Guinea-Bissau

Is Guinea-Bissau safe to visit?

On the street, mostly yes; politically, it is one of the least settled countries in West Africa. The UK does not advise against any area, and crime against visitors is mostly petty. But soldiers have been in charge since 26 November 2025, the US says reconsider travel, and there is no US embassy to help. We score Guinea-Bissau 45, a little above Guinea and well below Senegal, which borders it to the north.

The data is old. The last national homicide figures are from 2016 and 2017 (WHO's 2021 model puts the rate far higher, at 8.6 per 100,000), and the last WHO road estimate from 2021, so read every number on this page as a rough guide rather than a measurement.

The coup and the transition

Guinea-Bissau has had political instability for decades, the US notes. The latest break came on 26 November 2025, when the military overthrew President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspended the electoral process, a day before provisional results of the presidential election were expected, according to Africanews. General Horta N'Tam became transitional president, and a transitional charter adopted on 27 November bars him from standing for election. The UK added a warning about gunfire in Bissau the same day.

Under pressure from the regional bloc ECOWAS, the authorities set presidential and legislative elections for 6 December 2026. A referendum in late August 2026 approved a new constitution that lets the president appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cuts parliament from 102 to 65 seats; the main opposition party, PAIGC, called for a boycott (Al Jazeera). Opposition leader Domingos Simões Pereira has been detained.

In early October 2026 the electoral commission said conditions for the December vote were not in place. Senegal, mediating for ECOWAS, urged the military to lift restrictions on political and civil activity. No postponement had been announced when we checked on 10 October.

For a visitor, the practical advice is simple. Stay away from military installations, government buildings and demonstrations, which the US says can form at short notice. If something happens, stay in your hotel and follow local media.

Landmines and the countryside

Mines and unexploded ordnance from past conflicts remain across the country. The US names Bafatá, Oio, Biombo, Quinara and Tombali as the areas of greatest risk and says sites are often unmarked. The national demining centre has declared Bissau free of mines, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says. Elsewhere, stay on paved roads and paths in regular use, and do not wander off them to take photos.

Roads

WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 30.5 road deaths per 100,000 in 2021, a rate in our worst band. Traffic is light, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says driving standards and road conditions are poor even in Bissau. It advises against driving at night, and from June to October heavy rain makes roads difficult. Hire a driver who knows the routes, travel by day, and carry ID: police ask for it often, especially in cars and taxis.

Health care is the weak point

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls medical facilities extremely limited and says hospitals are not fully operational. Pharmacies can run short. The US warns that even a minor health issue may need evacuation at your own cost, so insurance with evacuation cover is not optional here.

Malaria is present everywhere. WHO estimatedWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 110 cases per 1,000 people at risk in 2024, lower than Guinea's 286 but still high, and CDC recommends preventive tablets. A yellow fever certificate is required for all travellers aged 1 and over. Dengue and schistosomiasis also occur, so avoid swimming in fresh water.

Crime and money

Pickpocketing and bag and phone snatching are relatively common in Bissau, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says, and police presence is thin in remote areas. Keep your phone out of sight on the street and take a taxi rather than walking after dark. Guinea-Bissau runs on cash: cards are rarely accepted and ATMs are few, so bring enough euros to change at official bureaux.

How we scored it

Health (22) and road safety (28) are the weakest factors, because care is close to absent and WHO's road estimate is high. Conflict (45) reflects military rule, restricted politics and an election that may not happen, though there is no fighting. Natural hazards and petty crime (both 60) score highest, with violent crime (59) at the top of the band for WHO's modelled homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary of 8.6, since neither advisory lists violent crime as a main risk. Confidence is low.