Just Landed in Guinea-Bissau? Your First 7 Days

Mobile data is how you get online; fixed broadband is rare, slow and unreliable, so a smartphone on a local SIM with a mobile hotspot is the practical setup for most residents and even small offices. Orange has the widest coverage and some 4G in Bissau, while MTN covers urban and semi-urban areas mainly on 3G. Coverage is decent in the capital but thin to non-existent in rural areas, and speeds sag during the frequent power cuts that also knock out towers.

Typical cost: A SIM costs roughly 1,000-2,000 XOF, with monthly data bundles around 5,000-15,000 XOF depending on volume; top-ups are bought with scratch cards sold everywhere or via the operators' mobile-money and app top-up options.

Guinea-Bissau runs almost entirely on cash in West African CFA francs (XOF), the regional currency shared across the eight WAEMU countries and pegged to the euro at a fixed rate of 655.957 XOF to one euro. Cards are accepted at only a handful of hotels, ATMs are few and regularly out of cash or offline, so plan to carry notes and hold euros in reserve for anything large or urgent.

Opening an account: Ecobank, Banco da Africa Ocidental (BAO), Orabank and Banque Atlantique are the main banks used by foreigners, NGOs and businesses. Opening an account typically requires your passport, proof of a local address, a residence permit and often an employer letter or local reference, and the process can be slow, so many short-term residents simply run on cash and international cards for ATM withdrawals.

Cash: Cash covers essentially everything, from rent and groceries to clinic fees and school payments. Keep a mix of small denominations because change is often scarce, budget around cuts in ATM availability, and expect to negotiate prices at markets and with taxis rather than pay a fixed sticker price.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory and not widely expected. At the few sit-down restaurants aimed at expats, rounding up or leaving around 5-10 percent is appreciated; elsewhere it is not the norm, though a small tip for helpful service or a reliable driver goes a long way.

Foreigners staying beyond a short visit must obtain a residence permit (autorizacao de residencia) through the immigration service, and this legally ties your stay to a registered local address in Guinea-Bissau. In practice, employers, the UN and NGOs usually manage the paperwork for their staff, which is by far the smoothest route given how bureaucratic and slow the process can be. Bring your passport, passport photographs, proof of address, and any employer letter or contract, and keep copies of everything, because processing is manual and files can go missing. Start early rather than waiting until your entry visa is close to expiring.

Deadline: Regularise your stay before your entry visa expires, typically within the first 30 to 90 days depending on your visa type; do not overstay, as fines and complications at departure are common.

Where: The Servico de Migracao e Fronteiras (SMF), the immigration and border service, in Bissau.

There are no ride-hailing apps and no published public-transport timetables, so getting around means shared blue-and-white toca-toca minibuses, shared and private taxis, and increasingly motorbike taxis for shorter hops. Roads in Bissau are potholed, largely unlit and prone to flooding in the rainy season, and any travel outside the capital is slow, best done in daylight and ideally in a sturdy vehicle. Many expats arrange a regular, trusted driver rather than flag down transport each time.

From the airport: Osvaldo Vieira International Airport (OXB) sits about 8-9 km from central Bissau. There is no airport bus or train, so take a taxi and agree the fare in cash before you leave, usually around 3,000-5,000 XOF, or, far better for a first arrival, arrange a hotel or employer pickup in advance so someone is waiting for you by name.

Most expats find housing through employers, the UN and NGO networks or plain word of mouth rather than agencies or listing sites, because the formal rental market is tiny and little of it appears online. The better housing clusters in central Bissau and residential areas such as Chao de Papel and Bairro de Ajuda, and long-term rentals for foreigners are frequently quoted and paid in euros or US dollars. Prioritise a working generator, a water tank and secure access over cosmetic details.

Typical rent: A furnished flat or small house suitable for expats in Bissau typically runs from around 250,000 to 700,000 XOF per month (roughly EUR 380-1,050), and more for a compound with its own generator, water storage and security, which is what most foreign families end up paying for.

Deposit norm: Landlords commonly ask for one to three months' rent upfront as a deposit, and several months paid in advance is normal. Negotiate the total, get any agreement in writing even if informal, and, where possible, have a trusted local contact present when you view and sign.

Public healthcare is very limited and under-resourced. The main referral hospital, the Hospital Nacional Simao Mendes in Bissau, chronically lacks reliable equipment, medicines and specialists, and periodic strikes and shortages make it undependable for anything serious. In practice, any significant illness, surgery or accident means stabilising locally and evacuating to Dakar, Lisbon or beyond.

How to access it: For minor problems, use the private clinics in Bissau and pay in cash, and identify a clinic and a trusted doctor in your first week rather than in a crisis. Keep a personal stock of essential and regular medicines, as pharmacies frequently run short, and arrange the practical logistics of an evacuation, including who to call and how it is paid for, before you ever need them.

Insurance: There is no functioning public health insurance for foreigners, so comprehensive private international health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation and repatriation is essential and should be active before you arrive. Confirm the policy covers Guinea-Bissau specifically, and carry the emergency assistance number with you at all times.

• Greet people properly before getting to business; a handshake and asking after someone's family and health is expected, and rushing straight to the point comes across as rude.
• Learn a handful of Kriol words and use them; in everyday interactions this opens doors far more than Portuguese or French and signals respect.
• Dress modestly, especially in Muslim communities and rural areas, and always ask before photographing people, market stalls, homes or officials.
• Accept that things run on 'Guinean time': appointments, deliveries and official processes are flexible and slow, so build in slack and stay patient rather than pushing.
• Show respect to elders and community leaders, who carry real authority; defer to them in group settings and let introductions come through them where you can.
• Share and accept hospitality graciously; food and drink are offered generously even by those with little, and declining outright can cause offence.
• Be discreet with visible wealth and expensive gear; keep phones, cameras and cash low-profile, particularly in crowded markets.

• Political instability and coups have recurred through the country's history; steer well clear of protests, rallies, military installations and any situation that turns political.
• Never photograph the airport, ports, bridges, government buildings or anyone in uniform without clear permission, as it draws immediate official suspicion.
• Discussing local politics openly can be sensitive and even risky; listen far more than you speak until you know your company well.
• Drug trafficking has a real footprint in the country; keep clear of anyone or anywhere connected to it, and never carry packages for others.
• Do not travel outside Bissau after dark, where unlit roads, breakdowns and informal checkpoints combine into avoidable risk.