Country Information

Capital: Freetown

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 232
Outgoing Code: International calls must be made through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: 223 961/5 (Embassy)

Tourist information: National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone, International Conference Centre, Aberdeen Hill, PO Box 1435, Freetown, Sierra Leone Tel: (22) 272 520 or 272 396 Fax: (22) 272 197.

Passport information: Valid passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo ( a return ticket is required by these nationals for visits of less than 90 days.)

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists all year throughout the country in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all visitors if planning to journey into rural areas. A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected areas. Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Rabies .

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Leone (Le) = 100 cents NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to Le 50000.
Amex is accepted, but all other credit cards are unacceptable. Travellers cheques are accepted, in US dollars or sterling, preferably.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Expensive.

Languages: English Krio (widely spoken) other local dialects.

Weather: Climate is tropical and humid all year round. May – Nov = the raining season.

Electricity: 220240 Volts AC 50 Hz Supply subject to variations.

Post: 5 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: Secondary roads are impassable during the rainy season. There are many road blocks at night on major roads near the centres of populations. There is a major petrol shortage with up to 48 hour waits at petrol stations. DOCUMENTATION IDP is required.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel. All foreign nationals are being evacuated. A curfew 23:00 to 06:00 is strictly enforced. Due to the coastal curfew small boats must be off the sea by 18:00. People breaking curfew risk being shot. There is little or no cunsular assistance in Sierra Leone.

Capital: Dakar

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 221
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism and The Environment, BP 4049, 23 rue Calmette, Dakar, Senegal Tel: 821 1240 Fax: 822 9413

Passport information: Valid passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Great Britain, Canada, USA, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists throughout the country in Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by travellers arriving from endemic areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Meningitis, Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: CFA Franc (CFA Fr) = 100 centimes Amex and MasterCard are accepted, but other credit cards are not. Travellers cheques, preferably in French francs, are accepted.
ATM availability: 9 locations.

Cost of living: Accommodation is expensive, especially in the capital city and surrounding areas.

Languages: French, Many local languages are also spoken.

Weather: Dry season = Dec – May. Rainy season = June – Nov.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC 50 Hz

Post: 7 – 10 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: many are impassable during the rainy season. There are frequent check points and speed restrictions are strict. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. Many roads in the Casamance region are mined.

Special information: Avoid travel to the Casamance region. It is polite to pay respect to the headman or school-teacher of any village you visit. Tipping is not always deemed courteous. Muggings are increasing in cities and major towns.

Capital: Lisbon

Time zone: GMT (GMT + 1 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 351
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Dial 112 anywhere in the EU to reach the emergency services. Additional local numbers:-All services – 115.

Tourist information: ICEP/Turismo Palácio Foz, Praça dos Restauradores, 1200 Lisbon, Portugal Tel (1) 346 3643 or 793 4660 or 793 4627 Fax (1) 346 8772 or 793 4627.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland holding national ID cards. NOTE: The Portuguese authorities do not recognise passports issued by the Palestinian Government. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of EU countries for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Australia and Japan for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Canada and the USA for stays of up to 2 months. Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland and Uruguay for stays up to 3 months. Nationals f Ecuador, South Korea and Malawi for stays up to 2 months. Nationals of Brazil for stays up to 6 months. Nationals of other countries should consult the Portuguese consulate for further information.

Health information: Yellow Fever: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving in or destined for the Azores or Madeira if coming from infected areas.

Food & drink: Drinking water is generally safe. Travellers may sometimes experience mild food poisoning to which local people are immune, this may require antibiotic treatment.

Currency: In common with 12 Member States of the European Union (EU), here the Euro is the currency. There are seven different banknotes and eight coins of the Euro. Each participating EU country has coins with one common side and a reverse side specific to each country, while the banknotes look the same throughout the euro area. The export of gold and other valuable is subject to special conditions. All credit cards are accepted and travellers cheques are easily exchanged. ATM availability: Over 5 000 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively inexpensive and offers excellent value in transport, accommodation and food.

Languages: Portuguese.

Weather: Northwest: mild winters with a high rainfall and fairly short summers. Northeast: longer winters and hot summers. South: Summers are hot with little rain, high temperatures are moderated by a permanent breeze.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz, may vary in other areas. Continental 2 pin plugs are used

Post: 3 – 5 days to the rest of Europe.

Transport: RAIL: Services are provided in every town. Cheap fares are available on “blue” days – usually Monday afternoon to Thursday. Tourist tickets providing a period of unlimited travel are also available. ROAD: Every town can be reached by an adequate system of roads. TAXI: Charged according to distance and are metered. CAR HIRE: Available from main towns and airports. DOCUMENTATION: IDP or Foreign licence are accepted. It is compulsory to have Third party insurance, full owner registration documentation for the car and drivers licence on you when driving. Failure to present these documents on demand can carry a spot fine or even car seizure. Whilst a Green card is not essential in EU countries it is still generally advisable to have one

Special information: Politeness is essential. Beach wear should not be worn in towns. Normally smokers refrain from smoking during the course of the meal while others are still eating. Serious risk of robbery at main train stations and on international trains.

Capital: Mogadishu

Time zone: GMT + 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 252 Outgoing Code: International calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Emergency Telephone Numbers: – All travellers are advised to consult the foreign office in their country of residence before departure regarding emergency assistance

Tourist information: Not present.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure

Visa information: Visa required by all. Transit visas are not required by visitors with reserved onward travel

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all travellers. A vaccination certificate is required by those arriving from infected areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera ( VACCINATION REQUIRED) and Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Somali Shilling (SoSh) = 100 cents NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to SoSh 200.
Diners Club has limited acceptance. US dollars cash is preferred to traveller’s cheques
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Economy decimated by political strife and drought, resulting in high inflation and a scarcity of products.

Languages: Somali and Arabic

Weather: Jan – Feb Hot and Dry, Mar – June is the 1st raining season, monsoon winds occur between Jul and Aug . The 2nd raining season occurs between Sept and Dec

Electricity: 220 Volts AC 50 Hz

Post: Up to 2 weeks

Transport: ROAD: It is difficult to travel outside of Mogadishu by car because of poor road conditions. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required

Special information: EXTREME RISK: We advise against all but essential travel. Many parts remain insecure especially in the south and the situation could suddenly change in the rest of the country Informal wear is acceptable. PHOTOGRAPHY: People with cameras must have permit.

Capital: Asuncion

Time zone: GMT + 5

Telephone services: Country Code: 595

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 00.

Tourist information: Direccion General de Turismo, Ministerio de Obras, Pulicas Y Communicaciones, Palma 468, Asuncion, Paraguay Tel: (21) 441530 or 441 620. Fax: (21) 491230.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay with valid ID cards entering as tourists directly from their own country. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure

Visa information: Required by all except for the following entering as tourists for stays up to 90 days: Nationals of Australia, Japan, and the USA. Nationals of EU countries (except France, Greece and Portugal who do require visas) Nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Israel, Norway, Peru, South Africa, Switzerland, Israel and Uruguay.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the Vivax variety in some rural areas from Oct – May
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required for visitors arriving from endemic areas. A certificate is also required from travellers leaving Paraguay to Endemic areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink

Currency: Guarani (G) Exchange Many of the expensive hotels will accept credit cards and exchange travellers cheques. US$ are preferred to sterling travellers cheques. Major credit cards are widely accepted, although Diners Club has a more limited acceptance.
ATM availability: Over 26 locations

Cost of living: Accommodation is limited to the city and needs to be booked, in writing, well in advance. Other commodities tend to be moderately expensive.

Languages: Spanish. Guarani.

Weather: Sub tropical climate. Hottest and wettest period is Dec – Mar.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz

Post: 5 days by airmail.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Several visitor flights operate providing a popular view of local sites. RAIL: Services are unreliable and irregular. ROAD: Roads serving the main centres are in good condition. Approx. 10% of roads are unsurfaced and therefore impassable in poor weather. DOCUMENTATION: IDP and national driving licences are all accepted. BUS: The cheapest method of transport NOTE: for longer distances advance booking is necessary. Express links to major cities operate.

Special information: Beware of poisonous snakes. Paraguay is generally safer than its nearby neighbours but common sense precautions should be followed.

Capital: São Tomé

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 239
Outgoing Code: All international calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Refer to the Consulate.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure

Visa information: Required by all, Transit visas are not required by those with tickets for onward journeys on the same day.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all travellers. A certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected areas.

Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Dobra (Db) = 100 centimes Credit cards are not accepted, US$ traveller’s cheques are preferred.
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Very inexpensive, without a tourist industry and unspoilt by external influences

Languages: Portuguese and native dialects are most widely spoken. French and English are also spoken

Weather: Dry Season – June to Sept and Dec to beginning of Feb. The South is wetter than the North

Electricity: 220 Volts AC.

Post: Up to 2 weeks

Transport: FLIGHTS: There are 3 flights a week from São Tomé to Principe. ROADS: Generally deteriorating therefore a 4 wheel drive is required to get around. BUSES: A bus service is in operation. TAXIS: operate.

Special information: Usual social courtesies should be shown. Portuguese influence is still dominant