Ivory Coast: travel information
How do you get to Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)?
Plane
direct flights to Abidjan go from Zurich, Geneva, Paris and Amsterdam. Another international airport is located in Yamoussoukro.
Ship
The most important shipping ports are in Abidjan and San Pedro. The crossing from Europe is only possible for a few passengers on cargo ships.
Railway
There is a railway connection between Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Abidjan.
Car, bus
connection roads lead to Kumasi in Ghana as well as to Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia and Mali. There are also regular buses to Accra in Ghana, Ougadougou in Burkina Faso and Bamako in Mali.
Travel in the country
Air connections
Domestic air connections exist between Abidjan and major cities in the country.
Railways
The country’s railroad network covers 660 km. The railway line from Abidjan to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, one of the most modern railway lines in Africa, runs via Bouaké and Ferkessédougou.
Bus
Long-distance buses run regularly between all larger towns.
Roads, rental cars
The relatively well-developed road network of Côte d’Ivoire covers over 5,600 km, but is partially impassable in the rainy season. It is not recommended to drive overland at night. An international driver’s license and additional insurance are required for rental cars. A “Carnet de Passage” is also required to enter the country with your own vehicle for stays of up to one month.
Ferry connections
There are around 980 km of navigable waterways in Côte d’Ivoire.
Traffic rules
Right-hand traffic prevails in Côte d’Ivoire. In order to avoid trouble with the police or even the courts, one should strictly adhere to the traffic regulations in force in the country. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD or the traffic clubs in the country concerned.
Top speeds
- Urban: in built-up areas there is a speed limit of 50 km/h.
- Country roads: there is a speed limit of 80 km/h on country roads.
Blood
alcohol limit In Ivory Coast there is a blood alcohol limit of 0 per mille for drivers of motor vehicles.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, the international license plate of Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) is:
| CI |
Côte d`Ivoire (Ivory Coast): Diplomatic missions, tourist office
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Ivory Coast embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
Representations in Germany
The embassy of the Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) is located in Berlin-Charlottenburg near Bismarckplatz and Hubertusallee. The Art Nouveau building became the representation of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in 2006.
If you want to get to the embassy by public transport,
Embassy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in Berlin
Schinkelstr. 10
14193 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 8906 960
Email: [email protected]
www.ambaci.de
Honorary Consulate in Bad Homburg
Hessenring 120
61348 Bad Homburg
Tel: 0049 – (0) 6172 – 680 6513
Email: [email protected]
Responsible for: Hessen
German representations in Côte d`Ivoire
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
39, Boulevard Hassan II (Blvd. de la Corniche)
Abidjan 01
Ivory Coast
Tel: 00225 – 2244 2030
Email: [email protected]
www.abidjan.diplo.de
Austrian representations in Côte d’Ivoire
Embassy
The Federal Republic of Austria does not have an embassy in Ivory Coast, but is represented by an honorary consulate. The embassy in Senegal is responsible:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Austria in Senegal
18, rue Emile Zola
Tel: 00221 – (0) 33 – 849 4000
Email: [email protected]
The Austrian Embassy in Senegal is still responsible for:
- Burkina Faso
- Ivory Coast
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Cape Verde
- Liberia
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone
Representations from Côte d’Ivoire in Austria
Embassy in Vienna
Neulinggasse 29/6/20
1030 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 581 0076
Swiss representations in Côte d’Ivoire
Embassy in Ivory Coast
Immeuble Botreau Roussel
28, avenue Delafosse
Abidjan/Plateau
Ivory Coast
Tel: 00225 – 2021 1721
Email: [email protected]
www.eda.admin.ch/abidja
The Swiss embassy in Ivory Coast is still responsible for the following countries:
- Burkina Faso
- Guinea
- Liberia
- Sierra Leone
Representations from Côte d’Ivoire in Switzerland
Embassy in Bern
Thormannstrasse 51
3005 Bern
Tel: 0041- (0) 31 – 350 8080
Email: [email protected]
www.acibe.org
Consulate General in Geneva
Avenue du Cardinal-Mermillod 6
1227 Geneva-Carouge
Tel: 0041 – (0) 22 – 343 9009
Consulate in Lugano
6939 Arosio, Casa Longobarda
6900 Lugano
Tel: 0041 – (0) 91 – 609 2180
Tourist office
Tourist office of the Espace Entente
(Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Togo)
Tempelhofer Weg 2
12099 Berlin
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 6830 2193
Email: [email protected]
Entry and exit regulations
Formalities, visas
Tourists from Germany need a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond the planned stay and a visa for a stay of up to three months in Côte d’Ivoire.
Import and export of foreign currency
Local currency
The import of the local currency is unlimited, the export is limited to 10,000 CFA francs.
Foreign currencies
There is no limit to the import of foreign currencies, but all foreign currencies except the euro are subject to declaration. The export is permitted up to the declared amount and a maximum of the equivalent of 25,000 CFA francs.
Import and export of goods
The following items can be imported into Ivory Coast duty-free by tourists over the age of 15:
200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250 g tobacco or 100 cigarillos
1 bottle of spirits, 1 bottle of wine as well as
0.5 l eau de toilette and 0.25 l perfume.
Hunting rifles may only be imported with an import permit. A deposit must be paid when importing video cameras for personal use.
Ivory Coast: Travel Medicine, Vaccinations and Warnings
Infectious Diseases
In the Ivory Coast, the following infectious diseases are to be expected in Germany and Central and Northern Europe:
- Malaria: There is a high risk of infection with the malaria pathogen across the country, including cities. Over 90% of the infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- AIDS, HIV
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacterial agitation
- Schistosomiasis
- Cholera – but there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
- dengue fever
- Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Ebola, outbreaks of this extremely dangerous viral infectious disease occur again and again, albeit mostly locally
- Filariasis
- Typhus, especially
- Yellow fever
- Guinea worm infection
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio
- Lassa fever
- Sleeping sickness
- tetanus
- rabies
- Typhoid – however, there is only a risk of infection for travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
- Tick bite fever
Vaccination recommendations
- Cholera – but only among travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
- Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
- Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
- Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
For all persons older than one year and arriving from a yellow fever infection area designated by the WHO, there is a compulsory vaccination against an illness with yellow fever. As the Ivory Coast is one of the yellow fever infection areas, a vaccination against yellow fever is strongly recommended regardless of the regulations.
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens’ Service
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
Fax: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 51000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de
Ivory Coast: Currency, Shopping and Exchange Rate
The national currency of the Ivory Coast is the CFA Franc
1 CFA franc = 100 centimes.
The Ivory Coast is part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. The ISO 4217 code of the Franc CFA here is XOF.
The CFA franc (Communanté Financiére Africaine) is the currency in 14 African countries that were usually French colonies in the past: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Central African Republic, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoite, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. It is tied to the euro.
Exchange rate
The exchange rate of the euro and the CFA franc is always the same as the CFA franc is pegged to the euro (it was pegged to the franc before the euro was introduced). For countries that belong to the West African Economic and Monetary Union, the exchange rate is:
1 Euro (€) = 655.957 CFA francs (XOF)
Banks in Côte d’Ivoire are open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Shop
Shop opening times
The shops in Côte d’Ivoire are usually open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the supermarkets are also open on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Clock open.
Inexpensive or country-specific goods, souvenirs
Popular souvenirs from Côte d’Ivoire are wax prints, indigo fabrics, weaving, masks of the Guere and Yacouba, wood carvings, especially by the Senoufo people, as well as pearl jewelry, ceramics and wickerwork.
