Country Information

Capital: Conakry

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 224
Outgoing Code: Must be made through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: 442 959 (Embassy)

Tourist information: Refer to the Embassy in Paris.

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

Visa information: Visa for Tourist, Transit and Business are granted. Required by all except nationals of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Tunisia.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Present in the Falciparum variety and resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all visitors. Those arriving from infected areas over one year of age are required to have a vaccination certificate.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, River Blindness, Hepatitis, Meningitis and rabies are 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: Guinea Franc (FG) = 100 centimes. NOTE: Import and export of local currency is prohibited. Foreign currency must be declared on arrival.
MasterCard has limited acceptance in the capital city. Travellers cheques can be changed at banks. French francs are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Tourist areas tend to be more expensive.

Languages: French and several local languages.

Weather: Hot and Humid climate. Wet season = May – Oct. Dry season = Nov – Apr.

Electricity: 220 Volts, 50 Hz

Post: Post will take over a week to reach Europe.

Transport: ROADS: Only 2/5 are suitable for all weather conditions. RAIL: A limited service exists which is generally not recommended. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required.

Special information: Do not travel to the borders with Liberia or Sierra Leone. Tourists should not venture out into Conakry at night due to a high level of street violence. Muslim traditions should be respected. Casual dress is acceptable. PHOTOGRAPHY: Permits are no longer required but taking photos of public buildings, bridges, ports or anything connected to the military is prohibited.

Capital: Basse-Terre

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 590
Outgoing Code: 19

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 112, Ambulance – 434. All services – 911.

Tourist information: Police – 17, Fire and Ambulance – 18

Passport information: All travellers must have a valid passport except: EU Nationals and nationals of Andorra Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland, who may travel holding an expired passport provided it expired within the last 5 years, or a valid national ID card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: See France, but specify Guadeloupe when making application.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from visitors over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia

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

Currency: French Franc (Ffr) = 100 centimes.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques in French francs are welcomed.

ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Expensive due to a 15-30% tax levied on services depending on the time of year

Languages: French. Patois and English are widely spoken.

Weather: Warm weather all year round. Main raining season June – Oct. High humidity at times.

Electricity: 110/220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Post will take Approx. 1 week to Western Europe.

Transport: SEA: Regular ferry services move around the island. BUS: There is a good bus service. CAR HIRE: Many companies are present. DOCUMENTATION: National driving licence is sufficient. One years driving experience is required. IDP is advised.

Special information: Guadeloupe is a French overseas department and the French culture is clearly evident.

Capital: Malabo

Time zone: GMT + 1

Telephone services: Country Code: 240
Outgoing Code: Operator assistance may be required.

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: The Centro Cultural Hispano-Guineano gives out good maps of the Island and mainland.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the relevant consular authority before finalising travel arrangements.

Visa information: Required by all Business and Tourist.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination Required.

Malaria: Precautions required. Falciparum exists throughout the country and resistance to chloroquine has been reported.

Yellow Fever: Vaccination certificate will be required by all travellers.

Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, River blindness in unchlorinated water, oriental lung fluke (recently reported) and Cholera are 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.
NOTE: Export of local currency is limited to CFA Fr3000. CFA Franc can not be easily exchanged outside of the CFA Fr area

Diners Club is accepted on a limited basis in large towns only. Travellers cheques are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Tourists can expect to pay high prices for services.

Languages: Spanish, African dialects including Fang and Bubi are spoken.

Weather: Tropical climate throughout the year. Rainfall throughout the year although less falls between Dec and Feb.

Electricity: 220/240 Volts. AC

Post: Approximately 2 weeks

Transport: FLIGHTS: Advisable to book in advance. ROADS: There are few tarred roads and car hire companies are unavailable but taxis can be hired. SEA: there is a ferry between Malabo, Bata and Doula, allow 12 hours for the trip.

Special information: Although the current situation is calm caution should be exercised. Travelling after dark should be avoided. Visitors have recently experienced problems with corruption and petty theft. Europeans are likely to be met with curiosity and even suspicion. Foreign cigarettes are often accepted as gifts. PHOTOGRAPHY: A photo permit, available from the embassy is essential.

Capital: Tallinn

Time zone: GMT + 2 (+2 from the last Sunday in March to the Saturday before the last Sunday in September.)

Telephone services: Country Code: 372
Outgoing Code: 810

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 03 (Tallinn – 003), Police – 02 (Tallinn – 002), Fire – 01 (Tallinn – 001)

Tourist information: Estonian Tourist Board, Mundi 2, EE-0001 Tallinn, Estonia, Tel (2) 411 420 Fax: (2) 411 432.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, Japan. Nationals of Denmark. Nationals of Andorra, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Monaco, New Zealand, Poland, San Marino, Slovak Republic, and Vatican City. For the latest information contact the relevant authorities at least 3 weeks before finalising travel arrangements.

Health information: Other Health Risks: Rabies.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: 1 Kroon = 100 sents. (Br)
Exchange: US$ and Deutsche Marks are widely accepted.
Credit cards are accepted on a limited basis. Travellers cheques can be exchanged at most banks. Preferred currency is US dollars.

ATM availability: Over 200 locations.

Cost of living: No information available at present

Languages: Estonian. Some Russian may also be spoken.

Weather: There is rainfall throughout the year with the heaviest falling in Aug. Heavy snow falls are likely in the winter months. The climate has large temperature variations. Summer can be quite warm but winter, lasting from Oct – Mar, can be very cold.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European 2 pin plugs are used.

Post: Approx. 6 days.

Transport: RAIL: The rail system is underdeveloped but the most major cities are connected to the network. SEA/RIVER: Ferries connect the mainland with the main Islands. ROAD: There is a high density of roads although there are few major highways. Careful driving is advised and driving at night is not recommended. It is best to remember that spare parts are not always available. CAR HIRE: Hertz agencies are present in Tallinn. DOCUMENTATION: European nationals should be in possession of the new ‘European Driving Licence’. BUS: A wide network of routes are operated including express services. Prices are very low and buses are still the most important means of transport. TAXIS: Agree fare in advance.

Special information: It is advisable to take a supply of medicines as they are unlikely to be available (Aspirin etc.). Visitors should take care to respect Estonians’ sense of national identity. Crime is an increasing problem for tourists in Tallinn.

Capital: Cairo

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 20
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Egyptian State Tourist Offic, 170 Piccadilly, London, W1V 9DD Tel: (020) 7493 5282 Fax: (020) 7408 0295. Opening hours Mon. to Fri 0930 – 1630.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all and must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay in Egypt. Return Ticket Required. requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the appropriate consular authority before finalising travel arrangements.

Visa information: Required by all except: nationals of Malta, and Jordan (if holding a passport valid for at least 5 years) for a stay not exceeding 30 days. Nationals of Bahrain, Djibouti, Guinea, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen for a stay not exceeding 90 days. Tourist and Business, single or multiple entry types granted.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination Required.
Malaria: No risk in Cairo or Alexandria but falciparum and vivax varieties exists from June to October in the El Faiyoum area.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required if arriving from infected areas. Check with embassy as to which areas Egypt considers infected.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Malaria, 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: Egyptian Pound (£E) = 100 piastres
There are 5 national banks and 78 branches of foreign banks.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: 88 locations

Cost of living: Tourists can expect to pay higher prices than locals.

Languages: Arabic, English and French are widely spoken

Weather: Hot and dry during the summer with dry winters with chilly nights. Dusty winds from the Sahara prevail during April.

Electricity: 1220 Volts 50 Hz are most common. 110/380 volts AC may also be used.

Post: Approximately 5 days by airmail. There are Post Restante facilities at the main post office in Cairo. a small fee is charged when the mail is collected.

Transport: RAIL: A good rail network exists. TAXIS are available in the cities and are metered although it is advisable to agree the fare in advance.

Special information: NOTE: Because of continuing tensions in the region travellers should keep themselves informed of developments. Within Egypt itself, recent attacks in the last few years by extremist groups have been aimed at police and local institutions but have also been aimed at tourists. Care should be taken when travelling in the southern part of the country in Luxor and beyond in the Nile Valley. Take advice from local security authorities.

Capital: Asmara

Time zone: GMT + 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 291
Outgoing Code: Operator assistance required for outgoing international calls.

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Eritrean Tour Service (ETS) PO Box 889, 61 Harnet Avenue, Asmara, Eritrea Tel: (1) 124 999 Fax: (1) 126 366 or 127 695

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the relevant consular authority before finalising travel arrangements.

Visa information: Required by all. Business and Tourist granted. Ensure that all visa’s remain current throughtout your stay. Transit passengers who do not leave the airport do not need a visa.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.

Malaria: Exists throughout the year and high resistance to chloroquine has been reported.

Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by all arrivals over one year of age arriving from infected areas. However everyone is advised to have the vaccination for travel outside the urban areas.

Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Hepatitis, Rabies, Meningitis are present. Tetanus injection is also recommended.

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: Ethiopian Birr (Br)
used in Asmara and the South. The Sudanese Dinar is in circulation in the North and West. US Dollars in cash is the best form of currency.

MasterCard and Diners Club have limited acceptance.

ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Prices are generally lower in Eritrea than in surrounding countries.

Languages: Arabic and Tigrinya. English and Italian also spoken.

Weather: Hottest period is Apr to Jun but it can be very cold at night. June – Feb raining season depending on the area of the country.

Electricity: 110 Volts AC in Asmara different voltage exists outside the capital. There are occasional power surges.

Post: Delays should be expected

Transport: FLIGHTS:No internal flights or railways. ROADS: Reasonable between tourist and business centres. Improvements are being made. BUSES: Connect all larger towns and cities. TAXIS: Can be found in the capital and at the airport; fares should be agreed in advance.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: Foreign & Commonwealth Office strongly advises against all travel should be avoided at present. For further information see FCO site.