Capital: Yamoussoukro
Time zone: GMT
Telephone services: Country Code: 225
Outgoing Code: 00
Emergency telephone numbers: Not present
Tourist information: Office Ivoirien du Tourisme et de l’Hôtellerie, BP 8538, 2nd Floor, EECI Building, Place De La Republique, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire Tel: 206 528. Fax 225 624.
Passport information: Valid passport require by all except nationals of:- Benin; Burkina Faso; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Senegal and Togo holding ID cards or a passport not expired for longer than 5 years. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Consult embassy before departure.
Visa information: Required by all except nationals of: USA (for a period not exceeding 3 months); Finland and Sweden. Andorra; Benin; Burkina Faso; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; Congo; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea Bissau; Liberia; Madagascar; Mali; Mauritania; Monaco; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Seychelles; Sierra Leone; Togo and Tunisia for a period not exceeding 3 months. Tourist; Business available; Transit visas not usually required by travellers not leaving the airport.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: The falciparum variety is present. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from all visitors over one year of age.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Meningitis, Rabies.
Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.
Currency: CFA Franc (CFAFr) = 100 centimes
Exchange available in airport, banks and hotels.
ATM availability: Amex and MasterCard are widely accepted. Visa and Diners Club are only accepted on a limited basis. Travellers cheques are accepted in major hotels and some shops. French francs are the preferred currency.
Cost of living: No information available at present
Languages: French. Local dialects of Dioula and Baoule are also spoken.
Weather: Dry season: Dec- Apr and Aug – Sept. Raining Season: May – July and Oct – Nov
Electricity: 1220 Volts Ac 50 Hz. Plugs = round two pin.
Post: Airmail can take up to 2 weeks.
Transport: ROAD: Road system of poorly maintained tarmac roads with frequent petrol stations in the North. Driving standards are poor. Hire cars are available in the main towns. TAXIS are available in the main cities but are generally unreliable. FLIGHTS: regular domestic flights operate between the main cities. RAIL: Fast, regular trains operate throughout the day between the main cities.
Special information: HIGH RISK. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office ADVISE AGAINST ALL TRAVEL TO COTE D’IVOIRE IN VIEW OF CANCELLATION OF THE ELECTIONS. There is extreme ethnic and linguistic variety which distinguishes it from many other African countries. Demonstrations and rallies should be avoided. Swimming off the coast is dangerous. Visitors should be vigilant at all times because of street crime. There have been incidences of banditry on rural roads.