Guinea-Bissau Visa Types

Guinea-Bissau is a small country in Western Africa. Naturally, before the travel, you should prepare yourself for the journey. Pack your baggage and book the hotel room, but most importantly, check the necessary visa requirements to be allowed entry into Guinea-Bissau. For further information, read the article below.

What is a visa?

A visa is a travel authorization document granting the traveler entry and stay in a foreign country for a specified period. The regular visa may be applied for at the Embassy of the destination country and usually allows for longer trips. In case you need a visa with a shorter validity period, you should try registering for the electronic visa or visa on arrival (available to collect at the chosen port of entry).

Visa to Guinea-Bissau

If you wish to travel to Guinea-Bissau, you should check if your country of origin is exempt from the visa entry requirements. Several countries are allowed visa-free access to Guinea-Bissau and may cross its borders only with a passport. The rest is required to apply for a visa, a special travel authorization document. However, there is no need to apply for a regular visa at the Embassy if you want to visit Guinea-Bissau - the country accepts visa on arrival and eVisa from all foreign citizens.

Visa-Free Access

There are 14 countries whose citizens are exempt from the visa requirement to enter Guinea-Bissau. These are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. If your country isn't on the list, you are required to apply for a Guinean visa.

Citizens with visa-free entry to Guinea-Bissau are eligible for a 90-days stay each year. If their trip is going to take longer, they need to obtain a visa.

Visa on Arrival

Visa on arrival is a visa that you may obtain at the selected port of entry. It allows all foreign citizens to enjoy their stay in Guinea-Bissau with multiple entries for up to 90 days.

On your arrival, you will be asked to present your passport with a validity of at least 6 months. You should also possess a printed authorization letter from the Guinea-Bissau Migration Office. To obtain this document, you must provide the Migration Office with information concerning the purpose and duration of your travel, as well as the scanned passport copy. The decision to reject or approve your application is made solely at the discretion of the Chief Immigration Officer.

eVisa

In order to facilitate the visa application process, the government of Guinea-Bissau introduced the electronic visa in 2015. The eVisa contains all the information about the traveler as it is connected to their passport. This document allows you to stay in the country for 30 days in case of a single-entry visa; for multiple entries, it may be issued for 90 days. It is possible to apply for the extension of its validity for extra 90 days.

To apply for the electronic visa, fill in the online application form and provide the supporting documents. Then, pay the mandatory processing fee. When your eVisa is authorized, you will receive a confirmation notice to your e-mail address. On arrival, present a paper copy of this document along with the printed payment receipt.

Guinea-Bissau Visa Types

Depending on the purpose behind your visit, there are three types of Guinea-Bissau visas you can select during the application process.

Tourist Visa

The Guinea-Bissau Tourist Visa allows entry to the country for activities including traveling, sightseeing, and participating in cultural events. The single-entry visa is valid for 30 days; for the multiple-entry, it is 90 days.

Transit Visa

You should apply for the Guinea-Bissau Transit Visa if you visit the country on your way to another destination. The validity of the permit is 20 days from the issue date, allowing a stay in Guinea-Bissau for 24 hours.

eVisa Application

The electronic Guinea-Bissau visa application is convenient and accessible. At the very beginning, choose the purpose of your travel - visit, business, or transit. In the questionnaire, you will be asked to provide some personal information featuring your name and surname, date and place of birth, passport details, and e-mail address. Check if there are no spelling mistakes.

When the mandatory processing fee is paid, and the registration is authorized, the eVisa confirmation notice will be sent to your inbox. The waiting time should take up to 72 hours, but it may increase due to the processing supervised by the destination country.

Entry Requirements

In order to be allowed to cross the Guinean borders, you must meet certain requirements - you need to undergo a short interview with the border officers.

• Explain the reason behind your journey.
• Present your valid passport and eVisa confirmation notice.
• Prove good financial standing.
• Possess a confirmed return ticket.
• Submit the certification of the yellow fever vaccination.

If you meet all the necessary requirements, you should be allowed to obtain a visa document and enter Guinea-Bissau without any problems.