Guinea Bissau travel advice

A presidential election took place on 28 June 2009 and a new President was sworn in in September.The country remains calm but there are ongoing political tensions. If you are in Guinea-Bissau you should take precautions and closely monitor developments through the local media. You should avoid demonstrations or rallies, which have the potential to become violent.

There is no British Embassy in Guinea-Bissau. The British Ambassador to Guinea-Bissau resides in Dakar, Senegal. However, the British Honorary Consul, Mr Jan Van Maanen, can offer limited consular assistance.

If you are thinking of travelling to Guinea-Bissau by road you should note that we advise against all road travel in the Casamance region to the west of Kolda (an area of Senegal to the northwest of Guinea-Bissau) except on the main road from Ziguinchor to Cap Skirring, which is often used by groups of tourists during daylight hours.

There is a general threat from terrorism in Guinea-Bissau. Attacks cannot be ruled out and could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel