Just Landed in Sudan? Your First 7 Days

Mobile coverage exists across SAF-held cities but is fragile, with recurring nationwide blackouts and heavily damaged infrastructure in conflict zones. During 2024 and 2025 the three main networks were repeatedly knocked offline for days at a time, and even Starlink has seen multi-day outages. Buy a local prepaid SIM at an official shop with your passport, keep a second network as backup, and assume connectivity will fail when you most need it.

Typical cost: A starter SIM plus a small data bundle typically runs SDG 10,000-30,000 depending on the city and the day, though inflation and the pound's collapse make any figure a moving target. Some organisations and diplomats also run Starlink terminals as a blackout-resistant fallback.

Sudan runs almost entirely on cash. International sanctions and the war have severed it from the global banking system, so Visa, Mastercard and foreign ATMs do not function. Bring US dollars and change them in small tranches, because the pound loses value fast. Exchange rates vary wildly by city, from around SDG 3,600 per dollar in some western towns to well over SDG 5,000 in Khartoum and high-demand Port Sudan.

Opening an account: Opening an account as a foreigner is difficult and of limited use given sanctions; local banks such as Bank of Khartoum and Faisal Islamic Bank operate mainly in Sudanese pounds. Most residents rely on the Bankak mobile wallet from Bank of Khartoum for transfers and payments, but it requires a local national ID and account, so newcomers usually cannot use it directly and instead transact through a trusted local intermediary.

Cash: Everything from rent to groceries to fuel is paid in cash, and prices are frequently quoted in US dollars for larger items like rent. The pound depreciates quickly, so change only what you need for a few days and keep your dollar reserve secured. Never carry large sums through checkpoints, and split cash between several hidden places.

Tipping: Tipping (baksheesh) is customary but modest; round up taxi fares, tip drivers, and leave a small amount for restaurant, hotel and cleaning staff, who often depend on it given the economic crisis.

All foreigners are legally required to register with the Ministry of Interior's Aliens Registration Office within three days of arrival, and to register any change of address afterwards. Some larger hotels register their guests, and if you enter by land or sea you may register at the port of entry. You will typically need your passport with visa, two passport photos, your local address and a fee that varies by location. Separately, a permit from the authorities is required before travelling outside your state, for example beyond Khartoum or your home region. Enforcement is inconsistent in wartime, but failing to register can cause serious trouble at checkpoints and when you try to leave the country.

Deadline: Within 3 days of arrival

Where: The Passports and Immigration / Aliens Registration Office, usually arranged through your employer, sponsor or hotel.

There is no functioning ride-hailing you can depend on in most of the country; you move by shared minibuses (locally called amjad or hafla), auto-rickshaws (rakshas), and negotiated private taxis, always agreeing the fare in cash beforehand. Expect frequent SAF and RSF checkpoints, keep your papers ready, and avoid all travel after dark. A trusted private driver arranged through your organisation is by far the safest option, and inter-state journeys require a permit obtained in advance.

From the airport: Khartoum International Airport was closed and badly damaged by fighting, so most arrivals now fly into Port Sudan International Airport on the Red Sea coast, which has become the country's principal functioning gateway. From there, use only a pre-arranged driver, hotel car or organisation vehicle for the short trip into town; do not take unvetted taxis. Onward domestic flights are extremely limited, and much long-distance movement is by road convoy with permits.

The housing market is dislocated by mass displacement: rents have spiked sharply in safe cities like Port Sudan, where demand from displaced families, aid agencies and diplomats far outstrips supply, while Khartoum's stock is damaged, looted or abandoned. Nearly all lettings are arranged informally through personal contacts, employers or local brokers (simsar), not online listings, so a reliable local intermediary is essential to avoid being overcharged or scammed.

Typical rent: Highly volatile and usually quoted in US dollars; a modest flat in Port Sudan commonly runs from several hundred to over a thousand dollars a month, with serviced or compound accommodation far higher. Prices can jump between viewings.

Deposit norm: Landlords frequently demand several months' to a full year's rent up front in cash, and rarely offer written contracts, so verify the property and the landlord's ownership through a trusted local before handing over any money.

Sudan's health system has been devastated by the war, with the majority of hospitals in conflict areas closed, looted, damaged or overwhelmed, and severe shortages of medicine, staff, electricity and clean water. Outbreaks of cholera and other diseases have compounded the crisis. Even in safer cities like Port Sudan, care is limited and easily overstretched.

How to access it: Rely on the few functioning private clinics and hospitals in Port Sudan and other SAF-held areas, bring a generous personal supply of your regular and emergency medicines because pharmacy stock is unreliable, and plan for medical evacuation abroad (typically to Egypt, Saudi Arabia or the UAE) for anything serious. Aid workers should confirm what their organisation's medical and casevac arrangements cover.

Insurance: Arrange comprehensive international health insurance that explicitly covers Sudan, active war-risk zones and emergency medical evacuation before you arrive; standard travel policies exclude war zones, and local insurance is not a realistic option. Carry proof of cover and your evacuation provider's 24-hour number offline.

• Dress modestly at all times: women should cover shoulders and knees and carry a headscarf, and men should avoid shorts in public.
• Sudan is conservative and Muslim-majority, and alcohol is illegal, so never bring, seek or consume it.
• Greet people warmly, take time for small talk, and accept offered tea or coffee; hospitality is central and refusing outright can cause offence.
• Use your right hand for eating, giving and receiving; the left hand is considered unclean.
• Always ask before photographing people, and respect that many will decline, especially women.
• Observe Ramadan sensitivities by not eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight fasting hours.
• Show deference to elders and to hosts, and dress and behave with extra care around mosques and religious occasions.

• Never photograph military, police, checkpoints, bridges, airports or government buildings; it can lead to detention or worse.
• Carry your passport and registration papers at all times for checkpoints, but keep copies in case originals are demanded or seized.
• Avoid any discussion of the conflict, the SAF, the RSF or taking sides, in person and especially online, as communications may be monitored.
• Do not attempt to move between states or regions without the required travel permit, and never bluff your way through a checkpoint.
• Be discreet about your nationality, employer and movements with strangers, and avoid crowds, demonstrations and military areas entirely.