Approximate Border Location
Border Countries
Border Cities
- 🇸🇷Albina
- 🇬🇫Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Wait Times
15-45 min boat ride + 20-40 min immigration
Operating Hours
Boats run ~07:00-18:00 (less on weekends); PAF office 08:00-18:00 weekdays
Crossing Types
Informal pirogue / speedboat shuttle
Border Type
River (Maroni/Marowijne)
Peak Times
Weekday mornings (market days)
Daily Crossings
5-15 boats per day
Currency Exchange
SRD, EUR, USD
Safety Information
Medium-high: pickpocketing and hassling at Albina jetty; avoid illegal crossings; gold-mining areas unstable
Languages Spoken
Dutch, Sranan Tongo, Maroon languages, French, Creole
Accessibility Features
Basic ramps at main jetties; no dedicated wheelchair boats
About Albina & Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni
Albina – Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni: Ten Minutes by Pirogue from Suriname to France
A narrow wooden pirogue skims across the wide Maroni River and in less than ten minutes you leave the laid-back former Dutch colony of Suriname and step into the European Union. This is the Albina to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni crossing, one of the shortest and strangest international journeys in South America. You swap Surinamese dollars for euros, Caribbean creole for French baguettes, and developing-country rules for full metropolitan France regulations, all without ever seeing a bridge.
A River That Has Always Been the Border
The Maroni has separated French and Dutch territory since the 1700s. Politicians promised a modern bridge for decades. Funding appeared, pillars went up, then the project collapsed in the 1990s. Local boatmen simply took over and turned their pirogues into the official ferry service. Today dozens of long narrow canoes with outboard motors zip back and forth from dawn until dusk.
Before Crossing
Crossing borders gets messy sometimes, think political flare-ups or gates shutting fast. Good travel insurance is a must for handling doctor visits, trip disruptions, or security scares. Don’t get caught unprepared. To find a policy that’s got your back, check out reliable plans today for peace of mind.
Operating Hours
Boats start running around 06:30 and normally stop at 18:00. On Saturday market days and weekends they often continue until 19:00 or later when demand stays high. After dark the French police sometimes close the river for security reasons, so finish your crossing in daylight.
Suriname to French Guiana (Most Common Direction)
Walk down to the Albina riverfront. First stop is the small Surinamese immigration office about 50 metres back from the water. You usually get an exit stamp in under five minutes. Return to the dock, pay the boatman 5 to 10 euros depending on luggage and bargaining, climb in, and sit on the wooden benches. Ten to fifteen minutes later you step onto French soil. French border police have a small post right on the riverbank where they stamp you into the Schengen area. Most nationalities receive the standard 90 days.
French Guiana to Suriname
In Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni you first collect your French exit stamp at the police station in town. Office hours are roughly 07:30 to 11:30 and 14:30 to 17:30, closed weekends and French holidays. Walk to the riverfront, pay the boatman the same 5 to 10 euros, cross, and clear Surinamese immigration in Albina. Most Western passports receive 90 days visa-free on arrival.
Typical Hassles and Warnings
French police occasionally decide to search every bag coming off the boats. Keep anything even slightly questionable at home. Money changers swarm both banks with terrible rates. Change only enough for the boat and taxi. Shared-taxi drivers on the French side often quote 50 to 60 euros to Cayenne at first. The real shared price sits at 30 to 40 euros once the car fills. The same game happens in reverse for Paramaribo trips on the Surinamese side.
Getting Away After You Land
From Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni shared taxis to Cayenne (3.5 to 4 hours, 30 to 40 euros per seat) or to Saint-Georges-de-l’Oyapock (1.5 hours, 15 to 20 euros) leave from the main riverfront area when full. From Albina minibuses and shared cars to Paramaribo (3 to 4 hours, US$15 to 20 or equivalent) depart from the main road a short walk from the dock. Pre-booking through your hostel the night before saves money and stress on both sides.
Safety Reality Check
The river crossing itself is perfectly safe in daylight and locals of all ages use it daily. Albina town, however, has a rough reputation after dark. Pickpocketing and occasional robberies get reported. Saint-Laurent stays much calmer. Complete the trip before sunset and you will have no problems.
Weather and Best Time
Boats run year-round, but February to April is the driest and most comfortable period. June to August brings heavy rain and faster river current, though the boatmen handle it without trouble. Morning crossings are usually quieter while afternoons fill with market traffic.
Last Thought
Ten minutes on a wooden boat and you jump continents, currencies, and cultures. Few borders on earth deliver that much change in such a short distance. Come early, keep your belongings close, ignore the touts, and enjoy one of the weirdest little international trips you will ever take.
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