Handle administrative formalities

1. Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your planned return date. Also check that there are enough blank pages for entry and exit stamps.

2. Visa

Most nationalities need a visa to enter the DRC. Conditions vary by country of residence.

France

Visa required. Tourist visas for stays under 6 months are available online or through the DRC embassy in Paris.

Canada

Canadians must obtain their visa from the DRC embassy in Ottawa before departure. Multiple-entry visas are available for frequent travellers, obtainable in Ottawa or in Kinshasa at the Direction Générale des Migrations (65, Boulevard du 30 Juin, Gombe).

Belgium and the United Kingdom

Visa required. Contact the DRC embassy or consulate closest to your place of residence.

3. Health requirements

Compulsory vaccine

Yellow fever: Vaccination is compulsory. It must be administered at least 10 days before departure. Your international vaccination booklet will be required on entry.

Recommended vaccines

• Tetanus and diphtheria
• Whooping cough and measles
• Hepatitis A and hepatitis B
• Mumps, rubella
• Polio
• Typhoid fever
• Rabies (depending on planned activities)
• Meningococcal meningitis ACYW135

Malaria: See a doctor for an antimalarial treatment suited to your situation and the length of your stay.

4. Travel insurance

Insurance covering illness, travel accidents and medical repatriation is strongly recommended. Treatment at private clinics in Kinshasa can be costly.

5. Practical recommendations

• Keep copies of all your important documents (passport, visa, insurance) separately from the originals.
• Foreign residents in Kinshasa must register within 10 days of arrival.
• Any amount over 10,000 USD must be declared at customs on entry and exit.
• An airport development tax (IDEF) of 55 USD is due on departure from Kinshasa.
• To cross to Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), a Republic of the Congo visa is required.