Travel to Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Travel Info

Arrival in the Central African Republic

Plane

There are no direct flights from Europe to the Central African Republic. There are flights from Paris and London via Khartoum to Bangui. Flights to Bangui are also offered from Libreville in Gabon and N’Djaména in Chad.

Ship

ferry traffic on the Ubangi connects Bangui with the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Car ferries operate between Bangui and Zongo in the DR Congo.

Bus

Buses travel from Cameroon and Chad to the Central African Republic. However, the length of the tour and the dangerous area outside of the larger cities make such a trip a rather less than recommendable experience. However, traveling by bus is easier and safer than using the car.

Auto

All-weather roads lead from Yaoundé in Cameroon and N’Djaména in Chad to Central Africa. Other connecting roads lead to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, for safety reasons, we strongly advise against traveling to the north and east of the country.

Travel in the country

Air connections

Domestic air connections exist between Bangui and Berbérati. Five-seater passenger planes can also be chartered in Bangui.

Bus

A national bus network connects the cities of Central Africa with one another. Trucks also take passengers. Bus traffic only exists in the country’s cities.

Railways

There is no railroad network in the Central African Republic.

Roads, rental cars

The country has about 650 km of paved roads. The roads between the larger towns in the country are in relatively good condition, but they are often impassable during the rainy season. An international driver’s license is required for rental cars. Car trips are only recommended for experienced drivers who are familiar with the area. It is also important to remember the Federal Foreign Office’s travel warnings that currently exist for the Central African Republic.

Ferry connections

There are around 2,800 km of navigable waterways in Central Africa. The Ubangi River is the country’s main route of transportation as the road network is often flooded in the rainy season. Ferries connect Bangui to several cities on the Ubangi, Congo and Sangha rivers.

International license plate

According to Abbreviationfinder, the international license plate of Central Africa is:

RCA

Infectious Diseases

The following infectious diseases can be expected in the Central African Republic:

  • Malaria: There is a high risk of infection with malaria all year round in the entire country, including in large cities. About 80% to 90% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
  • HIV, AIDS
  • Amoebic dysentery
  • Bacterial agitation
  • Schistosomiasis
  • Cholera – but there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
  • Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
  • Ebola
  • Filariasis
  • Early summer meningoencephalitis
  • Yellow fever
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Kala Azar disease
  • Lambliasis
  • leprosy
  • Meningococcal meningitis
  • Polio, polio
  • Leishmaniasis Disease
  • Sleeping sickness
  • rabies
  • Typhoid – however, there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
  • Tick bite fever

Vaccination recommendations

  • Cholera – but only among travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
  • Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
  • Yellow fever
  • Hepatitis A and B
  • Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
  • Meningococcal meningitis
  • Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
  • Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
  • Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.

Malaria prophylaxis

When traveling in the country, it is advisable to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.

Compulsory vaccination

For all persons older than one year and arriving from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against a yellow fever disease. The Central African Republic itself is considered a yellow fever infection area. A vaccination is therefore urgently recommended.

Yellow fever vaccination for children

In most countries where a yellow fever vaccination is compulsory, this also applies to children over one year of age, in some countries even from six months. It should be noted that vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two-thirds of those affected were children under six months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided. Any vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!

National currency

The national currency of Central Africa is the CFA franc

1 CFA franc = 100 centimes

Central Africa is part of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union. The ISO 4217 code of the CFA franc is XAF. The CFA franc (Communanté Financiére Africaine) is the currency in 14 African countries that were usually French colonies in the past: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Central African Republic, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. It is tied to the euro.

The exchange rate of the euro and the CFA franc is always the same as the CFA franc is pegged to the euro (it was pegged to the franc before the euro was introduced). For countries that belong to the Central African Economic and Monetary Union, the exchange rate is:

1 Euro (€) = 682.671 CFA francs (XAF)

Shopping, souvenirs

Shops in Central Africa are usually open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Tourists in the Central African Republic love to buy gold jewelry, ebony carvings and traditional handicrafts.

Central African Republic: Diploma Representations

Visit Countryaah for a full list of Central African Republic embassies and consulates in each country around the world.

German representations in the Central African Republic

The Federal Republic of Germany does not have a diplomatic representation in the Central African Republic; the embassy in:

Embassy in Cameroon

Rue Nouvelle Route Bastos, Bastos-Usine

Yaoundé

Tel: 00237 – (0) 22 – 210 056

00237 – (0) 22 – 200 566

00237 – (0) 22 – 214 434

00237 – (0) 22 – 217 292

Email: info@jaunde.diplo.de

www.jaunde.diplo.de

The German embassy in Cameroon is still responsible for:

  • Equatorial Guinea

Representations of the Central African Republic in Germany

The embassy in Paris is responsible.

Embassy in Paris

30 rue des Perchamps

75016 Paris

Tel: 0033 – (0) 1 – 42 88 67 16

Email: secretariat@amb-rcaparis.org

Austrian representations in the Central African Republic

The Federal Republic of Austria does not have an embassy in the Central African Republic, but an honorary consulate. The embassy is responsible for:

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Austria in Nigeria

Plot 9, Usuma Street

Maitama – Abuja

Tel: 00234 – 706 – 418 3226

Email: abuja-ob@bmeia.gv.at

The Austrian embassy in Nigeria is still responsible for:

  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Benin
  • Gabon
  • Ghana
  • Cameroon
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Chad
  • Togo

Consulate of the Republic of Austria (without passport authorization)

13 – 15, route de la Colline bis droite

BP 1303

Bangui

Tel: 00 236 – 61 69 99

Email: cc_aa_bg@yahoo.fr

Swiss representations in the Central African Republic

The Switzerland has in the Central African Republic has no message, but is represented by a Consulate General.

The embassy is responsible for:

Embassy in Cameroon

Angle rues 1811 et 1814, Quartier Bastos

CM- Yaoundé

Tel: 00237 – (0) 222 – 050 67

00237 – (0) 222 – 118 57

Email: yao.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

www.eda.admin.ch/yaounde

The Swiss embassy in Cameroon is still responsible for:

  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Central African Republic

Swiss Consulate General in Bangui

Immeuble AGF Centrafrique

Blvd Général de Gaulle

Bangui

République Centrafricaine

Tel: 00236 – 2161 3666

00236 – 7271 6316

00236 – 2161 2376

Email: agf.centrafrique@agf-cf.com

Representations of the Central African Republic in Switzerland

Embassy

Chemin de Taverney 9

1218 Le Grand-Saconnex

Tel: 0041 – (0) 22 – 788 88 83/84

Email: ambacage@yahoo.fr; sambsmael@yahoo.fr

Travel to Central African Republic