Fourteen checks before signing
Fourteen checks before signing. Compiled by PAM Research & Analytics; legal bases in chapters 1 to 8. Checks 2 (spouse), 11 (buildings) and 12 (elevation) rest on the practice of the notarial profession, valuation and land surveying; Book 1 BW and the Bouwwet (Building Act) are not cited in this research.
| # | Check | Document | Supplied by | The question that must be answered | If "no" | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Form of title | Deed of conveyance or grondhuur decree (beschikking); for grondhuur (leasehold of state land): has the decree been registered (Decreet Uitgifte Domeingrond (Decree on the Issue of State Land), art. 11 lid 2)? | Seller; MI-GLIS | Freehold, grondhuur or old title? What designated use is stated in the decree? | Stop until the title is established | B D P |
| 2 | Titleholder, authority and marital status | Hypothecair uittreksel (register extract) (preferably no more than 28 days old); proof of identity; civil registry extract; for a legal entity: Chamber of Commerce extract and authority under the articles; powers of attorney legalised | Seller; MI-GLIS; civil-law notary | Is the seller the registered titleholder? Married, and does the spouse cooperate? Validly represented? | Stop | B D P |
| 3 | Encumbrances and history | Hypothecair uittreksel and historical extract | MI-GLIS | Mortgage, attachment, easement? Earlier transfers without consent? Pending disputes? | Condition: cancellation or settlement before conveyance | B D P |
| 4 | Heirs and estate | Certificate of inheritance; cooperation of all co-owners; for a long-undivided estate: court order (BW, art. 3:200a–200i) | Seller; civil-law notary | Is the registered titleholder still alive? If not: are all heirs known and do they cooperate? | Stop until the estate has been settled | B D P |
| 5 | Parcel, boundaries and actual use | Map with PerceelsID; field check of boundary markers; survey of occupation and use | Sworn land surveyor; MI-GLIS | Is there a PerceelsID? Are the markers in place? Do the neighbours recognise the boundary? Who uses or occupies the parcel, and under what title? | Stop: survey first; not conveyable in the event of a boundary dispute | B D P |
| 6 | Grondhuur term | Decree; renewal decree | GBB; MI-GLIS | Remaining term? Renewal applied for no later than six months before expiry, and granted? | Condition: renewal or conversion before conveyance; bank: loan term shorter than the remainder | B P |
| 7 | Subdivision and access | Subdivision approval with date and number; for state land, GBB consent; declaration on road and water strips | Ministry of Public Works (OW); Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management (GBB) | Did the lot arise from an approved plan? Is access secured as a right in rem? | Stop: not conveyable; at most an option with escrow | B D P |
| 8 | Consent to transfer (grondhuur) | Ministerial decree | GBB | Consent granted? Two years since grant elapsed? All obligations fulfilled? Bare-land fee known? | Stop until consent has been obtained | B P |
| 9 | Grondhuur fee | Receipt for the last fee paid | MI-GLIS (grondhuur online) | Arrears? Notice of default served? | Condition: settle before conveyance; three years' arrears is a ground for forfeiture | B P |
| 10 | Designated use and utilisation | Decree; change of designated use | GBB | Does the intended use fit the designated use? Was the land put to use within one year of issue? For commercial or industrial use: soil and environmental history? | Condition: apply for a change of designated use | B D P |
| 11 | Buildings | Building permit; valuation report with permit status | Seller; Ministry of Public Works; valuer | Are the buildings permitted? Deviations identified? | Condition: legalisation or price adjustment; bank: do not finance without reservation | B P |
| 12 | Elevation and drainage | Spot-height map; cross-section (RL-05); field survey | Land surveyor | Does the parcel lie above road level? How is drainage arranged? Fill costs estimated? | Price adjustment | D P |
| 13 | Nationality and residence of the buyer | Declaration of nationality; for grondhuur: review against art. 2 and 3 Decreet Uitgifte Domeingrond | Buyer; civil-law notary | Can the buyer acquire grondhuur in this capacity? | Stop: alternative is freehold (after conversion) or a Surinamese legal entity, to be reviewed separately | B P |
| 14 | Costs and currency | Valuation report (no more than one year old); cost estimate; for payment from abroad: foreign exchange licence | Valuer; civil-law notary | Have stamp duty (4%; 0.5% within the family), civil-law notary, MI-GLIS, valuation and fill been budgeted in SRD at the exchange rate on the date of the deed? | Adjust the budget | B D P |
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PAM Research & Analytics (2026). Fourteen checks before signing. In: Buying land in Suriname: fourteen checks before you sign (PAM-SI-2026-01). https://pamnv.com/data/en/fourteen-checks-before-signing-suriname.html
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