Guinea Bissau
Last update 29 January 2025Diplomatic missions
Risk index
Level 3: Avoid non-essiential travel (Do not travel in certain areas of the country unless necessary)
3
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Republic of Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Bulgaria does not have a functioning embassy in Bissau. Bulgarian citizens residing in Guinea-Bissau on a short or long-term basis may address consular matters to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Abuja
Address: 10 Euphrates str., Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Maitama, Abuja
Telephone: +234 9038600017
Consular Office: +234 9038600017
Working hours: 09:00 – 17:00
Opening hours: every working weekday — 09:00 – 12:00
E-mail: [email protected]
Е-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mfa.bg/embassies/nigeria
Bulgarian citizens wishing to visit Guinea-Bissau can apply for visas at the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Moscow.
Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Moscow (accredited to Bulgaria)
Address: Simferopolsky Boulevard, 7/A, office 180 [Симферопольский бульвар, 7/А, офис 180]
Telephone: +7 495 3179582
Website: www.embassypages.com/guineabissau.php
General information
Security level:
After periods of instability in the last few years, the situation is generally calm, but there are still factors such as organised crime that create risks and worsen the security environment. The country's armed forces have traditionally played a very strong role in society.
Travelling to places outside the state capital is not recommended except in cases of extreme necessity. Organised tourism is virtually non-existent and therefore vigilance should be exercised when offers are made to organise visits to ‘sights’ in the interior of the country.
Avoid places of crowding or demonstrations. One of the high-risk locations is Bandim Market. There is also a potential risk of attacks, including from aggressive traders, at the local international airport.
It is advisable not to take walks after dark, and even during the day foreigners should exercise a high degree of caution against pickpockets, aggressive groups of people and hawkers. The wearing of expensive jewellery, watches, etc. should not be demonstrated.
Healthcare:
Service in the hospitals does not meet the European standards. There is virtually no capacity in hospital facilities to provide emergency and urgent care. It is recommended to stock up on essential medicines before travelling to Guinea-Bissau.
Specifics of the local legislation:
Any activity that could be considered part of drug trafficking is punishable by severe penalties, including life imprisonment. Photography of military buildings and sites and other sites of strategic importance is prohibited.
Customs requirements:
On entry into the country, the authorities allow the import of alcohol and cigarettes in ‘reasonable quantity’. It is not allowed to import cultural and artistic objects, rare species of flora and fauna without permission of the relevant authorities. There are no restrictions on the export of items. The maximum amount of cash upon entry or exit from Guinea-Bissau is XOF 2 million or its equivalent in another currency.
Road traffic:
The state of public transport and roads in the country is unsatisfactory. If you need to travel outside the capital, the vehicle should be well equipped and adapted for travelling in tropical conditions. In the absence of a developed mobile network, the use of GPS services is severely hampered.
Practical advice:
It is necessary to maintain high personal hygiene, to consume food and drinks only from places that meet at least minimum sanitary standards. Particular care should be taken when consuming fresh fruit and vegetables, washing them with boiled hot or bottled water. Vigilance should be exercised when consuming food outside reputable hotels in view of the practice of certain groups of placing intoxicants in the food of foreigners for the purpose of committing assault and/or theft.
Avoid travelling alone in the country without a local escort. Travelling by car should be done only on the main roads of the country. If it is necessary to use taxi services, rely on the assistance of the hotel where you are staying. It is highly inadvisable to use taxis without clear signage.
Travelling of children
If the child is travelling with only one of the parents or with an accompanying person, a duly certified declaration of consent from the respective parent must be submitted. It is recommended that children travel with their own passports.
Local currency:
West African franc (XOF) — XOF 1,000 = EUR 1.53
It is difficult to find legal currency exchange bureaus. For this reason, travellers are advised to have some local currency on hand before entering the country. Payments by cheque and credit card are not possible.
Travel papers and visas
Bulgarian citizens travelling to Guinea-Bissau (holders of regular, official and diplomatic passports) need a visa, which can be obtained at the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Moscow. The passport must be valid for at least the duration of the stay in Guinea-Bissau and have at least one blank page so that the entry visa can be affixed to it. There should be no other visa stamps on the back of this page other than the border control stamps.
It is mandatory for each arriving person to have a certificate/passport of yellow fever vaccination. Typhus, meningitis and hepatitis vaccines are recommended.
Consular service
European Emergency Travel Document:
In extreme situations — in case of damage, loss or theft of a passport, Bulgarian citizens can apply for an Emergency Travel Document at an Embassy of an EU Member State in Bissau. The EU countries that maintain Consular Offices in Bissau are France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.
Certifications and legalizations:
In order to be valid in Bulgaria and to be able to serve before the Bulgarian institutions, all documents issued by the authorities in Guinea-Bissau to Bulgarian citizens must bear the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau. Then, they need to be certified by the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in Moscow. The Consular Office of the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow can authenticate the seals of the Embassy of Guinea-Bissau in the Russian capital. It is also possible for documents with the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau to be authenticated by the country's embassy in Abuja and then by the Embassy of Bulgaria in the Nigerian capital.
Once the documents have been so prepared, they must be translated into Bulgarian by an authorized company in Bulgaria and certified by the Department of Certifications and Legalizations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.