GoGuinea-Bissau Visa Requirements

Visa Entry

1、 Visa

At present, Chinese citizens holding various types of passports need to apply for visas or landing visas before entering Guinea Bissau. Holders of a valid residence permit in Guinea Bissau can enter and exit the Guinea Bissau border visa free with their residence permit. To apply for a visa on arrival, one must submit an application in advance to the Guinea Bissau Immigration and Border Management Agency. Specific visa requirements and procedures can be consulted with the Embassy of Guinea Bissau in China.

2、 Entry and exit

Upon entry, it is necessary to fill out an entry registration card and present a valid passport and visa (residence permit). In addition, all items carried by Guinea Bissau customs entering and leaving the country must undergo X-ray inspection, and luggage may be opened for inspection.

Customs epidemic prevention and control

1、 Customs

Guinea Bissau Customs regulations prohibit inbound travelers from carrying drugs and other internationally recognized prohibited items. Recently, Guinea Bissau Customs has strengthened the inspection of outbound luggage, and all outbound luggage must undergo manual inspection.

2、 Animal and plant inspection and quarantine

If carrying endangered wildlife or plants as stipulated in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora into or out of the country, a permit issued by the relevant international trade organization specified in the Convention must be held.

3、 Financial regulation

Individuals carrying cash out of the country are not allowed to exceed five million West African francs (approximately 8500 US dollars).

4、 Special Reminder

Guinea Bissau has many local infectious diseases, such as malaria, typhoid fever, cholera, encephalitis, yellow fever, AIDS, etc. It is recommended to receive relevant vaccines before travel and keep artemisinin and other drugs for treating malaria and mosquito control on hand.

Residency and Naturalization

The Guinea Bissau Immigration and Border Management Agency is the only legitimate institution that issues residence permits. The validity period of the residence permit ranges from 1 to 5 years, with a maximum of 5 years. Staying in Guinea Bissau for 90 days or more is eligible to apply for a residence permit. Expired documents can be updated at the Immigration and Border Management Bureau.

Guinea Bissau recognizes dual citizenship, and foreign citizens who meet one of the following conditions may apply to acquire Guinea Bissau citizenship:

1、 Married to a citizen of Guinea Bissau for at least 3 years and residing in Guinea Bissau for at least 1 year.

2、 According to the laws of Guinea Bissau, the applicant is of full age; Have resided in Guinea Bissau for at least 6 years; Meet the minimum comprehension standard for Portuguese or Creole language; No criminal record.

3、 Minors were adopted by citizens of Guinea Bissau.

4、 If one of the parents is of Guinea Bissau nationality, their underage or incapacitated children may apply to acquire Guinea Bissau nationality.

The risk level of Guinea Bissau is yellow (medium risk).

The infrastructure conditions in Guinea Bissau are poor, and public transportation is very inconvenient except for the city of Bissau. Island tourism lacks reliable transportation, mobile phone signals cannot be fully covered, and there is a large tidal drop in the sea area. It is advised to travel to Guinea Bissau islands with caution.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds Chinese citizens in Guinea Bissau to closely monitor the local security situation, be vigilant, strengthen prevention, and pay attention to safety. In case of emergency, please report to the police in a timely manner and contact the Chinese Embassy in the local area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies abroad will continue to closely monitor changes in overseas security situations, dynamically adjust relevant risk assessments, and release and update corresponding security reminders in real time on platforms such as the China Consular Service Network. Please continue to pay attention.

public security

1、 Security situation

Guinea Bissau has poor social security and frequent incidents of theft and robbery. To ensure personal safety, caution should be exercised when going out.

2、 Preventive measures

（1） Carry copies of passport and other identification documents, visas, and airline tickets with you, and store them separately from the originals. Do not bring your passport, plane ticket, etc. with you when going out unless necessary. Do not put cash, credit cards, traveler's checks, passports, and valuables in the same bag or pocket. Backpacks and shoulder bags should be placed in front of you to prevent theft.

（2） Try to avoid going out at night, be cautious when going to places with few pedestrians, and try to travel with as many people as possible. If you come to Guinea Bissau for the first time, please contact the local Chinese in advance for reception. Please do not carpool with local strangers to take taxis.

（3） In case of emergency, one should shout for help loudly and draw people's attention. If you are attacked by criminals, do not resist reluctantly. Try to ensure your own safety, report to the police in a timely manner, and ask them to provide a report form, so that you can apply for compensation from the insurance company and handle matters such as reissuing tickets, passports, and visas to other countries in the future. When traveler's checks and credit cards are lost, stolen, or robbed, they should be reported to the issuing bank or company as soon as possible to prevent theft. If you need to apply for travel documents, you can contact the Chinese Embassy in Guinea Bissau.

natural disaster

Guinea Bissau is located in West Africa, with a hot and humid climate, belonging to a tropical maritime monsoon climate, divided into dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season is from May to October, and the dry season is from November to April of the following year. The temperature is high throughout the year, with an average annual temperature of about 27 ℃. Except for occasional floods in rural areas during the rainy season, there are no major natural disasters, and attention should be paid to heatstroke prevention and cooling during normal times.

FDA

Guinea Bissau's drinking water is mostly sourced from surface and groundwater, and the relevant indicators do not meet the drinking standards. It can be used for washing. It is recommended to purchase bottled mineral water, which should be boiled before use.

The food hygiene situation in Guinea Bissau is poor, with almost no inspection and quarantine. It is recommended to dine in restaurants with good hygiene conditions and eat less or no cold dishes, undercooked food, etc. If purchasing food, it is recommended to buy high-quality and packaged products from regular supermarkets, and try not to buy food from street vendors.

Urgent Help

Chinese citizens in Guinea Bissau are advised to seek assistance from the local police department and contact the Chinese Embassy in Guinea Bissau in case of emergency.

Emergency hotline (country code: 00245)

Alarm: 1515, 955656500, 955656501 (Public Security Police Station), 956996060 (Judicial Police Station)

Fire alarm: 1313

Medical Emergency: 2020

Maritime alarm: 955166666955115258

Consular Protection and Assistance of the Chinese Embassy in Guinea Bissau: 955804048

Chinese aid medical team to Guinea Bissau: 957680606 (Bissau region), 957680602 (Kagugu region)

air traffic

1、 Airport

There is only one civil international airport in Guinea Bissau, namely Aeroporto Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, located in the capital city of Bissau, which can take off and land large passenger planes such as Boeing 747s.

2、 International flights

There are weekly flights from the capital city of Bissau to Lisbon, Portugal, Dakar, Senegal, Praia, Cape Verde, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Casablanca, Morocco, Lom é, Togo, etc. There are no domestic routes.

3、 Round-trip airport transportation

There are minibuses (locally known as toca toca) running from the center of the capital city of Bissau to the airport, and taxis can also be taken to the airport.

4、 Airline Company

（1） Portugal Airlines (TAP)

Route: Bissau Lisbon

Telephone: （00245）966603047

（2） Royal Air Maroc

Route: Bissau Casablanca

Telephone: （00245）955260439

（3） ASKY AIRLINE

Route: Bissau Dakar

Telephone: （00245）955853528

（4） Cape Verde Airlines (TACV)

Route: Bissau Praia Dakar

Telephone: （00245）955944684/966867682

（5） EuroAtlantic Airlines (EUROATLANTICO)

Route: Bissau Lisbon

Telephone: （00245）955805005,955361081

land transport

The capital city of Bissau is the national land transportation hub, and the country's road network starts from Bissau, leading north to Senegal and southeast to Guinea. Highways are mostly concentrated in the north, while the south is mostly mountainous with inconvenient transportation. The roads leading from Bissau to various provinces have been in disrepair for a long time, with uneven and bumpy surfaces, making transportation difficult, especially during the rainy season.

There are public buses to the northern provinces and cities in Bissau, as well as some minibuses, but most of them are privately operated and in poor condition.

Guinea Bissau has not built a railway.

water communication

More than 80% of residents in Guinea Bissau live less than 20 kilometers away from water transportation points, making river and coastal sea transportation important modes of transportation. Water transportation can travel up to 150 kilometers from the Reba River, or eastward along the bay into the lower reaches of the Kaseu River and westward into the lower reaches of the Korubar River. However, currently Guinea Bissau's infrastructure is backward and there is a lack of passenger and freight transport ships, with a navigation mileage of only 1800 kilometers.

Most of the water transportation in Guinea Bissau is done by canoes and small boats, and most of them are suspended during the rainy season.

The Port of Bissau, the capital of Guinea Bissau, is a deep-water port that can accommodate cargo ships of up to 10000 tons (with a draft of 11 meters) and has an annual throughput of approximately 500000 tons.

Urban transportation

There are two main types of public transportation in the capital city of Bissau: small and medium-sized buses (locally known as toca toca) and taxis (mostly carpooling, available at any time until fully booked), mainly operating in the city, suburbs, and neighboring areas.

major city

Bissau (capital), Bafata, Kasheu, Cacuoguo, Farin, Gabu, Biombo, Borama, Oyo, Santo Domingo, Bubac.

Commodity prices

1、 Products

The main crops in Guinea Bissau include rice, corn, peanuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, mangoes, cashews, papaya, bananas, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, cowpeas, etc; The main aquatic products include various fish, shrimp, crabs, oysters, etc.

2、 Price

Guinea Bissau is severely lacking in resources, with its main food, meat, and vegetables being imported at high prices. The prices of domestically produced grain and meat (without quarantine) are relatively fixed. Vegetables and fruits vary greatly in price with the seasons. In recent years, influenced by the international political and economic situation, local prices have risen significantly.

3、 Exchange rate

Guinea Bissau is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and uses the West African Franc (XOF), which is pegged to the euro and fluctuates with the US dollar. Merchants generally only accept local currency when making payments. One US dollar is equivalent to 605 West African francs; One euro is equivalent to 656 West African francs (July 2024 data).

The member states of the Western Community plan to gradually adopt a new currency - ECO - from 2027, which is pegged to the euro exchange rate.

4、 Banking and Finance

After Guinea Bissau joined the West African Economic and Monetary Union in March 1997, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) became the central bank of Guinea Bissau and was a financial institution that implemented an independent monetary policy (not influenced by the Guinea Bissau government). At present, Guinea Bissau has commercial banks such as Bank of West Africa (BAO), United Bank (BDU), and Pan African Bank (ECO BANK). Banks are generally free to exchange foreign currencies. At present, the local area does not provide card swiping consumption services, and cash or check transactions are mainly used.

Insurance Medical

1、 Medical conditions

There are four hospitals in the capital of Guinea Bissau, one of which is the China Guinea Friendship Hospital (Military General Hospital) built with Chinese aid. There are also medical clinics in various provinces, but they lack basic personnel, medical supplies, medical equipment and instruments, and even general routine examinations cannot be conducted, making it difficult to meet the general medical needs of ordinary people. There are many local infectious diseases, such as malaria, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, AIDS, tuberculosis, etc. According to incomplete statistics, the annual malaria mortality rate is about 0.1%.

2、 Medical insurance

There is basically no medical insurance business in the local area, and even if insurance is purchased, it is generally difficult to obtain compensation when accidents occur.

3、 Hospital

（1） Bissau Mendes Hospital: Phone: 2020956602109

（2） Chinese medical team assisting Guinea Bissau

1. Chinese aid to Guinea Bissau medical team (Bissau)

Address: Zhongjibi Friendship Hospital (also known as the General Hospital of the Military); contact number: （00245）957680606

2. Chinese Aid to Jibi Medical Team (Kaguguo):

Address: Kaguguo Hospital; Contact phone number: (00245) 957680602

Customs taboos

1、 Holidays and festivals

January 1st, New Year's Day;

January 20th National Heroes Memorial Day;

January 23rd National Liberation Warriors Day;

February 18-21 Carnival (usually starting from the last Saturday of late February or the first Saturday of early March and ending on the next Tuesday);

International Women's Day on March 8th;

Easter on April 9th;

Eid al Fitr from April 21st to 22nd (October 1st in the Islamic calendar);

May 1st International Labor Day;

International Children's Day on June 1st;

June 28-29, Eid al Adha (December 10 in the Islamic calendar);

On August 3rd, the Martyrs' Day of Bijigidi (1959, a major strike by dock workers in Bissau was brutally suppressed by Portuguese colonizers);

Independence Day (National Day) on September 24th;

November 1st Halloween;

Christmas on December 25th.

In addition, every Saturday and Sunday is a public holiday.

2、 Religion and customs

45% of the residents in Guinea Bissau believe in Islam, while the rest believe in fetishism, Catholicism, Christianity, and other religions. Funerals in Guinea Bissau are earth burials and there is no custom of cremation.

Communications Power

1、 Power supply voltage

The standard voltage in Guinea Bissau is 220V, and the power socket type is a European style two-phase built-in circular plug. Urban power supply often experiences power outages.

2、 Communication Network

（1） Phone number

Guinea Bissau's communication is underdeveloped, and currently the national fixed telephone system is paralyzed, with only mobile phones available for communication. Mobile phones can make international long-distance calls.

The international dialing method is country code+city code+phone number. The country code for Guinea Bissau is 00245.

（2） Internet

The Internet in Guinea Bissau is relatively underdeveloped. At present, there are two Internet operators, ORANGE and MTN. The network costs are relatively expensive, and the network is often disconnected.

3、 Postal Service

Guinea Bissau has established a general post office in the capital Bissau and postal offices in various provinces and districts, which can only handle basic postal services and have extremely low efficiency.

There are two international courier companies in the capital city of Bissau: DHL. Contact number: （00245）955883623； UPS company, contact phone number: （00245）969260298。

contact information