Republic of the Congo

Is the Republic of the Congo safe to visit?

With care. First, which Congo: this page covers the Republic of the Congo, often called Congo-Brazzaville, the smaller country on the north bank of the Congo River. It is not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose capital Kinshasa lies directly across the water and which has a war in the east and a large Ebola outbreak. Brazzaville is much calmer. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary is Level 2, "exercise increased caution", against Level 4 for DR Congo, though it was last updated on 2 October 2024.

We score the Republic of the Congo 54, ahead of Cameroon (49), behind Gabon (60) and far above DR Congo (31). Data are thin: there is no UNODC homicide figure, only a WHO model estimate, and WHO's road death estimates swing from 29.7 per 100,000 in 2019 to 8.4 in 2021, so our confidence is low.

Crime is getting worse

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary records the largest fall in peacefulness of any country in sub-Saharan Africa, 15 places down to 120th of 163, driven mostly by crime and unrest. More than a quarter of people surveyed said they had been victims of violent crime in the past year, and 60% said they felt unsafe walking alone at night. The report counted six incidents of mob violence in 2025 with 17 deaths, and links the trend to gangs, known locally as kulunas, in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.

For a visitor, 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 describes mainly opportunistic crime such as pickpocketing in both cities, with criminals targeting foreigners. Do not walk in the streets after dark, carry little cash and avoid isolated places, including beaches. In Pointe-Noire the US restricts its own staff to the beaches next to their hotels. Outside the cities, and anywhere in the Pool region and Mouyondzi district, keep car doors locked and windows up, stay on main routes and drive in daylight; cars are targeted for carjacking and break-ins.

Politics, the 2026 election and Pool

President Denis Sassou-N'Guesso, who first took power in 1979, won a fifth term in the March 2026 election; the Constitutional Court confirmed him on 28 March with 94.90% of the vote, according to AP. The Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary says the vote took place amid allegations of unfair practices, an opposition boycott and a nationwide internet blackout on election day. In September 2025, an anti-gang crackdown called Operation Zéro Kuluna was linked to at least ten reported extrajudicial killings. Demonstrations are occasional but have turned violent in the past, so stay away from them.

The Pool region around Brazzaville was the scene of fighting between the government and the Ninja rebel group until a ceasefire in 2017. 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 no live conflict has been reported since, but clashes could break out with little notice, especially in Boko, Kindamba, Kinkala, Mayama and Mindouli districts. The only area it advises against completely is within 50 km of the Central African Republic border in Likouala, in the north.

Ebola, cholera and health care

The Republic of the Congo has no Ebola outbreak of its own, but it borders DR Congo, where the largest Ebola outbreak in that country's history has been a global health emergency since May 2026. WHO rates the risk for neighbouring countries as high. 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 arriving travellers may face extra health screening.

CDC recommends malaria tablets and lists active cholera in Likouala and Plateaux, with recent cases in other departments, including Brazzaville within the past year. You must show yellow fever and polio vaccination certificates at the border, and dengue, schistosomiasis and mpox occur. Medical facilities are limited, particularly in rural areas, and the FCDO says evacuation is likely for all but the most basic treatment. There is no national emergency number, so note the details of a private clinic before you need one.

Roads, checkpoints and the river

WHO estimatesWHO 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 8.4 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, the figure we score on. Its older 2019 estimate was 29.7, and a gap that large shows how thin the data is, so drive as if the roads are dangerous. Rural roads are poor, especially in the November to May rains, so use a well-maintained 4x4, travel in convoy and only in daylight. Checkpoints are frequent and can be poorly marked; 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 advises showing documents through a closed window. Carry a colour copy of your passport with the visa stamp.

The passenger train between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire is slow and unreliable. Every known airline from the Republic of the Congo is on the UK Air Safety ListEU Air Safety ListThe European Commission's list of airlines banned or restricted from flying in EU airspace because they do not meet international safety standards.More in the glossary.

How we scored it

Health (32) is the weakest factor, followed by petty crime (45). Road safety (73) scores highest, on WHO's 2021 estimate of 8.4 deaths per 100,000, ahead of natural hazards (66). Violent crime (50) and conflict (55) are judgements from the Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary and advisories, since there is no recorded homicide data (WHO's model gives 9.3 per 100,000 for 2021), and both have worsened since 2025. The weighted average is 54; our cap of conflict plus 35 (90) does not bind.