Entry requirements · Republic of the Congo

Traveling to Republic of the Congo

What to do before you leave, checked against official sources.

Visa
Embassy visa · 91 days
Yellow fever vaccine
Required
Safety
Areas to avoid

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for your visa at the embassy or consulate before you leave (stay of 91 days).

Visa before departure: apply and pay online through the embassy, and the visa is affixed in your passport. No visa on arrival.

Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even if the answer often comes sooner.

Apply on the official site

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, no visa on arrival
  • Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or with a Congolese embassy.
  • If you need a visa, get it before you leave. No visas are issued on arrival. In France, you apply through the Embassy of the Republic of the Congo in Paris, and the application is submitted and paid for online only.
  • The visa is granted for 15 to 91 days.
  • Processing takes 7 days for the standard procedure and 3 days for the express procedure.
  • Our advice: France Diplomatie does not say how far ahead to apply. Apply at least two weeks before you leave, even though the stated processing time is 7 days. A rejected document or a blocked payment can delay everything.
  • A certificate of accommodation issued by a district town hall in the Congo, or an already paid hotel booking, is required to get the visa. You must also show it on entry.
  • Your international vaccination card (yellow fever) may be checked on entry.
  • Buying ivory is forbidden. Antiques and traditional objects are taxed, and proof of payment is requested when you leave.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Entry and stay (updated September 15, 2026)

Health

Yellow fever required, malaria everywhere
  • The yellow fever vaccine is required for adults and children over 9 months, wherever you are coming from. Get it at least 10 days before you leave, at an approved center. The card is checked on entry.
  • Reminder: since 2016, a single dose is valid for life for most adults, and so is the certificate (WHO). A second dose is recommended before a new trip if you were vaccinated before age 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow card (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center for advice if you are unsure.
  • Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date, including measles. Hepatitis A is recommended. Typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, dengue, chikungunya and mpox are worth discussing depending on your trip.
  • Malaria circulates year-round throughout the country. See a doctor about preventive treatment and protect yourself from mosquitoes. Any fever during your trip or within 3 months of returning means you should see a doctor without delay.
  • Many chikungunya cases are reported in Pointe-Noire and Kouilou, and a few in Brazzaville. Dengue also circulates, and rabies cases occur regularly, especially in Pointe-Noire.
  • Drink only bottled, sealed, filtered or boiled water, and avoid raw vegetables.
  • Insurance covering medical costs, hospitalization and repatriation is a must: without it, you may be refused care, even in an emergency. Your embassy does not pay these costs.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Health (updated September 15, 2026), Institut Pasteur, Republic of the Congo page (updated October 22, 2024)

Money

Central African CFA franc, exchange at bureaus
  • The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), issued by the BEAC, at a fixed rate with the euro: €1 = 655.957 CFA francs.
  • Exchanging money outside exchange bureaus is not allowed. Euros are easy to exchange for CFA francs at exchange bureaus.
  • You can also withdraw cash from ATMs.
  • Payments in euros are often accepted, especially in town, and international credit cards are accepted.
  • Avoid carrying large sums of money and visible valuables.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Useful information (updated August 20, 2026), Belgian Foreign Affairs, Congo-Brazzaville, Practical information (updated March 5, 2026), Banque de France, Africa-France monetary cooperation, France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Security

Safety

Avoid the northern and southern borders, Pool is sensitive
  • According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France Diplomatie), travel is advised against except for essential reasons in a 30 km strip along the border with southern Central African Republic, and a 10 km strip along the southern border with DR Congo and Cabinda (Angola).
  • The rest of the country is under heightened vigilance, particularly the Pool department, where the disarmament of former rebels is not complete. The land borders with Cameroon, Gabon and DR Congo are exposed to trafficking.
  • In Brazzaville, insecurity is low in the center, but stay careful at night and in outlying neighborhoods. In Pointe-Noire, avoid the wild coast south of the seafront. Theft, burglary and armed assault are frequent, especially at the end of the year: do not resist.
  • Road accidents are very common and emergency services limited. For journeys between towns, avoid public transportation and night travel, and carry your original passport with the visa. The passenger train between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville is strongly advised against while works are underway.
  • Swimming is strongly advised against in the rapids of the Congo River and in waterfalls. In Pointe-Noire, the ocean is dangerous in places and unsupervised.
  • Also check your own government's travel advice, which may be stricter.
  • For French travelers: French Embassy in Brazzaville, +33 5 33 52 08 48.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Security (updated September 15, 2026, map of March 5, 2026), France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Useful information (updated August 20, 2026), France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Useful contacts (updated September 15, 2026)

On the ground

French and Lingala, type C/E plugs, code +242
  • French is the official language. Lingala and Kituba are widely spoken, as are Lari, Teke and Mbochi.
  • Type C and E plugs, 230 V and 50 Hz.
  • The Republic of the Congo is on UTC+1 all year: same time as Paris in winter, 1 hour behind in summer.
  • The country calling code is +242.
  • According to France Diplomatie, apart from the RN2 (Brazzaville to Ouesso, the north-south route) and the RN1 between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, the road network is in poor condition, especially in the rainy season. The RN1 crosses the Pool department, where extra vigilance is recommended. Air France flies direct to Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.
  • It is forbidden to photograph sensitive sites: ports, bridges, roads, checkpoints and official buildings. Drone use is tightly regulated and discouraged.
  • Drug use is illegal and punished.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of the Republic of the Congo (updated May 11, 2026), France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Useful information (updated August 20, 2026), France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Security, WorldStandards, Congo-Brazzaville: plugs and voltage, timeanddate, time in Brazzaville

When to go

Long dry season from June to September
  • The climate is equatorial. The long dry season lasts from June to September, and a short dry season comes in January.
  • The long rainy season runs from February to May, with intense heat from February to April. The short rainy season runs from October to December.
  • Storms can be very violent and flood roads, including in Brazzaville. Likouala, in the north, suffers severe flooding every year.
  • In the rainy season, the road network deteriorates even further.
  • The national holiday (Independence Day) is on August 15.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: Belgian Foreign Affairs, Congo-Brazzaville, Climate and disasters (updated March 5, 2026), France Diplomatie, Republic of the Congo, Useful information, France Diplomatie, Overview of the Republic of the Congo

Rules can change without notice: before you leave, always check with the embassy of Republic of the Congo and your own government's travel advice.

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