Entry requirements · DR Congo

Traveling to DR Congo

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

Visa
Embassy visa
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.

Apply for a visa at a DR Congo embassy before departure. The announced e-visa is not yet in service (October 2026).

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, passport valid 6 months
  • Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or with a DR Congo embassy.
  • If you need a visa, you apply online or at a DR Congo embassy (in Paris for France). A tourist visa is available for any stay of less than 6 months.
  • The DR Congo embassy in Paris issues visas for 1, 2, 3 or 6 months. Fees as listed by the embassy, to be checked when you apply: from €85 (1 month, single entry) to €310 (6 months, multiple entries), plus €50 for express processing. Fees are non-refundable.
  • For non-Congolese applicants, the embassy asks in particular for a letter of invitation or a certificate of financial support, legalized by a notary and by the chancery of the DR Congo Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • The embassy gives no processing time and asks you to submit your application at least 7 days before departure. France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry's travel advice) recommends applying well ahead, as processing can be slow.
  • Our advice: apply at least two to three weeks before departure, and don't buy a non-refundable ticket until you have the visa. A rejected document or a blocked payment can hold everything up.
  • Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry.
  • Your vaccination booklet showing the yellow fever vaccine is checked when every flight arrives. Without the right documents you can be turned back, and your embassy cannot step in.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Entry and stay (updated September 15, 2026), DR Congo Embassy in Paris, visas

Health

Yellow fever mandatory, Ebola and cholera outbreaks ongoing
  • Yellow fever: get vaccinated before you go. France Diplomatie states that the vaccine is mandatory to enter DR Congo and that travelers without a vaccination booklet are sent back to their country. The Institut Pasteur requires it only for travelers coming from a country at risk: to be safe, get it 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.
  • An Ebola outbreak, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the WHO, is affecting eight provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Bas-Uélé, Tshopo, Sud-Ubangi and Nord-Ubangi. Don't touch bushmeat, and see a doctor immediately if you have symptoms, up to 3 weeks after leaving the area.
  • A cholera outbreak is affecting 21 provinces. Any diarrhea calls for urgent medical attention. Drink only bottled or treated water, avoid ice and eat food that is well cooked. A vaccine may be needed before departure.
  • Malaria is present year round throughout the country and remains the leading cause of death from disease. See a doctor about preventive treatment and protect yourself from mosquitoes. Any fever during the trip or in the 3 months after you return means seeing a doctor without delay.
  • Update your routine vaccines, including measles. Hepatitis A is recommended. Typhoid, hepatitis B, meningitis, rabies, dengue, chikungunya and mpox are worth discussing depending on your trip.
  • Public hospitals are in very poor condition. A few decent private clinics exist in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, and everything is paid in advance. Insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is essential.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Health (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Latest news and alerts (updated October 16, 2026), Institut Pasteur, Democratic Republic of the Congo page

Money

US dollars in good condition, few ATMs
  • The currency is the Congolese franc (CDF). The US dollar is widely used in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, the Congolese franc for small purchases.
  • Damaged dollar bills may be refused or exchanged at a worse rate. 100 dollar bills must be in good condition and not too old.
  • ATMs are scarce, even in Kinshasa. Bank cards are generally accepted only in large hotels and a few restaurants in the capital.
  • When you leave, you have to pay airport fees: 50 dollars for the “Go Pass” and a 5 dollar statistics tax on an international flight, 10 and 5 dollars on a domestic flight.
  • Bring enough cash in dollars, in recent bills in good condition.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, Overview of DR Congo (updated May 13, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Entry and stay

Safety

Tourist travel advised against everywhere
  • The French foreign ministry (France Diplomatie) advises against tourist travel anywhere in the country. No region is at the basic level of vigilance: the whole country, Kinshasa included, is at least advised against unless you have an essential reason.
  • Strongly advised against: North Kivu and South Kivu, where the M23 has taken Goma and Bukavu, the Virunga, Kahuzi-Biega and Garamba parks, Tanganyika province, Kwilu and Kwango provinces, the territory of Kwamouth (Mai-Ndombe), the Bateke plateaus, Bombo-Lumene park and the RN1 toward Kikwit.
  • Advised against unless you have an essential reason: the three Kasai provinces, Mai-Ndombe, Kongo Central, where militia incursions have taken place, and the rest of the country.
  • In the east, especially North Kivu and Ituri, armed groups such as the ADF carry out attacks, and there is a risk of kidnapping for ransom throughout the east of the country.
  • In Kinshasa, crime is high and rising: vehicle theft and burglaries. Drive with your doors locked, don't let anyone in, don't travel alone or at night, and avoid gatherings.
  • Roads are in poor condition, with frequent illegal checkpoints. River accidents are serious, and domestic flights are strongly advised against, as most airlines are banned in the European Union.
  • Also check the travel advice from your own government, which may be stricter.
  • For French travelers: French Embassy in Kinshasa, +33 5 16 44 00 67. Consular agency in Lubumbashi: +243 99 7012167.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Security (updated September 15, 2026, map dated March 12, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Useful contacts (updated September 15, 2026)

On the ground

French and Lingala, type C/E plugs, two time zones
  • French is the official language. The national languages are Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili.
  • Plugs are type C and E, at 230 V and 50 Hz.
  • The country has two time zones, with no daylight saving time: UTC+1 in the west (Kinshasa) and UTC+2 in the east (Lubumbashi). Kinshasa is on the same time as Paris in winter and 1 hour behind in summer. Lubumbashi is on the same time as Paris in summer and 1 hour ahead in winter.
  • The country calling code is +243.
  • You need to get a Congolese driving license. The international driving permit is not valid. For French travelers, the French license is not valid either.
  • Photographing official buildings, police officers and soldiers is forbidden. Always ask people for permission before taking their picture.
  • River shuttles link Kinshasa and Brazzaville every day except Sunday. Traveling by barge on the Congo River is strongly advised against.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: France Diplomatie, Overview of DR Congo (updated May 13, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Useful information (updated September 15, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Useful contacts, WorldStandards, DR Congo: plugs and voltage, Wikipedia, Time in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

When to go

Dry season from mid-May to late August in the south
  • The climate is equatorial. Daytime highs can exceed 35 °C.
  • South of the equator, the long dry season starts in mid-May and ends in late August.
  • The east of the country lies on the Rift Valley. Earthquakes and eruptions are possible there: Goma was partly destroyed by the Nyiragongo volcano in 1977, 2002 and 2021.
  • Ebola and cholera outbreaks are ongoing: check the alerts from France Diplomatie and your own government before booking.
  • The national holiday (Independence Day) is June 30.

Checked on October 17, 2026 · Source: Belgian foreign ministry, DR Congo, Climate and disasters (updated October 13, 2026), France Diplomatie, DR Congo, Latest news and alerts (updated October 16, 2026), France Diplomatie, Overview of DR Congo

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

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