Traveling to Djibouti

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

Country

Passport

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for an e-visa online before you leave.

E-visa recommended; online applications sometimes fail. Visa on arrival reported at 23 USD, not guaranteed.

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

Entry and visa

Visa depends on your nationality, e-visa recommended

Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or on the official portal evisa.gouv.dj.
If you need a visa, you apply online at evisa.gouv.dj (transit and short stays) or at a Djiboutian embassy.
A one-month visa can also be issued on arrival, but only if the airline and immigration accept it. The official sources give neither the fee nor the processing time for the e-visa.
Our advice: apply one to two weeks before departure, even though the answer often comes faster. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
Overstaying costs 40,000 Djiboutian francs for up to 90 days and 80,000 beyond that. If you don't pay, you risk 3 to 6 months in prison and a 5-year ban from the country. For stays over 3 months, a residence card is mandatory.
If you come by road from Ethiopia, there is a police check and a customs check. Avoid arriving on a Friday or a public holiday, or get your visa in Addis Ababa.
Yachters cannot use the e-visa: the visa is issued at the port, and you may be asked for your vaccination booklet.

Yellow fever depending on origin, extreme heat

Yellow fever: the certificate is mandatory for travelers coming from an area where the disease is present, from the age of 1, including after a layover of more than 12 hours at an airport in such a country (Institut Pasteur). Get the vaccine at least 10 days before departure.
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 the age of 2, during pregnancy, or if you live with HIV or a weakened immune system. Keep your yellow booklet (international certificate of vaccination) with your passport, and ask the vaccination center if in doubt.
Malaria, dengue and chikungunya are present year round. Protect yourself from mosquitoes, talk to your doctor about preventive treatment, and see a doctor without delay if you have a fever during your stay or in the 3 months after you return.
Update your routine vaccines, including measles, as cases are rising. Hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Hepatitis B, rabies, dengue and chikungunya are worth discussing depending on your trip.
The heat is extreme: drink plenty, avoid the hottest hours and protect yourself from the sun. Drink only sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water.
Insurance covering all medical costs and repatriation is essential. Djiboutian law requires foreigners to have repatriation guarantees.

Djiboutian franc, mostly cash

The currency is the Djiboutian franc (DJF), issued by the Central Bank of Djibouti and pegged to the US dollar: 1 dollar = 177.721 DJF.
Most payments are made in cash. Cards are accepted only in a few large hotels, restaurants and supermarkets.
In Djibouti City, ATMs are becoming more common and are often the best option. Some money changers will give you francs against a Visa or Mastercard.
Dollars and euros in cash are easy to exchange.

Avoid the borders, rest of the country at yellow

According to the French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie), the following are strongly advised against: the area near the border with Eritrea (by land, sea or air), the road from Loyada toward the Somaliland border beyond the Décan Refuge, and the Seven Brothers archipelago except on excursions run by approved agencies. Somaliland is also strongly advised against.
The rest of the country is at heightened vigilance. North of the Balho, Adaïlou, Ouaddhi, Godoria line, the army controls access and may refuse it. Wadi Kalou and Mount Moussa Ali are off-limits.
There has been no attack in Djibouti City since 2014, but stay alert in places frequented by foreigners. Respect roadblocks and the instructions of the security forces.
Avoid driving at night. Outside the city, travel with at least two 4x4 vehicles, with a guide and at least 8 liters of water per person per day.
Piracy remains possible in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb strait: yachters should postpone their passages through the area.
Useful numbers: police emergency 17, fire department 18.
Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
For French travelers: French Embassy, +33 3 59 39 70 03.

French and Arabic, type C/E plugs, calling code +253

The official languages are French and Arabic.
Plugs are type C and E, at 230 V and 50 Hz.
Djibouti is on UTC+3 all year: 1 hour ahead of Paris in summer, 2 hours in winter. The country calling code is +253.
For French travelers: a French driving license is enough for a stay of less than 6 months. Comprehensive insurance is strongly recommended.
Public drunkenness is an offense, punishable by two years in prison. Photographing military and official installations is forbidden, and you need people's permission before taking their picture.
During Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public during the day. The phone network is unreliable and some social networks are blocked.

November to April, before the intense heat

The climate is tropical, arid and hot. There is no real rainy season.
From May to October, temperatures exceed 40 °C, and May and September are very humid. In Djibouti City in July, the average ranges from 33 °C at night to 41 °C during the day.
The pleasant season runs from November to April. In January, the average ranges from 23 °C to 28 °C, and skies are clearest from October to January.
The dates of Ramadan change every year. The national holiday (Independence Day) is June 27.

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