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Guinea-Bissau

Republic of Guinea-Bissau · Western Africa

Guinea-Bissau is an off-the-beaten-path destination on the west coast of Africa. It is primarily an agricultural and fishing country of just over 2 million people (2023). This former Portuguese colony is one of the poorest countries in the world. Most tourists come to visit the Bijagós (Bissagos) Archipelago, said to be the most beautiful islands in Africa.

Guide content adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Guinea-Bissau". Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

CapitalBissau
CurrencyXOFWest African CFA franc
LanguagesPortuguese, Upper Guinea Creole
Dial code+245
Time zoneAfrica/Bissau

Weather

Live

29°C

Light drizzle · feels like 35°C

  • 77%
  • 5 km/h
  • AQI 15
  • SunThunderstorm23° / 29°
  • MonThunderstorm24° / 31°
  • TueThunderstorm24° / 27°
  • WedModerate drizzle24° / 29°

Measured at the country centroid, not a specific city.

Money

Live

West African CFA franc (XOF)

$1 USD
Fr567.9
€1 EUR
Fr656.2

Reference rates for 2026-08-08. Indicative — not the rate a bureau will give you.

Trip cost

What a trip to Guinea-Bissau costs

Visas, flights, beds, food and everything in between, priced for your party and your dates. Every line shows its own arithmetic, so you can disagree with the parts you know better than we do.

Your trip

8 days on the ground

Hotel category
Flight class

Estimated cost

$2,436

$1,218 per person · $152 per person per day

  • Visa & entry

    $50 × 2 — typical tourist visa or eVisa fee

    $100
  • Flights

    $619 return × 2 · 4,809 km

    $1,239
  • Accommodation

    $61/night × 7 nights × 1 room · Standard

    $430
  • Food & drink

    $13/person/day × 8 days × 2

    $208
  • Local transport

    $5/person/day × 8 days × 2

    $80
  • SIM & internet

    $8 per person, once × 2

    $16
  • Attractions

    $9/person/day × 8 days × 2

    $144
  • Travel insurance

    $2/person/day × 8 days × 2

    $38
Subtotal
$2,255
Miscellaneous (8%)
$180
Total
$2,436

Budget at a glance

Per day

$304

Per person

$1,218

Family of 4

$4,872

7 days

$2,436

14 days

$3,345

30 days

$5,423

The 7, 14 and 30-day figures re-price the whole trip at that length — flights and visas do not repeat, so a month is far from four times a week.

A planning estimate, not a quote — ground costs are modelled from a cost tier for Guinea-Bissau, not scraped from live inventory. Your settings are saved to this device.

Visas & entry

Entry requirements

This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Guinea-Bissau’s current rules for the most common types of travel. 

The authorities in Guinea-Bissau set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Guinea-Bissau Embassy in Paris, France:

94 Rue St Lazare, 75009 Paris
Email: embgbfr@gmail.com
Telephone: +33 (0)1 48 74 36 39 or +33 (0)1 48 78 36 69

Passport validity requirements

To enter Guinea-Bissau, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.

Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Dual nationals

When returning to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. See Dual citizenship.

Visa requirements

You must have a visa to visit Guinea-Bissau.

Applying for a visa

Contact the Guinea-Bissau Embassy in Paris, France, for information on applying for a visa:

94 Rue St Lazare, 75009 Paris
Email: embgbfr@gmail.com
Telephone: +33 (0)1 48 74 36 39 or +33 (0)1 48 78 36 69

Guinea-Bissau also has embassies in neighbouring countries, including Senegal, where you may be able to get a visa.

Vaccine requirements

To enter Guinea-Bissau, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination.

For more details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s Guinea-Bissau guide.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of Guinea-Bissau. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Source: UK FCDO, published 2025-12-10 under the Open Government Licence.

If something goes wrong

Getting help

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot provide tailored advice for individual trips. Read this travel advice and carry out your own research before deciding whether to travel.

Emergency services in Guinea-Bissau

Ambulance: 1313

Fire: 1313

Police: 117

Contact your travel provider and insurer

Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.

Refunds and changes to travel

For refunds or changes to travel, contact your travel provider. You may also be able to make a claim through insurance. However, insurers usually require you to talk to your travel provider first.

Find out more about changing or cancelling travel plans, including:

  • where to get advice if you are in a dispute with a provider
  • how to access previous versions of travel advice to support a claim

Support from FCDO

FCDO has guidance on staying safe and what to do if you need help or support abroad, including:

Contacting FCDO 

Help abroad  

See how to get help from the UK government abroad including in an emergency. 

Help in the UK  

You can call  FCDO in London if you need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.  

Telephone: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours)  

Find out about call charges

Get travel advice updates  

Sign up to get email notifications when this travel advice is updated.  

Follow FCDO: 

Cities

Where to go in Guinea-Bissau

Where next