Just Landed in Guyana? Your First 7 Days

GTT (marketed as ONE Communications) and Digicel are the two main mobile networks, with GTT holding the broadest national 4G footprint and Digicel competitive inside Georgetown. Coverage thins quickly in the interior and hinterland regions, where you may have little or no signal. Home internet and fibre are expanding fast in and around Georgetown but installation can involve a wait, so most newcomers rely on mobile data at first.

Typical cost: A prepaid SIM plus a small data bundle costs around GYD 1,000-2,000 (US$5-10). Larger monthly plans run higher, for example roughly GYD 3,500 (about US$17) for 35GB on ONE Communications, while Digicel weekly bundles start near GYD 1,600 (US$8).

The Guyanese dollar (GYD) is the everyday currency and trades at roughly GYD 210 to US$1. US dollars are accepted for rent, hotels and larger purchases, but you need GYD for taxis, minibuses, markets and small shops. Use licensed cambios or banks for the best exchange rate and always count your notes before leaving the counter.

Opening an account: Foreigners can open an account at Republic Bank (including through its RepublicOnboard service), GBTI or Demerara Bank, but expect to provide a passport, proof of a local address, proof of income or a job letter, and a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) from the Guyana Revenue Authority. Non-residents face higher scrutiny and sometimes higher minimum deposits, and the process can take several weeks and multiple branch visits, so start early and bring certified copies of everything.

Cash: Guyana is heavily cash-based. Cards are accepted at larger hotels, supermarkets and around the Marriott and Pegasus, but most local businesses, minibuses and markets are cash-only. Carry small notes for day-to-day spending and keep a cash reserve, since ATMs can run empty. Mobile Money Guyana (MMG) is increasingly used for top-ups and small payments.

Tipping: Tipping is modest and not obligatory. Round up taxi fares, leave about 10% at sit-down restaurants where no service charge has been added, and tip hotel porters a few hundred Guyanese dollars. Nobody will chase you for a tip, but it is appreciated for good service.

There is no general local address-registration requirement for arriving foreigners. You are admitted for the period stamped in your passport on arrival, and to stay longer you must apply for an extension or residency through the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Any paid work requires a separate work permit, which is normally arranged by an employer. Keep your entry stamp and any application receipts safe, as these are what officials will ask to see.

Where: Central Immigration Department (Ministry of Home Affairs), Camp Street, Georgetown

Getting around means shared minibuses, route taxis and app-based cabs. Minibuses run numbered routes across Georgetown and along the coast, display their route number in the windscreen, and charge low flat fares of roughly GYD 200-300 in town. Taxis are plentiful but usually unmetered, so agree the fare before you set off. There is no metro or rail network, and driving yourself is possible but roads and traffic in Georgetown can be chaotic.

From the airport: From Cheddi Jagan International (CJIA) at Timehri, a taxi to central Georgetown covers about 41 km in roughly 50 minutes and costs GYD 6,000-10,000 (US$30-50). Use the terminal's fixed-rate taxi desk or a pre-booked driver rather than street touts. The smaller Eugene F. Correia (Ogle) airport, closer to the city, mainly handles domestic and regional flights.

The oil boom has pushed rents up sharply, especially in expat-favoured areas like Bel Air Park, Prashad Nagar, Queenstown and Eccles. Furnished flats are usually let in US dollars and marketed through Facebook groups, WhatsApp contacts and local agents rather than one central portal, so line up viewings before you arrive and lean on community groups for leads.

Typical rent: A furnished apartment in a desirable area runs roughly US$400-700 per month, while premium properties near the Marriott and Pegasus can exceed US$1,500. Simpler areas such as Kitty start around US$350, and unfurnished local rentals can be cheaper still.

Deposit norm: Landlords typically ask for one month's rent as a deposit plus one month in advance, though expat and corporate lets sometimes demand more upfront. Get a written tenancy agreement, keep proof of every payment, and never wire a deposit for a flat you have not seen in person.

Public hospitals such as Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) are free at the point of use but under-resourced, with shortages and long waits. Private facilities like Woodlands Hospital and Balwant Singh's Hospital in Georgetown offer better standards for those who can pay out of pocket. Complex or serious cases are frequently referred abroad, commonly to Trinidad or the United States, so plan for that possibility.

How to access it: For non-emergencies, most expats pay cash at private clinics and hospitals in Georgetown, where walk-in and appointment services are available and reasonably quick. For emergencies, be aware that the ambulance number (913) effectively serves only the Georgetown area and ambulances are not always available, so many people simply take a taxi straight to the nearest hospital. Keep a small stock of any regular prescription medicines, as availability can be inconsistent.

Insurance: There is no free public cover for foreigners in practice, so arrange comprehensive private health insurance that explicitly includes medical evacuation. Given the limited local capacity for advanced care, evacuation cover to Trinidad or the US is the single most important thing to have in place before you settle in.

• Guyana is deeply multi-ethnic (Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Indigenous, Chinese, Portuguese, mixed and more), so avoid assumptions or comments about race, which is a sensitive and politically charged topic.
• Greetings matter: a friendly 'good morning' or 'good afternoon' before getting to business is expected, and people are generally warm, talkative and quick to help.
• Dress is casual but neat; modest dress is appreciated when visiting temples, mosques and churches, all of which are common and active.
• Cricket, food, religion and family are safe, well-loved conversation topics, and showing genuine interest in local dishes and festivals goes down very well.
• Time can be flexible, so build in patience for appointments, tradesmen and bureaucracy running late rather than treating delays as rudeness.
• Accept hospitality graciously; being invited for a meal or a drink is common, and refusing outright can seem cold.
• Learn a little Creolese and respond in kind when spoken to; making an effort is met warmly, even if you get the phrasing wrong.

• Petty and opportunistic crime is real in parts of Georgetown, so avoid displaying phones, jewellery or cash, and be cautious after dark, especially in Tiger Bay, Albouystown and around Stabroek Market.
• Do not walk alone at night in unfamiliar areas; use a known taxi driver or a ride app instead.
• Flooding is common in the low-lying coastal capital during heavy rain, so factor drainage and location into where you choose to live.
• Expect power and water interruptions and keep torches, water and a charged power bank ready, as outages can hit without warning.
• Be careful discussing the two dominant political parties, as ethnicity and politics are closely intertwined and easily cause offence.