Business trip to Conakry: a practical guide

Visa: apply online before you fly

Guinea requires an electronic visa application before travel, through the Air and Border Police (PAF) portal at paf.gov.gn/visa. The French foreign ministry’s travel advice confirms that the online step is mandatory; travellers then go to the PAF desk at Conakry airport for biometric enrolment (photo and fingerprints) and for the visa itself.

The official portal lists several categories and fees, none of them refundable, even if the application is refused:

• short-stay visa (listed as “tourist” on the portal): USD 100, for stays of up to 90 days;
• transit visa: USD 50, up to three days;
• long-stay visa (VLS): USD 500, valid for one year from issue.

Documents to prepare: a passport valid for at least six months after arrival, a scan of the data page, a yellow fever vaccination certificate, a return ticket and proof of accommodation. For business trips, French guidance also mentions an invitation letter or mission order. The portal states that an online application is not a visa in itself: the visa is issued at the arrival counter.

Health and arrival at Gbessia airport

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is among the documents required by the e-visa portal and checked on entry. The UK Foreign Office notes that malaria and dengue are present, that medical facilities are limited and that insurance covering medical evacuation is essential.

Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport (CKY), also known as Gbessia airport, sits about 13 km northeast of downtown according to Wikipedia, on the peninsula and linked to the city by the Fidel Castro expressway. Its operator, SOGEAC, has been wholly owned by the Guinean State since December 2022.

Official advisories agree on the ride into town. London recommends arranging your transfer before travelling if you land after dark. Paris warns that travellers can be followed from the airport by burglars and advises against night-time journeys. In practice: a driver booked in advance, waiting with your name, rather than a taxi picked up at random outside the terminal.

Getting around and choosing a district: Kaloum, Camayenne, Kipé

The Foreign Office advises against motorbike taxis and shared tuk-tuks and recommends reputable, pre-booked taxis. For a week of meetings, the most common arrangement is a car with a driver by the day: drivers know the routes, wait during meetings and cut the dead time lost in heavy rush-hour traffic.

• Kaloum, at the tip of the peninsula, is the administrative and business centre: presidency, ministries, the autonomous port and financial institutions. The Central Bank’s (BCRG) list of licensed banks places many bank head offices in this district.
• Camayenne, in Dixinn, runs along the northern corniche: residential, with hotels and quick access to Kaloum.
• Kipé, in Ratoma further north, is a popular residential area, convenient if your work is in the northern half of the city.

Base the choice on where your meetings are: staying close to the people you see saves hours over a week. French advice recommends staying in central or seafront residential areas. We offer furnished apartments in Conakry for stays from a few nights to several months.

Phones, internet and mobile money

A local SIM card is easy to buy, but registration is compulsory: under a decision by the regulator (ARPT), pre-activated SIM cards may not be sold, and foreigners must show a passport or consular card, with a limit of three SIMs per document per operator.

There are three mobile operators. Orange Guinée is by far the largest. Number two is MTN’s former subsidiary, sold to the State at the end of 2024 and now trading as Areeba Guinée; the economy ministry says a December 2025 decree made it fully state-owned. Cellcom is marginal, with 2.4% of 12.8 million mobile subscriptions at the end of June 2025, according to Ecofin. In late April 2026, Africaguinee reported a steep fall in Areeba’s subscriber base.

Mobile payments are part of daily life. Orange Money is linked to many local banks: in December 2025 BCI became the 17th, with bank-to-wallet transfers through the Max it app or by dialling *144*5#, according to Guinee7. For the former MTN services, including its mobile wallet, check what is currently available following the change of shareholder.

Office hours, time zone and electricity

Guinea runs on GMT (UTC+0) all year with no daylight saving: the same as London in winter, one hour behind Paris in winter and two in summer. In the civil service, a decree of 8 November 2022 sets working hours at 8am to 5pm Monday to Thursday (break from noon to 1pm) and 8am to 5pm on Friday with a break from 1pm to 3pm. The weekend is Saturday and Sunday; banks and shops keep their own hours. Avoid scheduling a key meeting early on Friday afternoon.

Power cuts are part of everyday life. In August 2026, Guinee360 reported a week of load-shedding in several Conakry neighbourhoods, which the utility EDG put down to maintenance work. Carry a power bank, keep your laptop charged and, for a longer stay, choose accommodation with a generator or a UPS.

Security: what official advisories say

As of mid-September 2026, the French foreign ministry rates Conakry as “enhanced vigilance” (yellow), while noting a deterioration in security in the capital and its suburbs: armed robberies, carjackings and burglaries, often at night. The UK Foreign Office reports frequent street crime and protests that can start with little warning and turn violent.

• travel by day, doors locked and windows up, with a trusted driver;
• avoid gatherings, especially along the Route Le Prince corridor cited by Paris;
• keep valuables out of sight, particularly at the Niger, Madina and Taouyah markets;
• never change money on the street, which London describes as illegal;
• register with your embassy’s alert service (Ariane for French nationals).

None of this rules out a smooth trip: most business travellers build their week around a driver and well-located accommodation, which removes most of the risk.