Entry and residence regulations
German citizens need a valid entry visa to enter Chad, which can be applied for at the Chadian embassy with their ambassador Mariam Ali Moussa in Berlin. The passport must be valid until the end of the trip and a yellow fever vaccination is compulsory for everyone aged 9 months and over. The Federal Foreign Office will provide information on further entry requirements.
Travel, transportation and traffic
If you are planning a trip to Chad, you should inform yourself thoroughly in advance about current travel regulations and the necessary papers for traveling in the country. Depending on the climatic and security-relevant requirements, areas can be closed, roadside checks set up or rain barriers set up.
In this context, it is also useful to obtain communication and behavioral tips.
Most of the road network consists of unpaved slopes, which in many cases become impassable in the rainy season. Even in and around the capital, N’Djaména, the streets are only partially tarred and can turn into mud slopes in the rainy season.
According to hyperrestaurant, the public transport options in the country are limited. There is no train and regular bus routes only run between the big cities. Otherwise you have to rely on minibuses or taxis and motorcycle taxis (clandos). Inexpensive overland trips are offered on pick-ups, land cruisers and trucks, which are mainly used by the local population, but often do not meet our safety standards.
For more comfortable travel, cars can be rented with drivers.
The Zakouma National Park in the south of the country or the Waza Park, for example, offer beautiful excursion destinations in northern Cameroon. Guided tours are offered there, during which you can observe wild elephants, giraffes, gazelles and lions. Guests can rent small bungalows at the park entrances for overnight stays. A trip to Lake Chad with a boat trip is also a worthwhile change if the safety regulations allow it.
Due to the current security situation, tours in the impressive Tibesti and Ennedi mountains with their salt oases and freshwater springs and rock paintings are currently not recommended.
Security for foreigners
There is currently an increased security risk in the parts of Chad bordering Cameroon and also in the border areas with Nigeria and Niger. Supporters of the terrorist organization ‘Boko Haram’ are particularly active in these areas, whereupon the border with Cameroon was temporarily closed. Across the country, especially in the evening and at night, there are repeated attacks by ‘ coupeurs de route ‘ (mostly armed muggers). The security situation is also unstable in the border areas with Libya, the Central African Republic and Sudan and there are frequent attacks on vehicles moving outside of the larger cities. The risk of an accident is very high across the country, as the traffic routes are also used by pedestrians and for all types of livestock transport.
Recommended addresses for partly up-to-date security information:
- The German Foreign Office
- French Foreign Ministry
- The British Foreign Office
- The US Embassy in N’Djaména
- Crime and Safety Report on Chad
The German embassy in N’Djaména has reopened since the end of August 2002, but only provides emergency aid.
The address of the German Embassy in N’Djaména is: Av. Félix Eboué, N’Djamena, Chad, postal address: Ambassade de la République Fédérale d’Allemagne, BP 893, N’Djamena, Chad. F: (00 235) 22 51 62 02 FAX: (00 235) 22 51 48 00.
Stay healthy
Consultation with a tropical medicine doctor should precede a stay in Chad. A yellow fever vaccination is compulsory for entering the country and will be checked upon entry. Cholera epidemics occur frequently during the rainy season, but the risk of infection is relatively low. As hepatitis A and B are widespread, vaccination against both pathogens is recommended.
Medical care can only be guaranteed in N’Djaména, and even there only to a limited extent.
Further current recommendations about the most common diseases, preventive measures and vaccination advice are given:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Tropical Institute (University of Hamburg)
- Travel medical information service
Telecommunication and internet
Phone
Fixed telephone lines only exist in poor quality between the big cities, but the use of mobile phones has risen sharply since 2000 and the network is constantly expanding. In 2016, around 44% of the population used the mobile network via the three providers Airtel, Tigo (Millicom) and Sotel.
Internet
There are some Chadian internet portals that publish the latest news and comments critical of the government. However, the possibilities for the population to obtain information on the Internet are much less than on television. In N’Djaména, a few internet cafes have opened in recent years, which are always well attended, but often also struggle with the difficulties of sufficient electricity and network supply. For the end of 2019, Internet User Stats listed over one million Internet users for Chad. This means that only about 6.3% of the population have access to the Internet, which is one of the lowest rates on the continent. In addition, this possibility is increased by repeated and long- lasting censorship additionally difficult.
