American travellers need a visa for Guinea-Bissau, and with no embassy operating in the United States, the usual route does not exist. In practice people obtain one through the Permanent Mission in New York, through a Bissau-Guinean embassy in another country, or on arrival at Bissau where that is available.
Quick facts
Because the routes are informal, get the answer in writing if you can. An email from the mission confirming how to obtain a visa is worth carrying, particularly if an airline questions your documents at check-in.
Fees breakdown
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Published tariff | Confirm the route first |
| Visa on arrival | Charged at Bissau | Where available; do not rely on it |
| Yellow fever vaccination | Charged by your clinic | Required for entry |
| Travel insurance | Specialist cover | Check exclusions carefully |
| Bissau-Guinean citizens | No visa | They travel on their own passport |
The yellow fever certificate is checked on arrival across the region and is the requirement most likely to stop a traveller who has everything else in order.
How to proceed
- Contact the Permanent Mission in New York well before booking.
- Ask in writing how a visa should be obtained from the United States.
- Arrange the yellow fever vaccination.
- Do not rely on a visa on arrival without written confirmation.
- Read the current U.S. travel advisory in full.
- Confirm insurance that covers the destination.
Required documents
- Passport valid well beyond the intended stay.
- Completed application and photographs.
- Yellow fever vaccination certificate.
- Return or onward ticket and accommodation details.
- Invitation or host letter where relevant.
- Proof of lawful residence in the United States for third-country nationals.
Where to enquire
At the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, which is the only Bissau-Guinean representation in the country.
Additional notes
Get it in writing
Where the normal route does not exist, written confirmation is the most useful thing you can carry.
Regional alternatives
Travellers already going through Lisbon or Dakar sometimes find a Bissau-Guinean embassy easier to deal with than anything available here.
Bissau-Guineans need no visa
But renewing a passport from here is difficult. See the passport page.
Verify close to travel
Arrangements are informal enough that they change without announcement.