Just Landed in Gabon? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage is good in Libreville and Port-Gentil and much thinner in the interior, with 4G reliable in the cities and spotty on the roads between them. SIMs must be registered to your passport under Gabonese law, so buy from an official Airtel or Moov Africa point rather than a street seller. Home fibre and fixed broadband exist in parts of Libreville through Gabon Telecom but installation can be slow, so most newcomers lean on mobile data at first.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM costs around 1,000 to 2,000 XAF, and a monthly data bundle of several gigabytes runs roughly 5,000 to 15,000 XAF depending on size. Voice and data top-ups are sold as scratch cards on almost every street corner as well as through the Airtel and Moov apps.

Gabon uses the Central African CFA franc (XAF), pegged to the euro at a fixed 655.957 XAF, which makes it stable but expensive for anyone earning euros or pounds. It is overwhelmingly a cash economy: cards work at some hotels, larger supermarkets such as Mbolo and Casino, and petrol stations in Libreville, but almost nowhere else. Foreign transaction fees and poor exchange counters mean it is usually better to withdraw larger amounts less often.

Opening an account: BGFIBank, UGB (Union Gabonaise de Banque), Ecobank and Orabank open accounts for foreign residents, but expect to provide your passport, residence permit or a receipt for it, and often a work contract and proof of address. The process can take weeks, so mobile money through Airtel Money or Moov Money is the faster everyday option and is widely used for transfers and bills.

Cash: Carry small denominations for taxis, markets and street food, because change for large notes is genuinely scarce and vendors will send you away to break a note. ATMs sometimes run dry, particularly before weekends and holidays, so withdraw a buffer in advance and do not rely on a single machine.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory. Rounding up or leaving five to ten per cent for good service in a proper restaurant is appreciated but never expected, and it is not the norm in taxis or casual eateries.

Any foreigner intending to stay in Gabon for more than three months is legally required to obtain a carte de séjour (residence permit) through the immigration authority, the DGDI. Employers typically sponsor and drive the process for work postings, which involves submitting a dossier at the Service des Étrangers counter, a medical check, fingerprints and biometric capture for the card, and payment of fees that vary by nationality and permit length. A provisional receipt is usually issued on the spot so you can remain and travel legally while the physical card is produced, which commonly takes several weeks. Do not let your entry visa lapse while you wait.

Deadline: Apply within the validity of your entry visa, generally during your first weeks in the country; overstaying without a permit or receipt can lead to fines and complications.

Where: Direction Générale de la Documentation et de l'Immigration (DGDI), Service des Étrangers, in Libreville, usually handled through your employer or an authorised sponsor.

Getting around Libreville means shared taxis, which follow fixed routes for a flat per-seat fare, and private taxis (a course) that you hire and negotiate in advance. There is no metro or tram, city buses run by SOGATRA cover some routes but are limited and crowded, and traffic on the coastal road clogs badly at peak times. Between cities most people fly or drive, as roads to the interior are long and rough.

From the airport: Léon-Mba International Airport is about 10 to 12 kilometres north of central Libreville. A private taxi to the centre takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic; agree the fare before departing, commonly in the region of 5,000 to 10,000 XAF and more at night or in rain. Yango sometimes operates and gives an app-set price, which can be cheaper and removes the haggling.

Most expats rent furnished or semi-furnished flats and houses in the smarter Libreville neighbourhoods such as Batterie IV, Glass, Louis, Sablière and Quartier Louis, often with employer relocation help or through a local agent. Quality varies widely, imported fittings and generators push prices up, and reliable water and power are worth checking before you sign. Compounds with security and a back-up generator are popular with families.

Typical rent: A modern one- to two-bedroom flat in a desirable Libreville area typically runs 500,000 to 1,200,000 XAF per month, while standalone houses and secure compounds cost considerably more. Cheaper flats further from the centre can be found for less but with more variable water, power and access.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for two to three months' rent as a deposit plus one month in advance, usually paid in cash, and leases and receipts are not always formal, so document everything you pay.

Public healthcare is limited and under-resourced, so expats rely on private clinics in Libreville such as Polyclinique El Rapha, along with the larger hospital facilities, for routine and urgent care. Standards are variable and serious conditions frequently require medical evacuation to Europe or South Africa, which is why evacuation cover is non-negotiable. Malaria, typhoid and waterborne illness are the main day-to-day health risks.

How to access it: You generally pay upfront in cash at private clinics and pharmacies and claim back from your insurer, so keep every receipt. Carry a supply of any regular medication because pharmacies may not stock your specific brand, and use SOS Médecins or your insurer's assistance line for emergencies rather than assuming an ambulance will arrive quickly.

Insurance: Comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly includes emergency medical evacuation is essential; local cover and public facilities are inadequate for a major emergency, and evacuation without insurance is extremely expensive.

• Greet people properly before getting to business; a handshake and a few polite words of French are expected and set the tone.
• Speak French wherever you can, even at a basic level, as it is expected for daily interactions and essential for anything official.
• Dress smartly for offices, banks and official appointments, because appearance carries real weight and casual dress can slow things down.
• Be patient with bureaucracy, queues and delays, and stay courteous even when a process drags, as losing your temper rarely helps.
• Accept hospitality graciously; sharing food and taking time over conversation matters more than rushing to the point.
• Use titles and a degree of formality with older people and officials until invited to be more relaxed.
• Ask before photographing people, and respect that many will decline, particularly in markets or rural areas.

• Never photograph airports, military sites, government buildings, the port, bridges or officials, as it can lead to questioning or detention.
• Carry ID at all times, because police and gendarme checkpoints are common and will ask to see your papers.
• Keep political opinions private, especially around officials, as public discussion of politics can be sensitive.
• Avoid displaying wealth, expensive phones or cameras in crowded areas and markets, where opportunistic theft occurs.
• Take care after dark, particularly walking alone or on quiet beaches and streets, and prefer a known taxi to walking.