According to aristmarketing, Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese: Guiné-Bissau) is a country in Africa bordering Guinea and Senegal. Guinea-Bissau has been independent from Portugal since 1975. The capital of Guinea-Bissau is Bissau. A number of major cities in Guinea-Bissau are: Tombali, Quinara, Oio, Bolama and Cacheu. In addition to the mainland, Guinea-Bissau also has an archipelago called the Bijagós Islands.
Guinea-Bissau is known for the Bijagós Islands where you can visit two National Parks. Manatees, hippos, otters, sea turtles and crocodiles live in these parks. Approximately 700,000 migratory birds also come to these islands every year. On these islands you will also find the best beaches in Guinea-Bissau. You also come across many cashew bushes in Guinea-Bissau. These produce cashews that provide the bulk of exports. The country is also known for its wood carvings and poverty.
Where is Guinea-Bissau?
Travel information of Guinea-Bissau
Official name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Continent: Africa
Area: 36,125 km²
Capital: Bissau
Country code: GW, GNB
Population: 1,927,104 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 300 m
Distance (Amsterdam – Bissau): 4,854 km
Flight time: approximately 7 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All non-essential travel to Guinea-Bissau is discouraged.
Current color code: Orange.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place in Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Guinea-Bissau. 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 Guinea-Bissau?
Weather and climate
Guinea-Bissau has a tropical climate. The temperatures are between 25 and 35 degrees all year round.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Guinea-Bissau can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Guinea-Bissau can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February and December are the best months to travel to Guinea-Bissau. This avoids the rainy season and the heat period.
Language
Portuguese is the official language in Guinea-Bissau.
Would you like to translate from or into Portuguese 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. You can apply for this in person at the embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Brussels.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Senegal (also for Guinea-Bissau):
netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Belgium (also for the Netherlands): rijksoverheid.nl.
Consulates of Guinea-Bissau in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Guinea-Bissau, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
In addition, there are one or more vaccinations that are recommended.
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 Guinea-Bissau. 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 matters
In Guinea-Bissau you pay with the CFA franc (XOF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Guinea-Bissau can be found on our ATMs page.
Tipping
In Guinea-Bissau it is not customary to tip.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 2 hours earlier in Guinea-Bissau.
During our winter time it is 1 hour earlier in Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau has no difference in winter time and summer time.
Find the local time, date and time zone for Guinea-Bissau on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Guinea-Bissau you have to drive on the right.
You must apply for a temporary driving license in Guinea-Bissau in order to drive a motor vehicle. This is possible at the ‘Direction Générale des Transport Routiers’ on presentation of the Dutch driver’s license.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Guinea-Bissau.
Electricity
In Guinea-Bissau you can use a Dutch flat plug.
More information about electricity in Guinea-Bissau 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: Local numbers
– Fire: Local numbers
– Ambulance: Local numbers
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 Guinea-Bissau can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Guinea-Bissau can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Guinea-Bissau end in.gw.
Official website of Guinea-Bissau: guinee-bissau.net.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Guinea-Bissau is 00245 or +245.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Guinea-Bissau? 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 Guinea-Bissau Yellow Pages.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Guinea-Bissau.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Guinea-Bissau.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Guinea-Bissau can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On TripAdvisor you will find traveler reviews of accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Guinea-Bissau, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Guinea-Bissau?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Guinea-Bissau. 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 Guinea-Bissau can be found on Protected Planet.
Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and perfume, 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.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Guinea-Bissau.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking at all ages.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…85% of the population work in agriculture?
…90% of Guinea-Bissau’s exports are cashew nuts?
…Guinea-Bissau also has rainforest?
…Almost all villages and towns in Guinea-Bissau are situated on rivers?
