Just Landed in Djibouti? Your First 7 Days

Djibouti Telecom holds a full monopoly on both mobile and fixed internet, so there is no competition on price, speed or coverage and no alternative carrier to switch to. Service is generally usable in Djibouti City but slow and expensive by regional standards, and it degrades sharply once you leave the capital. Fixed home broadband exists but installation can be slow, so most newcomers lean heavily on mobile data.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM costs only a few hundred francs, but data is dear: tourist bundles run around 500 DJF for a few gigabytes over a few days and about 1,000 DJF for 12GB over a week, while larger monthly bundles for regular use commonly run 3,000-6,000 DJF (roughly 17-34 USD). This makes Djibouti one of the pricier data markets in the region, so buy bundles rather than paying out of pay-as-you-go balance.

Djibouti runs overwhelmingly on cash in Djiboutian Francs, which are pegged to the US dollar at about 177-178 DJF, a rate that is effectively fixed. Card acceptance is limited to top hotels, the larger supermarkets and airline offices, so you should assume every other transaction, from taxis to markets to your landlord, is cash. US dollars are widely accepted for larger payments, but you will usually be quoted and given change in francs.

Opening an account: The usual banks for foreigners are BCIMR (Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie Mer Rouge, the largest and part of France's BRED group), CAC International Bank and Bank of Africa Mer Rouge. Opening an account typically requires your residence permit, passport, proof of address and an employer or sponsor letter, and the process can take from several days to a few weeks. Ask your employer which bank they already work with, as an existing relationship speeds things up considerably.

Cash: Carry a range of small and medium denominations, since drivers, market sellers and small shops rarely have change for large notes. Keep cash secure and split across pockets and bag when moving around. For anything above everyday spending, prefer withdrawing at a bank branch during opening hours over relying on a street ATM that may be empty.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and not obligatory. Rounding up or leaving around 5-10 percent at restaurants used by expats is appreciated, and a small note for porters, hotel staff and helpful drivers is customary. There is no expectation of tipping in taxis beyond rounding the agreed fare.

Foreigners intending to remain in Djibouti beyond a short visit must hold a residence permit. Under Djiboutian law, any foreigner over 18 who stays past the three-month point after entry must hold a temporary residence permit (carte de sejour) or a resident card, and long-stay and work arrivals should regularise their status well before that. The permit is your legal registration of residence and is normally arranged through your employer or sponsor, who liaises with the immigration police on your behalf. A temporary permit is generally valid for up to one year and cannot outlast your passport, so plan renewals around your travel documents.

Deadline: Begin the process on arrival and hold a valid permit before the three-month post-entry point; do not let your entry or work visa expire while the application is in progress.

Where: Handled through the immigration and foreigners' service of the national police (Police de l'Air et des Frontieres / immigration office) in Djibouti City, almost always with employer or sponsor support.

Djibouti City is compact and the centre is walkable, but the heat pushes almost everyone into taxis for much of the year. There is no metro and no formal bus network to speak of; public transport is mainly informal shared minibuses and shared taxis running set routes. There is no reliable ride-hailing app, so you hail taxis on the street, book a regular driver by phone, or rely on employer transport.

From the airport: Ambouli International Airport is roughly 5-6 km from the centre, about a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive. Taxis are the standard option; agree the fare before departing, commonly around 1,500-3,000 DJF, or use a pre-booked hotel or employer transfer. For inter-city travel there are shared 4x4s and buses to towns such as Ali Sabieh, Dikhil and Tadjoura, and a modern railway links Djibouti to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

Most newcomers rent furnished apartments or villas in the Plateau, Heron and Haramous districts near the embassies and the sea. Good housing is scarce and the market is small and distorted by steady military, port and NGO demand, so quality expat accommodation is expensive for the region. Listings rarely appear online in a reliable way, so word of mouth, employer contacts and local agents matter more than any website.

Typical rent: A decent furnished expat apartment typically runs around 150,000-350,000 DJF per month (roughly 850-2,000 USD), while larger villas in Haramous or Heron cost considerably more. Genuinely local flats in outer districts can be found for well under 130,000 DJF, but with lower standards and fewer amenities.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for one to three months' rent as a deposit plus the first month upfront, frequently in cash. Insist on a written contract and a photographed inventory of the property and its condition before paying, and be wary of anyone demanding large sums before you have seen the place and verified they control it.

Public healthcare is under-resourced and serious cases are routinely referred abroad, so this is not a country to rely on the state system for anything major. Expats use a small number of private clinics in Djibouti City for routine and urgent care, and for anything serious the realistic plan is medical evacuation to Dubai, Nairobi or Europe. Ambulance response is limited, so for emergencies many expats arrange direct transport to a known private clinic.

How to access it: Identify a private clinic used by the diplomatic, NGO or military community early and keep its details saved. Pharmacies in the capital cover common needs but stock is inconsistent, so bring and maintain a reserve of any regular or prescription medication. For anything beyond minor illness, contact your insurer's 24-hour assistance line at the outset so they can direct or evacuate you.

Insurance: Comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation from Djibouti is essential, not optional. Confirm the evacuation cover, the assistance-line number and the nearest designated hospital before you arrive, and keep proof of cover on your phone and on paper.

• Greet people before getting to the point and use French courtesies (bonjour, merci, s'il vous plait); even a little French earns visible goodwill in shops and offices.
• Dress modestly, particularly women, in this predominantly Muslim country; cover shoulders and knees in public, and dress more conservatively away from beaches and expat venues.
• Respect Ramadan by not eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight hours, and expect shorter, shifted working hours through the month.
• Use your right hand for eating, greeting, handing over money and passing items, as the left hand is considered unclean.
• Accept offered tea or coffee where you can; hospitality is taken seriously and a brusque refusal can read as rude.
• Ask before photographing people, and never photograph women without clear permission.
• Show patience with time and bureaucracy; appointments slip, the midday heat and khat slow the afternoon, and pushing hard rarely speeds things up.

• Khat (a mild stimulant leaf) is legal and chewed by many men from early afternoon, so expect shops, offices and services to slow or shut once the day's supply arrives; get official errands done in the morning.
• Photographing military, port, government, airport or presidential sites is prohibited and can lead to questioning or detention, and there are many such sites around the capital.
• The summer heat is a genuine health hazard; heatstroke and dehydration are real risks for newcomers who underestimate it, so pace yourself and hydrate constantly.
• Avoid the immediate border areas with Eritrea and Somalia and any unofficial checkpoints, and heed embassy advice on regional security.
• Public discussion of politics, the president or the security situation can be sensitive; be discreet, especially online.