Traveling to Gabon

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

Country

Passport

Yes, you need a visa

With a US passport, apply for your visa at the embassy or consulate before you leave.

Gabon has suspended visa issuance to US citizens since January 1, 2026 (reciprocity). Contact the embassy.

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, apply online

Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality. Check with the passport selector above or on the official portal of the Direction générale de la documentation et de l'immigration (DGDI), edgdi.dgdi.ga.
If you need a visa, apply online at edgdi.dgdi.ga.
France Diplomatie gives neither the fee, nor the length of the visa, nor the processing time. Check them on the official portal when you apply.
Our advice: apply one to two weeks before you leave, even though the answer often comes faster. A rejected document or a blocked payment can delay everything.
Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months.
A vaccination card showing yellow fever vaccination is essential. It is checked systematically on entry.
For a stay of more than 3 months, you must apply for an open-ended entry authorization. For any question, contact a Gabonese embassy.

Yellow fever required, malaria everywhere

The yellow fever vaccine is required to enter Gabon, from 9 months of age and wherever you are coming from. Get it at least 10 days before you leave, at an approved center.
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. Hepatitis A is recommended. Typhoid, hepatitis B, rabies, dengue and chikungunya are worth discussing depending on your trip.
Malaria circulates year-round throughout the country, and foreign travelers regularly die of it. 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.
Chikungunya cases are rising, especially in Ogooué-Lolo, Ngounié and Haut-Ogooué. Dengue also circulates, especially in the rainy season.
Drink only sealed bottled, filtered or boiled water, and avoid raw vegetables and shellfish.
Insurance covering medical costs, hospitalization and repatriation is essential. Your embassy does not pay these costs.

Central African CFA franc, mostly cash

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.
Bring euros and exchange them locally, at hotels or banks. Cash is the norm.
You can withdraw cash in Libreville, at the large hotels and at the headquarters of the major banks.
Some hotels and large stores in the capital accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash on you.

Be careful at night, in Libreville and on beaches

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France Diplomatie) does not advise against any region of the country, but asks for particular vigilance at night everywhere.
In Libreville, be very careful on beaches, except the busiest ones (hotel beaches, Cap Estérias, Pointe Denis), and in several neighborhoods: Petit Louis, Mont Bouët, the bus station, Plaine de Rio, London, Lalala, Oloumi, Nkembo, Awendjé, Nzeng Ayong, from PK5 to PK12, and Bas de Gué-Gué.
Take the same care in Ogooué-Maritime, on the beaches between Pointe Chapuy and Cap Lopez and along the rivers, and in Franceville, at the Poto-Poto market.
Burglaries happen mostly at night, by armed gangs. Do not resist, and stay away from demonstrations and gatherings.
Road accidents are very common. Driving at night outside the capital is strongly advised against. Recreational boating is strongly advised against in the Gulf of Guinea because of piracy.
Useful numbers: police emergency 177.
Also check your own government's travel advice, which may be stricter.
For French travelers: French Embassy, +241 11 79 70 00. Consulate General of France in Libreville: +241 11 79 20 40.

French official, type C/E plugs, code +241

French is the official language.
Type C and E plugs, 230 V and 50 Hz.
Gabon is on UTC+1 all year: same time as Paris in winter, 1 hour behind in summer.
The country calling code is +241.
Outside Libreville, roads and dirt tracks are in poor condition and a 4x4 is strongly advised. The Transgabonais, the country's only railway, runs from Owendo, on the outskirts of Libreville, to Franceville.
Do not photograph official buildings, markets or crowds, or anyone without their consent. Outside the capital, ask the village chief for permission.
Narcotics offenses are punished very severely, whatever the quantity: up to 10 years in prison.

Dry season from June to September

The climate is equatorial, hot and humid, with two dry seasons: from June to September and from mid-December to mid-January.
The two rainy seasons run from October to mid-December and from March to June. France Diplomatie places them a little more broadly, from September to December and from February to June. Malaria and chikungunya rise sharply during these periods.
The average temperature is around 25 to 28 °C, with lows of about 18 °C in July and highs of about 35 °C in April. Humidity is above 80%.
In Libreville, July and August are the driest and least hot months, with about 27 °C during the day.
In the rainy season, some roads can become impassable.
The national holiday is on August 17.

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