Just Landed in Central African Republic? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is the only realistic form of internet for most residents; fixed broadband is rare, expensive and prone to outages. Telecel launched 4G and now leads the market, with Orange also offering solid coverage in and around Bangui, but connections are thin or absent across much of the interior. Keep a power bank and a spare SIM charged, given frequent electricity cuts.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM costs roughly 1,000 to 2,000 XAF, with data bundles from about 5,000 XAF for a few gigabytes; heavy users top up several times a month, and many keep two SIMs on different networks for redundancy.

CAR is overwhelmingly a cash economy running on Central African CFA francs (XAF), a regional currency pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of 655.957 XAF to one euro. Cards are accepted almost nowhere, ATMs are few and often out of cash, so plan to carry and safeguard physical notes for nearly everything.

Opening an account: Ecobank and Banque Sahélo-Saharienne (BSIC), along with CBCA and Banque Populaire Maroco-Centrafricaine (BPMC), are the most accessible banks, but opening an account is slow and usually needs a residence permit, employer letter and proof of address. Many short-term expats simply rely on cash plus an employer-held account and mobile money.

Cash: Cash is used for virtually everything, from rent to markets. Keep small denominations because change for large notes is often unavailable, never flash cash in public, and split your reserves across a couple of secure locations rather than carrying it all.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory but appreciated; rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 percent at the few restaurants that serve foreigners is generous. Small regular tips for drivers, guards and household staff are customary and build goodwill.

Foreigners staying beyond a short visit must obtain a residence permit (carte de séjour) and register with the immigration authorities; your employer, NGO or mission normally handles the paperwork and knows the current fees, which are payable in cash. You will typically need your passport, visa, photographs, an employer or assignment letter and sometimes proof of address. Separately, you should register with your embassy for safety reasons, though embassy registration is not a legal requirement.

Deadline: Regularise your stay before your entry visa expires (typically within the first weeks of arrival); confirm the exact window with your sponsor, as enforcement and processing times vary.

Where: The immigration and documentation service (Direction Générale de la Documentation et de l'Immigration) in Bangui handles residence permits.

There are no ride-hailing apps in CAR. Getting around Bangui means shared taxis (often bush-taxi style and shared with strangers), motorbike taxis (moto-taxis) and, for most expats, a private vehicle with a trusted driver. Road travel outside the capital is dangerous and generally restricted to armed convoys or UN humanitarian flights.

From the airport: Bangui M'Poko International Airport sits about 5 km from the city centre. Arrange a pickup through your hotel, employer or a known driver rather than hailing a taxi at the terminal; the drive takes 15 to 20 minutes on tarmac. For destinations beyond Bangui, most staff fly on UNHAS (the UN Humanitarian Air Service), which serves several regional airstrips.

Most expats live in secured compounds or serviced houses in central Bangui, often arranged through employers or NGOs before arrival. The supply of Western-standard housing is limited, and steady demand from international organisations keeps prices high relative to local incomes. Neighbourhoods near ministries, the river and the embassies are the usual choices.

Typical rent: A secure furnished house or apartment suitable for an expat commonly runs from roughly 500,000 to over 1,500,000 XAF per month; simpler local housing is far cheaper but rarely meets organisational security standards.

Deposit norm: Landlords typically ask for several months' rent upfront, often two to three months as a deposit plus advance rent, paid in cash. Verbal agreements are common, so get terms and the security arrangements written down and confirmed by your organisation.

Healthcare in CAR is very limited and public facilities are under-resourced and short of drugs and equipment; serious cases almost always require medical evacuation abroad. Bangui has a few private clinics and NGO-supported facilities, but you should not rely on local capacity for anything major, and there is effectively no reliable emergency system outside the capital.

How to access it: For routine care, use a private clinic in Bangui that your embassy or employer recommends, as current options change. The Institut Pasteur de Bangui handles some testing, and mission staff often have a designated clinic. Carry your own basic medical kit and a supply of prescription medicines, because pharmacy stock is unreliable and counterfeit drugs circulate.

Insurance: Comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes emergency medical evacuation to a regional hub (such as Yaoundé, Nairobi or Europe) is essential before arrival. Confirm your policy covers CAR specifically, keep the 24-hour assistance number to hand, and check whether your organisation holds a group evacuation contract.

• Greet people properly before getting to business; a handshake and a few words in French or Sango go a long way and skipping the greeting reads as rude.
• Learn a handful of Sango phrases such as 'Balao' (hello) and 'Singila' (thank you); the effort is warmly received.
• Dress modestly and conservatively, especially outside expat and diplomatic circles and when visiting offices or officials.
• Always ask permission before photographing people, and never photograph soldiers, checkpoints, the airport or government buildings.
• Show respect at the many checkpoints: stay calm, be polite, keep your documents ready and let your driver or fixer lead the conversation.
• Accept hospitality graciously; sharing food and taking time over conversation matters more than being efficient.
• Use your right hand for giving, receiving and eating, and address older people and officials with formal French courtesies.

• Security is the overriding concern; follow your embassy's and organisation's movement advice and avoid travel outside Bangui without proper armed support or a UN flight.
• Avoid political discussions, rallies and demonstrations, which can turn dangerous quickly and draw unwanted attention.
• Do not move around after dark, and vary your routines and routes where security guidance recommends it.
• Be discreet about money, valuables and plans; opportunistic crime rises around markets and busy districts.
• Do not photograph or film anything that could be read as sensitive, and put your phone away at checkpoints.