Suriname

We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Suriname based on HIV status.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Suriname does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.

According to the information available on the website of the Embassy of Suriname in Amsterdam, the visa application is done entirely online through VFS Global. Its website has a list of supporting documents that should be included with the visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.

It is unclear whether Suriname imposes restrictions on short-term stay of people living with HIV.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Suriname does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.

According to the list of documents to apply for short term visas available on the VFS Global website visas for family reunification, concubine and student purposes require a ‘Recent Medical Report or Health certificate (not older than 3 months)’.

It is not clear if such health certificate include HIV disclosure or testing.

It is unclear whether Suriname imposes restrictions on long-term stay of people living with HIV.

According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Suriname does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.

Non-nationals who wish to stay in Suriname for more than 90 days – regardless of the purpose of their stay – are required to request authorisation (MKV). An MKV cannot be applied for in Suriname during a stay on a tourist or business visa.

The checklist for MKV applications includes among the required documents: ‘two (2) color copies of Certificate of Health Examination for International Travelers’ and ‘two (2) color copies of valid International Certificate of Vaccination for the yellow fever’.

It is not clear if such health certificate include HIV disclosure or testing.

According to the Quick Reference Guide Entry and residence regulations for people living with HIV, and the UNAIDS Report of the International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions, in 2008, Suriname intensified regulations regarding the entry of PLHIV from specific regions. Incoming persons requiring visas and coming from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe must, in addition to health insurance, also show a health certificate which proves that neither leprosy nor sexually transmitted diseases, Hepatitis B, TBC or HIV are present. 

The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Suriname. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.

IOM reports that migrants with a regular status have access to health insurance in Suriname. According to the Basic Health Insurance Law (2014), public health care is governed by the Ministry of Health, which focuses on the prevention of diseases and finances the costs from the State budget. In terms of government-funded health care services, emergency medical treatment is provided free of charge to anyone in the country, including migrants, irrespective of migratory status. In parallel, basic health insurance is mandatory for all residents of Suriname, including foreign ones, and every resident is responsible for covering the costs. Through the payment of a premium, basic health insurance provides access to all primary care facilities. Employers are obliged to pay at least half of insurance costs, while employees cover the remainder. The law states that the Council of Ministers may grant dispensation to certain groups, including migrants, regarding the payment of insurance premiums. The Council of Ministers also has the discretion to grant migrants access to basic health insurance regardless of status.

• UNAIDS
• US Department of State
• VFS Global
• Quick Reference Guide Entry
• UNAIDS Report of the International Task Team on HIV-related Travel Restrictions
• International Organization for Migration

Migrant populations

Refugees and asylum seekers