According to ehealthfacts, Djibouti (Somali: Jabuuti, Arabic: جيبوتي, Jībūtī, Afar: Gabuuti) is a country in Africa bordering Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Previous names of the country were: French Somaliland and Afar and Issaland. Djibouti gained independence from France in 1977. The capital of Djibouti is Djibouti of the same name. A number of major cities in Djibouti are: Balho, Dikhil, Obock and Yoboki.
Djibouti is known as one of the hottest countries in the world. The country consists largely of desert where a tribe lives here and there. The country has not yet really been discovered by tourists and people still live traditionally in the country. The coast is known as an excellent place for diving. The two best dive sites are Les sept frères (including whale sharks) and The Gulf of Tadjourah. The country is also known as a safe country in contrast to surrounding countries. Many refugees from Somalia and Ethiopia, among others, come to Djibouti every year. The desert climate means that there is almost no wildlife in the country and it is almost impossible to farm and/or raise livestock.
Where is Djibouti?
Travel information of Djibouti
Official name: Republic of Djibouti
Continent: Africa
Area: 23,200 km²
Capital: Djibouti
Country code: DJ, DJI
Population: 921,804 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 2,028 m (Mousa Ali)
Distance (Amsterdam – Djibouti): 5,668 km
Flight time: approximately 9 hours and 45 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Djibouti is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow and red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for Djibouti.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Djibouti that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Djibouti, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Djibouti. If you want to put together your own trip or are looking for separate travel components such as hotels, airline tickets and a rental car, please visit our travel offer page.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Djibouti?
Weather and climate
Djibouti has a desert climate. The temperatures in Djibouti are around 25 to 30 degrees in the winter months and around 30 to 40 degrees in the summer months.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Djibouti can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Djibouti can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, March and December are the best months to travel to Djibouti. This avoids the extremely hot and dry summer period.
Language
Arabic and French are both an official language in Djibouti. In addition, Afar and Somali are spoken. English is also spoken in tourist places.
Would you like to translate from or into Arabic and/or French for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months when applying for a visa.
A visa is required. This is valid for 1 month and can be applied for in person at the Djibouti embassy in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Ethiopia (also for Djibouti): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Djibouti in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Djibouti it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Djibouti. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Djibouti, payment is made with the Djiboutian franc (DJF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Djibouti can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Djibouti are much higher than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is +20% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (27% cheaper), food (18% more expensive), imported beer in catering (97% more expensive), cigarettes (78% cheaper) and public transport (49% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Djibouti it is not customary to tip. The European restaurants are an exception to this. Here people give about 5-10% tips for good service.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 1 hour later in Djibouti.
During our winter time it is 2 hours later in Djibouti.
Djibouti has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Djibouti can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Djibouti you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Djibouti.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Djibouti.
Electricity
In Djibouti you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Djibouti can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 17
– Fire: 18
– Ambulance: 351351
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Djibouti can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Djibouti can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Djibouti end in.dj.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Djibouti is 00253 or +253.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Djibouti? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Djibouti Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Djibouti.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Djibouti.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Djibouti can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Djibouti, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Djibouti?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Djibouti. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Djibouti can be found on Protected Planet.
Djibouti is not on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Djibouti? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you intend to do business in or do business with Djibouti, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Djibouti, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Djibouti.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: Unknown
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed.
Did you know that…
…The Gulf of Aden between Djibouti and Yemen is only 20 km wide?
…50% of the inhabitants of Djibouti are unemployed?
… Lake Assal has the highest salinity in the world?
… Christmas in Djibouti is celebrated on January 7?
… That taxi prices in Djibouti rise by 50% after sunset?
… That many residents of Djibouti chew Qat in their free time?
