Go with a plan.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Equatorial Guinea
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go with a plan.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Police extortion
Police officers are known to be aggressive and confrontational, often using the pretext of photography restrictions to extort money from tourists.
Political entrapment
Individuals may attempt to initiate political conversations to gauge dissent; avoid these discussions as they often involve ulterior motives to report you to authorities.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Photography restrictions
Photographing airports, government buildings, or military and strategic sites is prohibited and can lead to arrest or intimidation by authorities.
Political dissent
Criticizing or showing disrespect toward the government or President Teodoro Obiang is prohibited and can result in serious legal trouble.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
All visitors to Equatorial Guinea must obtain an e-Visa prior to arrival, unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries mentioned below.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Although there’s no recent history of terrorism in Equatorial Guinea, attacks cannot be ruled out.
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex relationships are not illegal in Equatorial Guinea, but there is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Society is very conservative and discrimination can be a problem for those open about their sexual identity. Same-sex marriage is not recognised in Equatorial Guinea. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Photography: Previously, a permit from the Ministry of Information and Tourism was required for photography.
- •As obvious as it may sound, do not walk around with a camera on your neck, and do not photograph airports, government buildings, or anything of military or strategic value.
- •Authorities: The police are known to be aggressive, truculent, and confrontational. Extortion by them is not uncommon.
- •Politics: Equatorial Guinea is an authoritarian country that does not tolerate or permit dissent.
- •It is unwise to criticise or show any kind of disrespect to Teodoro Obiang or the Equatoguinean government.
- •Be very skeptical if someone tries to start a political conversation.
Staying healthy
- •Food and water: There are no potable or clean water sources in Equatorial Guinea.
- •Wear shoes: Beaches in Malabo and Bata are beautiful, however, due to discarded trash and unsafe sand bugs, it is a good idea to always wear shoes. This applies to walking on carpeted areas as well.
- •Malaria medicine: Malaria is a leading cause of death in this country.
- •According to the US embassy, the La Paz Hospitals in Bata and Malabo are the only two in the country with medical standards of a hospital in a developed country.
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: 114 / ambulance: 115 / fire: 112
SIM / Data
The country code is +240. The international call prefix is 00 (replacing the "+" for outgoing landline calls).
Cash vs. Card
The currency is the Central African CFA franc, denoted FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It's also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs.
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