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VFS Global has announced the launch of the Suriname Passport Application Service in the United States, giving Surinamese citizens a new location in New York to apply for passport renewals and register biometric data.
Suriname’s President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons inaugurated the service at a ceremony at The Westin New York Grand Central. Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation Minister Melvin W.J. Bouva, other Surinamese officials, members of the Surinamese community and Amit Kumar Sharma, VFS Global’s chief operating officer for North America and the Caribbean, attended.
The New York center is the first to open under an overseas passport and consular services project. VFS Global signed a cooperation agreement with Suriname’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation in Paramaribo on July 8, 2026, to provide passport application services for citizens abroad, according to the company.
“The opening of this Passport Application Service Centre is an expression of the responsibility our Government carries towards every Surinamese national, wherever in the world they may live,” Geerlings-Simons said. “For many of our citizens in the United States, obtaining or renewing a national passport has meant considerable expense, time away from work and long journeys to a mission.”
She said the center would bring government services closer to citizens overseas and strengthen Suriname’s ties with its diaspora.
“I commend the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Cooperation and our partner VFS Global for bringing this initiative from agreement to reality within a matter of months,” she said.
Applicants can book an appointment, submit documents and complete biometric enrollment at the New York center, VFS Global said. The company said the service is intended to reduce the need for citizens to travel long distances to a Surinamese embassy or consulate.
“It is a privilege to welcome Her Excellency the President of the Republic of Suriname to New York for the launch of this service, and to see the commitment made in Paramaribo in July translated into a center that is now serving citizens,” Sharma said.
He said VFS Global would continue working with the ministry on a phased rollout in other countries where Surinamese citizens live. The New York center will serve as the pilot for that expansion, with further technical and operational work planned in the coming months.
The launch comes as VFS Global marks its 25th year providing passport, visa and consular services for governments, the company said.
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