Think twice.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Djibouti
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Think twice.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Polio
- • Global Measles
Tap water safe to drink: No — bottled/filtered only
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Chikungunya, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Measles, Polio, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
All visitors to Djibouti must obtain either a visa on arrival to Djibouti, an electronic visa online or a visa from one of the Djiboutian diplomatic missions prior to arrival in Djibouti, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries mentioned below.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Djibouti. Terrorism attacks could be indiscriminate, including in crowded areas and places frequented by foreign nationals, such as: transport hubs hotels, restaurants and bars shopping areas religious events sporting events military bases Stay aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities. The terrorist group Al Shabaab may see Djibouti and international interests within Djibouti as legitimate targets. This is because Djibouti participates in the African Union peacekeeping mission, ATMIS , and joins in international support of the Somali government. Al Shabaab has issued public threats against Djibouti.
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual behaviour is not illegal but is not common in Djiboutian public life. Same-sex couples showing affection in public could attract the attention of the authorities under laws around “good morals”. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Natural hazards include earthquakes and droughts. Occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods.
- •Visitors should be aware of the risk of banditry outside the capital city.
Staying healthy
- •Health insurance is advisable.
- •Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, exists year-round. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. Mefloquine, doxycycline or atovaquone/proguanil are recommended.
- •The adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is over 3% or 1 in 33 adults. Protect yourself.
- •Tap water is not safe to drink unless it has been boiled or otherwise sterilized.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / E · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 17 / ambulance: 19 / fire: 18
Cash vs. Card
The currency of Djibouti is the Djiboutian franc, denoted by the symbol "Fdj" (ISO currency code: DJF). The Djiboutian franc is pegged to the US dollar. You can convert dollars to francs with local street money changers located in the Djiboutian market area. The street money changers are women who line the street waiting to convert foreign currencies to francs. Whilst generally honest brokers it i
Show the receipts (8 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09