Country Information > West Africa > Equatorial Guinea

Travel Advice
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Country Description
Equatorial Guinea is a developing country in central Africa.  Its capital, Malabo, is located on the island of Bioko, off the coast of Cameroon.  Its principal port, Luba, is also on Bioko.  The mainland territory of Equatorial Guinea is located between Cameroon and Gabon.  The principal city on the mainland is Bata.  Facilities for tourism are limited.  Official languages are Spanish, which is widely spoken, and French, which is sometimes used in business dealings and with government officials.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: 
A passport and evidence of a yellow fever vaccination is required to enter Equatorial Guinea.  Visa inquiries should be made at the nearest Equato-guinean embassy or consulate. 

The Government of Equatorial Guinea has established stringent currency restrictions.  Visitors for business or tourism must declare any currency in excess of 50,000 Central African francs [CFA] [approximately $90] upon arrival.  Although this requirement is not clearly posted, travelers who fail to disclose their excess currency risk the forfeiture of any amount over the CFA 50,000 limit upon departure.  They may also be frisked and have their bags searched to ascertain whether they are attempting to take excess currency out of the country.

SAFETY AND SECURITY: It is not uncommon for a uniformed member of the security forces to stop motorists on the pretext of minor or nonexistent violations of the local motor vehicle regulations in order to extort small bribes.  Visitors are advised not to pay bribes, and to request that the officer provide a citation to be paid at the local court.  Although large public demonstrations are uncommon, foreigners should avoid large crowds, political rallies, and street demonstrations.

Foreigners should take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. 

CRIME: 
Violent crime is rare and the overall level of criminal activity is low in comparison to other countries in the region.  However, there has been a rise in non-violent street crime and residential burglaries. 

INFORMATION FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME: 
The loss or theft abroad of a passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the appropriate Embassy or Consulate.  The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred.  Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. 

MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: 
Medical facilities are extremely limited.  Pharmacies in Malabo and Bata stock basic medicines including antibiotics, but cannot be counted on to supply advanced medications.  Outside of these cities, many medicines are unavailable.  Travelers are advised to carry any special medication that they require.  The sanitation levels in even the best hospitals are very low.  Doctors and hospitals often require immediate payment for health services, and patients are expected to supply their own bandages, linen and toiletries. 

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease.  Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in Equatorial Guinea, is resistant to the antimalarial drug chloroquine.  Because travelers to the country are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] advises that travelers should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine [Lariam - TM], doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil [Malarone -TM].  Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking.

There are periodic outbreaks of cholera in Equatorial Guinea.  Yellow fever can cause serious medical problems, but the vaccine, required for entry, is very effective in preventing the disease.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the CDC’s Internet site at CDC.gov.  For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s [WHO] website at who.int.  Further health information for travelers is available at who.int/ith.

MEDICAL INSURANCE: 
Foreigners should consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. 

TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: 
While in a foreign country, foreigners may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those at home.  The information below concerning Equatorial Guinea is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.

Equatorial Guinea's road networks, both paved and unpaved, are underdeveloped and unsafe.  During the rainy season, many roads are passable only with four-wheel-drive vehicles.  New road construction and repair is taking place in Malabo, Bata, and a few outlying areas, but only a fraction of the roadways have been affected.  There are few road and traffic signs.  Livestock and pedestrians create constant road hazards.

Travelers outside the limits of Malabo and Bata may expect to encounter occasional military roadblocks.  These are in place largely for the control of illegal immigration and smuggling.  Travelers should be prepared to show proper identification [for example, a passport] and to explain their reason for being at that particular location.  The personnel staffing these checkpoints normally do not speak or understand English or French; travelers who do not speak Spanish would do well to have their reason for being in the country and their itinerary written down in Spanish before venturing into the countryside.

AVIATION SAFETY OVERSIGHT: 
There are no navigational aids at Bata Airport.  At Malabo Airport, there are navigational aids, and the airport accommodates night landings.  Special clearances are required to land in or to over fly Equato-guinean territory.

Commercial air travel to and from Equatorial Guinea can be difficult, but is improving.  Some regional airlines may not meet international safety standards.  The island of Bioko and the mainland are connected by several small airlines offering daily service.  Malabo is served by European airlines that fly in and out of the country a few times per week from Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich.  The airlines of nearby Cameroon and Gabon also fly there, although their schedules are subject to change or cancellation without notice, and their flights tend to be extremely crowded. 

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:  
Equatorial Guinea has a strictly cash economy.  Credit cards and checks are not accepted; credit card cash advances are not available and there are no ATMs.  In addition, most local businesses do not accept travelers' checks, dollars or euros.  However, dollars can be changed at local banks for CFA.  Cash in CFA is usually the only form of payment accepted throughout the country.

Special permits from the Ministry of Information and Tourism [or from the local delegation if outside Malabo] are required for virtually all types of photography.  Police or security officials may charge a fine, attempt to take a violator into custody, or seize the camera and film of persons photographing the Presidential Palace and its environs, military installations, airports, harbors, government buildings, and other areas.
Travelers are advised that the possession of camouflage-patterned clothing, large knives, binoculars, firearms, or a variety of other items may be deemed suspicious by the security forces and grounds for confiscation of the item and detention of the carrier. 

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: 
While in a foreign country, a foreigner is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those at home and may not afford the protections available to the individual under their own nations law.  Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than at home for similar offenses.  Persons violating Equato-guinean laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned.  Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs are strictly enforced.  Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines.  Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime.

REGISTRATION / EMBASSY LOCATION:  
Foreigers living or traveling in Equatorial Guinea are encouraged to register with their Embassy.

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