Capital: Bangui
Time zone: GMT + 1
Telephone services: Country Code: 236
Outgoing Code: Calls should go through the operator.
Emergency telephone numbers: Not available at present.
Tourist information: Fonds du Developpment et Touristique, BP 2327, Bangui, Central African Republic Tel: 611 351 Fax: 610 975. Office National Centrafrican du Tourisme (OCATOUR) BP 655, Bangui, Central African Republic Tel: 614 566
Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of:- France, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Monaco, Niger, Senegal, Togo and Zaïre holding a national ID card or passport expired for no longer than five years. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.
Visa information: Visa required by all, except nationals of France and Greece, providing they are carrying written proof that they are travelling on business. Also nationals of, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Israel, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Romania, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, Switzerland, Togo, Zaïre and nationals of Lebanon providing they are carrying written proof of purpose of visit. Visas not required by those travelling to a third country on the same aircraft.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Precautions recommended falciparum form is prevalent. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required on arrival, by all travellers over one year of age. Other Health Risks: Cholera. A vaccination certificate is required by all travellers. Bilharzia, Meningitis and Rabies are also present.
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.
Exchange: Us currency circulates freely.
Major credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars are widely welcomed
ATM availability: Unavailable.
Cost of living: Tourists can expect to pay high prices.
Languages: French is the official language and is essential for business. The native language is Sango
Weather: Hot all year round especially in the Northeast. The Monsoon in the south is May – Oct
Electricity: 220/380 Volts Ac 50 Hz
Post: Airmail takes 1 week although it is often much longer. Poste Restante is available in Bangui. Postal and telecommunication systems are currently being developed.
Transport: FLIGHTS: Domestic flights are limited to chartered planes. RIVER: River-boats operate along the Ubangi but can be very slow. ROAD: Good roads connect the main towns but are impassable during the raining season. Travellers must carry as much petrol as possible as deliveries to stations outside the towns are infrequent. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required.
Special information: HIGH RISK The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office strongly advise against travel unless essential. The border with Cameroon is closed and armed guards are targeting tourists. Visitors should dress modestly in Muslim areas and respect customs. Ensure you do not smoke or drink in public places during Ramadan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Be cautious and ask permission before taking photographs.