Congo Travel Advisory: (Travel Restrictions, COVID Tests)
Congo Travel Advisory: (Travel Restrictions, COVID Tests & Quarantine Requirements) – Do Not Travel to Democratic Republic of the Congo due to COVID-19. Reconsider travel due to crime and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Read the Department of State’s COVID-19 page before you plan any international travel.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Democratic Republic of the Congo due to COVID-19, indicating a very high level of COVID-19 in the country. Your risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms may be lower if you are fully vaccinated with an FDA authorized vaccine. Before planning any international travel, please review the CDC’s specific recommendations for vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers.
Visit the Embassy’s COVID-19 page for more information on COVID-19 and related restrictions and conditions in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Last Update: Reissued with updates to risk indicator information.
If you decide to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- See the U.S. Embassy’s web page regarding COVID-19.
- Visit the CDC’s webpage on Travel and COVID-19.
- Avoid demonstrations.
- Use caution when walking or driving.
- Always have a copy of your U.S. passport and DRC visa. Keep originals in a secure location. Carry your U.S. passport and DRC visa when crossing provincial borders or flying domestically.
- Visit the CDC Travelers’ Health Page for the DRC.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
- Read OSAC’s Crime and Safety Report for the DRC.
- Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
North Kivu Province–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout North Kivu province. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Terrorist and armed groups operating in North Kivu province have attacked military and civilian targets and represent an ongoing threat to humanitarian aid workers and other NGO personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in North Kivu province as U.S. government travel to these areas is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Ituri Province–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout Ituri province. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Terrorist and armed groups operating in Ituri province have attacked military and civilian targets and represent an ongoing threat to humanitarian aid workers and other NGO personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Ituri province as U.S. government travel to these areas is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Eastern DRC Region and the Three Kasai Provinces–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout South Kivu, Tanganyika, Haut Lomami, Bas-Uele, and Haut-Uele and three Kasai provinces of Kasai Oriental, Kasai Central, and Kasai. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in eastern DRC and these provinces, as U.S. government travel to these regions is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Last Update: Reissued with updates to risk indicator information.
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Do Not Travel To:
- North Kivu province due to crime, civil unrest, terrorism, armed conflict, and kidnapping.
- Ituri province due to crime, civil unrest, terrorism, armed conflict, and kidnapping.
- The eastern DRC region and the three Kasai provinces (Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Central) due to crime, civil unrest, armed conflict and kidnapping.
Country Summary: Violent crime, such as armed robbery, armed home invasion, and assault, is common and local police lack resources to respond effectively to serious crime. Assailants may pose as police or security agents.
Demonstrations are common in many cities and some have turned violent. Police have at times responded with heavy-handed tactics that resulted in civilian casualties and arrests.
The U.S. government has extremely limited ability to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens outside of Kinshasa due to poor infrastructure and security conditions.
Read the country information page.
If you decide to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- See the U.S. Embassy’s web page regarding COVID-19.
- Visit the CDC’s webpage on Travel and COVID-19.
- Avoid demonstrations.
- Use caution when walking or driving.
- Always have a copy of your U.S. passport and DRC visa. Keep originals in a secure location. Carry your U.S. passport and DRC visa when crossing provincial borders or flying domestically.
- Visit the CDC Travelers’ Health Page for the DRC.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter.
- Read OSAC’s Crime and Safety Report for the DRC.
- Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
North Kivu Province–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout North Kivu province. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Terrorist and armed groups operating in North Kivu province have attacked military and civilian targets and represent an ongoing threat to humanitarian aid workers and other NGO personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in North Kivu province as U.S. government travel to these areas is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Ituri Province–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout Ituri province. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Terrorist and armed groups operating in Ituri province have attacked military and civilian targets and represent an ongoing threat to humanitarian aid workers and other NGO personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Ituri province as U.S. government travel to these areas is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Eastern DRC Region and the Three Kasai Provinces–Do Not Travel
Violent crime, such as murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, continue throughout South Kivu, Tanganyika, Haut Lomami, Bas-Uele, and Haut-Uele and three Kasai provinces of Kasai Oriental, Kasai Central, and Kasai. Road travelers are frequently targeted for ambush, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
Demonstrations and large gatherings can occur throughout these regions, especially in urban areas, and escalate to violence. Extrajudicial mobs can form rapidly and turn violent, posing a threat to humanitarian aid workers and other personnel operating in the area.
Armed groups, individuals, and military forces routinely clash with each other. Civilians are frequently targeted in attacks.
The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in eastern DRC and these provinces, as U.S. government travel to these regions is restricted.
Visit our website for Travel to High-Risk Areas.
Last Update: Reissued with updates to risk indicator information.
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