijfsvergunning |
| Ownership Records | Aandeelhoudersregister |
| Governance Records | Uittreksel Handelsregister |
| Signing Authority | Any one of: Bestuursbesluit · Notariële Volmacht |
| Address | Any one of: Huurovereenkomst · Nutsrekening · Bankafschrift |
Documents to collect
The physical documents you’ll collect from your customer, with the evidence area each one proves. One document can prove multiple areas — for example, Brazil’s Cartão CNPJ covers both tax and business-registration proof, so it appears once with both areas listed.| Document | Proves |
|---|---|
| Uittreksel Handelsregister | Legal Registration, Governance Records |
| Notariële Akte van Oprichting | Constitutive Documents |
| Statuten | Constitutive Documents |
| FIN | Tax Registration |
| BTW-registratiebewijs | Tax Registration |
| Bedrijfsvergunning | Operating Permit |
| Aandeelhoudersregister | Ownership Records |
| Bestuursbesluit | Signing Authority |
| Notariële Volmacht | Signing Authority |
| Huurovereenkomst | Address |
| Nutsrekening (≤90 dagen) | Address |
| Bankafschrift (≤90 dagen) | Address |
| Sector-Specific License | CBvS vergunning |
Collection notes
- Legal Registration: KKF extract confirming legal existence, registration number, registered address, and directors.
- Constitutive Documents: Notarial deed plus articles (statuten) required for N.V.; notarial deed mandatory for any amendment.
- Tax Registration: VAT registration certificate issued by Belastingdienst Suriname carrying the FIN; mandatory for BTW-liable businesses.
- Operating Permit: Issued by Business Licenses Department, Ministry of Economic Affairs; valid 3 years; required for companies in designated regulated sectors.
- Sector-Specific License: CBvS licenses for banks, insurance, pension funds, money exchange, money transfer, and securities firms; FIU registration required for non-bank financial intermediaries.
- Ownership Records: N.V. must maintain a shareholders register; publicly traded shares excepted.
- Governance Records: Directors (directeuren) listed in the KKF Handelsregister extract; N.V. may have an optional Raad van Commissarissen (supervisory board) whose members are also listed.
- Signing Authority: Board resolution (bestuursbesluit) by the N.V. directors; or a notarially executed power of attorney (notariële volmacht).
- Address: Lease (no time bound) OR utility bill OR bank statement, with utility/bank dated within 90 days. Same evidence satisfies both registered-address and operating-address checks.
Person roles
When you submit a person on the application body, set theirrole to one of Conduit’s canonical BusinessPersonRole values. Use this table to map a local corporate-governance title onto the right canonical role.
| Local role | Canonical API role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Beherende vennoot | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Managing partner in C.V.; conducts daily operations and binds the entity. |
| Directeur | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Director of N.V.; authorized to conduct legal transactions and manage daily operations. |
| Gevolmachtigde | LEGAL_REPRESENTATIVE | Holder of notariële volmacht; authorized to act on behalf of the company. |
| Commissaris (RvC) | CONTROLLING_PERSON | Member of the Raad van Commissarissen (optional supervisory board) in larger N.V.s. |
Notes
- No B.V. structure. The private limited liability company (besloten vennootschap) does not exist in Surinamese law; the N.V. is the sole share-capital vehicle. Do not accept B.V. formations as valid local entities.
- New Civil Code + Handelsregisterwet in effect from 2025-05-01. S.B. 2024 nos. 164 and 169 replaced the Burgerlijk Wetboek and the 1936 Trade Register ordinance; the presidential “verklaring van geen bezwaar” for standard-statute N.V.s is abolished. Existing N.V.s continue under transitional rules.
- VAT introduced January 2023; FIN replaces legacy TOT number. Businesses incorporated before 2023 may carry both legacy TOT numbers and the new FIN. Collect the FIN from the BTW-registratiebewijs.
- Apostille party by succession. Suriname is a contracting party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention (entry into force 1975-11-25; succession declared 1976-10-29). Documents certified with apostille are accepted internationally.