Rules for overlanding in Guinea-Bissau
Updated October 2026
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 30 December 2025.
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Which driving licence do I need in Guinea-Bissau?
- All vehicles — An Italian licence must be presented to the local Directorate General of Road Transport, which issues a temporary permit to be carried with it. Check what applies to the licence you hold.
An International Driving Permit states the categories it covers: check yours covers what you will actually drive. A car licence does not cover a motorcycle, and a heavy camper or a truck can need a higher category.
At the wheel
- What do I need to bring my own vehicle into Guinea-Bissau? — A carnet de passages en douane is required for a vehicle brought in temporarily.
- Paved roads — There are 453 km of paved roads in the country.
- Impassable in the rains — During the rainy season it is not unusual for roads, above all secondary ones, to become completely impassable.
What catches travellers out
- Visa before arrival — A visa is required and cannot be obtained on arrival. It can be obtained in a transit country such as Senegal, at the Guinea-Bissau mission there or at Dakar airport, or at the Casamance border crossing, which is itself risky. A tourist visa normally lasts a month and can be extended at the Immigration Office in Bissau.
- Drugs — Drug trafficking offences are severely punished, with sentences from 15 to 30 years.
- Currency — You must declare the currency you bring in. You may only take out what you declared on entry, and above 2,500 euro you need an authorisation from the Ministry of Finance and must produce the exchange slip.
Going with your own vehicle?
One local guide on GuideMeet works in Guinea-Bissau: they know the roads, the permits and the areas to avoid. You contact them directly, free and with no commission.
- Sogui WADE · Sénégal
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 30 December 2025. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Guinea-Bissau before you travel. Where a guide's profile shows “Licence verified”, we found that licence in the official public register; otherwise GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 30 December 2025. Last checked by GuideMeet on 7 October 2026.