Taking your pet to Suriname: an import permit from the Veterinary Service, and two weeks apart

Can your dog or cat come to Suriname? Yes, with a veterinary import permit that you apply for in advance from the Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, and a health certificate from the competent authority in the Netherlands, the NVWA, in Dutch or English. The find at the source is the mild rabies rule: for animals from a rabies-free country a vaccination according to the vaccine's instructions is enough, without a titre test. The pitfall is in the last week: the clinical examination and the treatment against worms and ectoparasites must both fall within seven days before the export date, and the Veterinary Service wants to know at least 48 hours before arrival when and where the animal comes in.

What exactly does Suriname require?

Requirement	What the LVV conditions say
Import permit	in advance, from the Veterinary Service; application form by e-mail or on paper, or via the government's e-form
Health certificate	from the competent authority of the country of origin, in Dutch or English
Clinical examination	within seven days before the export date, with no signs of infectious disease or ectoparasites
Vaccinations dog	parvo, distemper, leptospirosis, coronavirus, hepatitis and para-influenza
Rabies from a rabies-free country	vaccinated or revaccinated according to the manufacturer's instructions
Rabies from a non-rabies-free country	plus a titre test of at least 0.5 IU/ml, three to twelve months before departure
Parasites	broad-spectrum deworming and treatment against ectoparasites within seven days before departure
Notification	at least 48 hours before arrival to the head of the Veterinary Service, with time and place of entry
After arrival	at least two weeks apart from other animals; moving, selling or giving away only with permission

How do you get the import permit?

The importer, which is you, must hold a valid veterinary import permit on arrival. You request the application form and submit it to the Veterinary Service in Paramaribo, on paper or by e-mail; the address is in the conditions. The government also has an e-form for the import of animals, on which you fill in the district, the kind of animal and the destination. The health certificate belongs with the application, so the permit is only complete once the NVWA route in the Netherlands has been followed.

For cats the same rules apply, with a shorter vaccination list: the cat conditions name no vaccines other than rabies, and otherwise the same clinical examination, the same parasite treatment and the same notification.

What do you arrange with the NVWA?

In the Netherlands the NVWA is the authority that issues or legalises the health certificate, and its step-by-step plan opens with the warning that preparation for a country outside the EU can take weeks to well over half a year. For Suriname it is shorter, because there is no titre test, but the order matters. Check in the NVWA's Export Assistant whether an agreed certificate exists for Suriname; if not, e-mail dpp@nvwa.nl with the species, destination, travel date and purpose and you get the applicable requirements back. Make sure the chip and the rabies vaccination are in the EU pet passport, and plan the clinical examination and the parasite treatment in the last seven days, with the certification straight after.

Seven days, twice. The clinical examination and the treatment against worms and ectoparasites must both fall in the last seven days before departure, and the certificate must still be issued and legalised after that. Anyone who visits the vet too early starts again; anyone who goes too late misses the certification. Fix the appointments counting back from the flight date.

What happens after arrival?

The animal stays apart from other animals for at least two weeks, and during that period it may only be moved, resold or given away with the permission of the head of the Veterinary Service. The inspecting officers may inspect and take blood or faeces, and at any sign of illness you report it immediately. If the permit holder does not comply with the conditions, the service can refuse the import and withdraw the permit, at your expense. A home address in Paramaribo where the animal can stay quietly for two weeks is therefore part of the preparation, and the first weeks themselves are in the step-by-step plan for Suriname.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 4 of 5 of the journey, step 4.4: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Suriname or go straight to step 4.4 in the open plan.