The +597 country code is for Suriname. This small South American nation sits on the northeastern shoulder of the continent, wedged between Guyana to the west, French Guiana to the east, and Brazil to the south. With a population of around 620,000, Suriname is South America's smallest sovereign state. The capital Paramaribo holds roughly half the country's population; its inner city of Dutch colonial wooden buildings is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Suriname is the only Dutch-speaking country in South America -- it was a Dutch colony (Dutch Guiana) until independence in 1975.

Quick answer: The country code +597 is for Suriname. Suriname phone numbers are 7 digits after +597. Mobile numbers start with 7 or 8: +597 XXX XXXX. Landlines often start with 4 (Paramaribo) or other digits for districts. There is no trunk prefix -- dial the number exactly as written.

How to call Suriname: quick reference

Suriname does not use a trunk prefix. The domestic number is the same as the international number minus the country code. No leading 0 to drop.

Calling from Dialing format
US/Canada mobile +597 [7-digit number]
US/Canada landline 011-597-[7-digit number]
United Kingdom (UK) 00-597-[7-digit number]
Netherlands 00-597-[7-digit number]
France (French Guiana) 00-597-[7-digit number]
Most of Europe 00-597-[7-digit number]

The Netherlands is listed because Suriname was a Dutch colony and the largest Surinamese diaspora is there -- about 350,000 people of Surinamese origin live in the Netherlands, more than half the population of Suriname itself. French Guiana is the eastern neighbour with significant cross-border movement.

Understanding Suriname phone numbers

Suriname uses a straightforward 7-digit numbering system. The format is simple: dial +597 followed by 7 digits. There's no area code structure for mobile numbers, and landline numbers embed the district information in the first digit or two.

The first digit generally indicates the type of number:

  • 7XX XXXX: Mobile number (Digicel).
  • 8XX XXXX: Mobile number (Telesur).
  • 4XX XXXX: Landline (Paramaribo area).
  • 3XX XXXX, 5XX XXXX: Landlines in districts outside Paramaribo.

If someone gives you a Surinamese number, add +597 in front and dial. No trunk prefix to worry about.

Mobile numbers

Suriname has two mobile operators:

  • Telesur: Prefixes 8XX. The state-owned Telecommunicatiebedrijf Suriname (Telesur) is the incumbent operator and has been providing telecommunications services since 1980. Telesur has the most extensive coverage, including remote interior areas. The carrier offers both 3G and 4G LTE services in urban areas.
  • Digicel Suriname: Prefixes 7XX. The Jamaica-based Digicel Group entered Suriname in 2007 and quickly captured significant market share with aggressive pricing and marketing. Digicel is popular among younger users and in urban areas. Coverage in the interior is more limited than Telesur.

Many Surinamese carry SIM cards from both operators, switching for coverage or cheaper on-network rates. The market is roughly 50/50.

Landline numbers

Telesur operates the fixed-line network. Landline numbers in Suriname start with digits that roughly indicate the geographic area:

  • Paramaribo: Numbers starting with 4 (e.g., 47X XXXX, 48X XXXX).
  • Wanica (greater Paramaribo area): Numbers starting with 5.
  • Nickerie: Numbers starting with 3.
  • Commewijne, Marowijne: Various prefixes in the 3XX range.

Few Surinamese have landlines. You'll find them in businesses, government offices, and some older households in Paramaribo, but most people just use mobiles.

Mobile carriers in Suriname

Telesur is the legacy operator with deeper roots. As the state-owned carrier, Telesur controls the fixed-line infrastructure, the internet backbone, and was historically the only mobile provider. It maintains better coverage in the remote interior -- important for a country where vast rainforest separates small communities. Telesur also operates the main data centres and international connectivity.

Digicel entered in 2007 and dropped prices. Mobile ownership expanded quickly after that. Digicel's branding is everywhere in Paramaribo -- billboards, shop signs, sponsored events. The carrier pushes data packages and promotions harder than Telesur.

Both carriers offer mobile money, though it hasn't taken off the way it has in Africa. More Surinamese have bank accounts than in most of the region.

Don't confuse +597 with nearby codes

Suriname sits in a region with several similar-looking country codes. Here's what's what:

Code Country Language
+597 Suriname Dutch
+592 Guyana English
+594 French Guiana French
+593 Ecuador Spanish
+598 Uruguay Spanish

The +592/+594/+597 cluster covers the three Guianas on South America's northern coast. Each was colonized by a different European power (British, French, Dutch) and has a different official language. Ecuador (+593) and Uruguay (+598) are nowhere near Suriname but have codes close enough to cause typos.

Time zone considerations

Suriname is on Suriname Time (SRT, UTC-3) year-round with no daylight saving time. This is the same offset as Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and parts of eastern Brazil.

Your location Time difference Call Suriname 9 AM - 6 PM
US East Coast (EST) Suriname is 2 hours ahead 7 AM - 4 PM EST
US East Coast (EDT) Suriname is 1 hour ahead 8 AM - 5 PM EDT
US West Coast (PST) Suriname is 5 hours ahead 4 AM - 1 PM PST
Netherlands (CET) Suriname is 4 hours behind 1 PM - 10 PM CET
Netherlands (CEST) Suriname is 5 hours behind 2 PM - 11 PM CEST
UK (GMT) Suriname is 3 hours behind 12 PM - 9 PM GMT

Tip: The Netherlands-Suriname connection works well for evening calls from Europe. When it's 7 PM in Amsterdam, it's 1 PM or 2 PM in Paramaribo -- a reasonable time to catch someone during lunch or early afternoon.

Communication in Suriname

Dutch is the official language and the language of government, education, media, and formal business. It's the primary language in schools and universities. However, Dutch isn't what most Surinamese speak at home.

Sranan Tongo (also called Surinamese or Taki-Taki) is the creole lingua franca. It developed as a contact language between enslaved Africans and Dutch colonizers, with influences from English, Portuguese, and West African languages. Sranan Tongo is the street language and the language of everyday conversation -- you'll hear it in markets, on buses, and between friends. Most Surinamese are fluent in both Dutch and Sranan Tongo.

Suriname has an unusual number of languages for its size:

  • Sarnami Hindi: Spoken by the Hindustani community, descendants of Indian contract workers who came in the 19th century. About 27% of the population.
  • Javanese: Spoken by the Javanese community, descendants of Indonesian contract workers. About 14% of the population.
  • Chinese: Hakka and Cantonese, spoken by the Chinese community.
  • Maroon languages: Saramaccan, Ndyuka, and others spoken by descendants of escaped enslaved Africans who formed communities in the interior.
  • Indigenous languages: Arawak, Carib, and others spoken by Amerindian communities.

If you're calling a business in Paramaribo, Dutch is the expected language. For personal calls, you might hear Sranan Tongo, Sarnami, or Javanese depending on the community.

Business hours in Suriname generally follow a morning-afternoon pattern: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM or 8 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday. Government offices often close earlier. Saturday mornings are common for shopping but not business operations.

The Suriname diaspora connection

The largest Surinamese community abroad lives in the Netherlands -- approximately 350,000 people of Surinamese origin, compared to 620,000 in Suriname itself. More than half as many Surinamese live in the Netherlands as in Suriname.

The diaspora concentrated in the Netherlands for historical reasons:

  • Independence migration (1975): When Suriname became independent, residents could choose to retain Dutch citizenship and move to the Netherlands. About 100,000 did.
  • Post-coup migration (1980s): The 1980 military coup and subsequent political instability triggered another wave.
  • Ongoing family reunification: The established community in the Netherlands continues to draw family members.

Amsterdam is the center of Surinamese-Dutch life, particularly the Bijlmer neighbourhood in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. Rotterdam and The Hague also have significant communities. Surinamese restaurants, bakeries, and toko (grocery stores) are common in these cities. Sranan Tongo is spoken openly on the streets of the Bijlmer.

Other diaspora locations:

  • United States: A smaller community, estimated at 10,000-20,000, concentrated in South Florida (Miami area) and New York.
  • French Guiana: Significant cross-border population, often moving for work in the French territory.
  • Aruba, Curaçao: Dutch Caribbean islands with Surinamese communities.

Phone calls between the Netherlands and Suriname are routine. Birthdays, holidays, and funerals trigger waves of international calls. The timezone difference (4-5 hours) makes evening calls from Europe practical -- 7 PM in Amsterdam is early afternoon in Paramaribo.

Dialing examples

Example 1: Calling a Paramaribo mobile (Digicel) from the US

  • Surinamese number: 723 4567
  • From a US mobile: +597 723 4567
  • From a US landline: 011 597 723 4567

Example 2: Calling a Paramaribo mobile (Telesur) from the Netherlands

  • Surinamese number: 865 4321
  • From Netherlands: 00 597 865 4321

Example 3: Calling a Paramaribo landline from the UK

  • Surinamese number: 471 2345
  • From UK: 00 597 471 2345

Example 4: Calling a Nickerie district landline from French Guiana

  • Surinamese number: 321 6789
  • From French Guiana: 00 597 321 6789

Common mistakes to avoid

Here are the most common mistakes when dialing the +597 country code:

  • Adding a leading 0: Suriname has no trunk prefix. Don't add a 0 before the number. If the number is 723 4567, dial +597 723 4567, not +597 0723 4567.
  • Dialing 8 digits instead of 7: Suriname numbers are 7 digits. If your contact gave you 8 digits, double-check -- they may have accidentally included a digit from another format.
  • Confusing +597 with +592 (Guyana): Both countries border each other, but Guyana is English-speaking and Suriname is Dutch-speaking. Very different places.
  • Confusing +597 with +594 (French Guiana): French Guiana is next door but it's a French overseas department, using the euro and French phone system.
  • Expecting Spanish: Suriname is not a Spanish-speaking country. Dutch is official, Sranan Tongo is common. Spanish is rarely spoken.
  • Calling during Netherlands evening: Remember the time difference. When it's 10 PM in Amsterdam, it's 4 PM or 5 PM in Paramaribo -- still reasonable. But calling at midnight Netherlands time means calling at 6 PM or 7 PM in Suriname during dinner.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What country has the +597 country code?

The +597 country code is for Suriname, the only Dutch-speaking country in South America.

How many digits is a Suriname phone number?

Suriname phone numbers are 7 digits after +597. Mobile numbers typically start with 7 (Digicel) or 8 (Telesur). Landlines start with other digits depending on the district.

How do I call Suriname from the USA?

From a mobile phone, dial +597 followed by the 7-digit number. From a landline, dial the US exit code 011, then 597, then the 7-digit number. No leading 0 to drop.

How do I call Suriname from the Netherlands?

Dial 00 597 followed by the 7-digit Surinamese number. Or on a mobile, use the international format: +597 plus the 7-digit number.

What time zone is Suriname in?

Suriname is on Suriname Time (SRT, UTC-3) year-round with no daylight saving. It's 4-5 hours behind the Netherlands depending on the season.

What language do they speak in Suriname?

Dutch is the official language. Sranan Tongo is the widely spoken creole lingua franca. Many Surinamese also speak Sarnami Hindi, Javanese, Chinese, or English, depending on their community.

What is the difference between +597 and +592?

+597 is Suriname (capital: Paramaribo, Dutch-speaking). +592 is Guyana (capital: Georgetown, English-speaking). They share a border along the Corantijn River.

Does Suriname have a trunk prefix?

No. Suriname does not use a trunk prefix. Dial the 7-digit number directly after +597.

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