Guinea-Bissau Travel Risk Overview
Official US advisory · Level 3
Reconsider Travel
This decision takes precedence over the analytical baseline composite.
Is Guinea-Bissau safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Guinea-Bissau scores 54/100 on our travel risk index (Elevated). The US State Department rates Guinea-Bissau Level 3 (Reconsider Travel, updated 11 Dec 2025); the UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories). No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Guinea-Bissau has a Travel Risk Calculator score of 54 out of 100 (elevated risk tier); city-level files are available for 11 cities. The score combines five layers (security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards, current alerts) built from government advisories and open data. This page also covers nine safety categories (crime, disease & health, government advisory, political & civil unrest, natural disaster & weather, transport & route, environmental, digital security, money safety), the current US State Department advisory, GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices for Guinea-Bissau, recent news headlines, plus links to every city we have an editorial file for.
Run a personalized Guinea-Bissau assessmentAI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Guinea-Bissau currently maintains an elevated risk level with a baseline composite score of 54 out of 100 and a US State Department advisory level of 3. Recent political tensions and a developing crisis have prompted updates from the African Union's Peace and Security Council and divided the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Additionally, visitors face standard health precautions, including the CDC Level 1 notice for global dengue.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 03:37 UTC
How safe is Guinea-Bissau to visit in 2026?
Guinea-Bissau is currently under a US State Department Level 3 Reconsider Travel advisory. That official decision takes precedence. The 54/100 elevated baseline composite remains visible only as analytical context and must not be read as permission to disregard the advisory. The full live US State Department advisory text for Guinea-Bissau, current GDACS disaster alerts, CDC health notices, and recent news headlines are shown in the Live conditions section below. For city-specific files (Quinhámel, Catió, Buba), see the City Risk Files section below — they include neighborhood-level scam patterns, transport notes, and medical-access details where available.
Country score
Driven by: security (63/100) and health and medical access (76/100). Governments disagree: US Level 3, UK Level 1, Canada Level 2.
Guinea-Bissau's score of 54 is higher than the scores of 75% of the 241 countries we cover.
Data file
| Source | Editorial regional baseline 2026-05-15 (GPI + State Dept advisory + WHO health/transport + INFORM disaster) |
|---|---|
| Last updated | 2026-05-18 02:25:55 |
| City files | 11 |
Assessment memory
Anonymous assessments help Travel Risk Calculator identify which country and city files deserve deeper review.
| Saved assessments | 0 |
|---|---|
| Average composite | No saved signal yet |
Score layers
Safety categories
Official Government Travel Advisories
Cross-referenced official travel advice from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, normalized to a unified 1–4 risk scale.
Official travel advice differs across governments (spread of 2 risk levels). For example, one ministry recommends normal caution (Level 1) while another recommends avoiding travel (Level 3).
Department of State
Reconsider travelto Guinea-Bissau due to unrest, inadequate health infrastructure, and landmines. There is no U.S. embassy or consulate in Guinea-Bissau. The U.…
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
FCDO travel advice for Guinea-Bissau. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
Global Affairs Canada
Natural disasters and climate section – added information on El Niño
UK content contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canadian advice provided by Global Affairs Canada under open government terms. US advice provided by the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Entry Requirements & Local Laws
Official travel advice summary from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
🛂 Entry Requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Guinea-Bissau’s current rules for the most common types of travel. The authorities in Guinea-Bissau set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Guinea-Bissau Embassy in Paris, France: 94 Rue St Lazare, 75009 Paris Email: [email protected] Telephone: +33 (0)1 48 74 36 39 or +33 (0)1 48 78 36 69 Passport validity requirements To enter Guinea-Bissau, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to. You will be denied entry if you d
Summary of UK FCDO advice, updated Dec 10, 2025 · Full requirements →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Travel Advisory Level History
Historical official advisory level changes over time.
What Changed This Month in Guinea-Bissau
Chronological record of verified security, advisory, health, and hazard updates over the past 30 days.
- Oct 2, 2026 CDC Notice Level 1 - Global Dengue (Watch).
- Sep 23, 2026 CDC Notice Level 2 - Global Polio (Alert).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Farim risk score moved from 41 to 58 (Method change: scoring v2).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Fulacunda risk score moved from 41 to 55 (Method change: scoring v2).
- Sep 27, 2026 Score Change Gabú risk score moved from 41 to 56 (Method change: scoring v2).
City Risk Files in Guinea-Bissau
Showing 11 destination files with city-specific safety data in Guinea-Bissau, ranked by demand and population.
Quinhámel
Tier BBiombo
Catió
Tier BTombali
Buba
Tier BQuinara
Bambadinca
Tier BBafatá
Cacheu
Tier BCacheu
Bissau
Tier BBissau
Caió
Tier BCacheu
Bissorã
Tier BOio
Bafatá
Tier BBafatá
Bolama
Tier BBolama/Bijagós
Fulacunda
Tier BQuinara
All towns in Guinea-Bissau (3 additional local facts pages)
These localities carry verified regional geography, nearest hospitals, airports, and natural hazard records with the country baseline risk score.
Live conditions in Guinea-Bissau
Country-scoped real-time data — official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For city-specific weather and air quality, open any city page below.
Official travel advisory
Level 3 · Reconsider Travel
Guinea-Bissau - Level 3: Reconsider Travel
Read full advisory → · US Department of State
Track Guinea-Bissau’s advisory
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Traveller notes from government advice
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual relationships are not criminalised. However, Guinea-Bissau is a conservative society and same-sex couples showing affection in public may attract unwanted and negative attention.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 10 Dec 2025. Full advice
Local laws and customs
Personal ID
You must carry ID such as a passport or residence permit, particularly when driving or in a taxi. Police forces regularly ask for ID.
Illegal drugs and prison sentences
There are severe penalties for all drug offences. Local prison conditions are harsh.
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual relationships are not criminalised. However, Guinea-Bissau is a conservative society and same-sex couples showing affection in public may attract unwanted and negative attention.
Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers.
Money
Guinea-Bissau is a cash-based economy. Credit cards are rarely used and there are not many ATMs in the country. If you need to exchange foreign currency, use an official bureau de change.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 10 Dec 2025. Full advice
Entry requirements
This information is for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK. It is based on the UK government’s understanding of Guinea-Bissau’s current rules for the most common types of travel.
The authorities in Guinea-Bissau set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact the Guinea-Bissau Embassy in Paris, France:
94 Rue St Lazare, 75009 Paris
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +33 (0)1 48 74 36 39 or +33 (0)1 48 78 36 69
Passport validity requirements
To enter Guinea-Bissau, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the date you arrive.
Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your…
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Open Government Licence v3.0), updated 10 Dec 2025. Official entry requirements
Disaster alerts
No active GDACS disaster alerts matched Guinea-Bissau as of the last successful refresh.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
Recent headlines
No recent national headlines were returned for Guinea-Bissau. This is not evidence that conditions are quiet; check local and official sources.
Automated safety monitor
Recent safety-relevant news for Guinea-Bissau
Headlines are an early-warning monitor, not risk assessments. Verify material developments with official authorities and the linked publisher.
- General Symposium on Climate (Im)Mobility and the African Court’s Climate Advisory Opinion: An Opportunity for Leadership on Migrants’ Rights - opiniojuris.org opiniojuris.org · Sep 25, 2026 08:02 UTC · via Googlenews
- Disaster Tropical Storm Gonzalo Public Advisory Number 1 - Index-Journal www.indexjournal.com · Sep 25, 2026 02:46 UTC · via Googlenews
- General A harsh lesson from memory - infovaticana infovaticana.com · Sep 23, 2026 19:25 UTC · via Googlenews
- General AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Which teams are playing and what’s the schedule? - Al Jazeera www.aljazeera.com · Sep 23, 2026 12:45 UTC · via Googlenews
- General Cocaine Traffickers Target Senegal - Africa Defense Forum adf-magazine.com · Sep 22, 2026 17:14 UTC · via Googlenews
- General Latest News - news.un.org news.un.org · Sep 22, 2026 11:39 UTC · via Googlenews
- General Guinea-Bissau: Grave concern at climate of institutional fragility – rights NGO - Macau Business macaubusiness.com · Sep 21, 2026 21:22 UTC · via Googlenews
- General How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation - The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com · Sep 21, 2026 12:00 UTC · via Googlenews
This country currently has a Level 3 US advisory. Compare the high-risk-country watchlist →
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Guinea-Bissau
The most weather-stable two-month window for Guinea-Bissau is November–December, when typical daily temperatures run from about 21°C to 33°C and monthly rain averages 4 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include extreme heat in March–April; heavy rain season in July–September; monsoon in July–September. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 9, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Emergency Numbers
| Police | — |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | — |
| Fire | — |
| General emergency | 112 |
Backfilled from the public international emergency-number registry. The GSM standard 112 (and 911 in the Americas) is redirected to local emergency services on mobile networks in most countries. Verify locally on arrival.
Frequently asked questions
Is Guinea-Bissau safe to visit right now?
Follow the current official advisory. The baseline composite is analytical context and does not weaken that decision. Composite baseline: 54/100 (Elevated risk). Always cross-check with your home country's foreign-ministry advisory within 7 days of departure; the live US State Department advisory is shown above. Last refreshed October 2026.
What is the current travel advisory for Guinea-Bissau?
The current US State Department advisory level for Guinea-Bissau is shown in the Live conditions section above and is re-fetched every 6 hours from the official RSS feed. UK FCDO, Canada GAC, and Australia DFAT also publish advisories — for high-stakes trips, cross-check at least one foreign-ministry advisory in addition to your home country's. See our travel advisory guide for how to read each tier system.
Is it safe to visit Guinea-Bissau in October 2026?
For October 2026, the baseline composite for Guinea-Bissau is 54/100 (Elevated risk). Live data — advisories every 6 hours, disaster alerts every 30 minutes, health notices every 12 hours, news every hour — is shown in the Live conditions section above. For a personalized risk briefing for your specific trip and traveler profile, use the Travel Risk Calculator linked above.
How are these country-level travel risk scores calculated?
Each category is scored 0-100 from government advisories (US State Dept), crime indices, Global Peace Index data, WHO/CDC health context, and curated regional editorial knowledge. The composite is a weighted sum across nine categories — see /methodology for the full weight breakdown. Live data (advisories, news, disaster alerts, health notices) is layered on top of the baseline at request time.
Where can I find city-specific safety information for Guinea-Bissau?
City-specific files for Guinea-Bissau are listed in the City Risk Files section above. Each city page covers the same nine categories at city scope, plus city-specific scam patterns, transport-hub safety notes, medical-access detail, and (where available) neighborhood-level guidance. Use the header search to find a specific city directly.
When was this page last reviewed?
The baseline scores for Guinea-Bissau were last reviewed on May 18, 2026. Live intelligence (advisory, disaster alerts, health notices, news) refreshes automatically on the cadences described above.
Is this a substitute for an official travel advisory?
No. Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated risk information for planning purposes only. Always check your home country's official travel advisory and any health notices from your national health authority before traveling.
When is the best time to visit Guinea-Bissau?
November–December is the most weather-stable two-month window in the stored 1991-2020 normals. The most weather-stable two-month window for Guinea-Bissau is November–December, when typical daily temperatures run from about 21°C to 33°C and monthly rain averages 4 mm.
What is the rainy, hurricane, or severe-weather season in Guinea-Bissau?
extreme heat: March–April; heavy rain season: July–September; monsoon: July–September.
Community Safety Sentiment
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Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.