Ivory Coast2024-02-01T10:49:19+01:00

Ivory Coast

Travel tips for the Ivory Coast

Top 5 Experiences

The second largest island state in the world has a unique, endemic flora and fauna. A richness in variety and originality inspire the visitors. The highlights of Madagascar include:

(c) Photo by Yoel Winkler on Unsplash

Landscape

The Atlantic coast, which is surrounded by a lagoon belt, stretches over 550km. Here, dreamlike beaches, crystal-clear seawater and wide mangrove forests alternate. In the south of the country, tropical moist and rain forests as well as plantations determine the vegetation. An impressive mountain range stretches over the northwest. Further north the landscape of the country changes to wet and dry savannas.

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Safari

Elephants once gave the country its name, but unfortunately, they have become rare nowadays due to poaching. Therefore, they are under protection. In total, there are eight national parks in the country. The Comoé Wildlife Reserve is the largest national park in West Africa and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. There elephants, leopards, buffaloes and other wild animals can be observed. Many monkey species are native to the tree-bush savannah.

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Taï National Park

The Taï National Park in the southwest is with its 5,500 square kilometers the last remaining large rainforest area as well as one of the last jungle reserves in West Africa. Therefore, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. In the park there are up to 50 m high trees as well as many rare plants and animals, such as forest elephants, pygmy hippos and chimpanzees. These are monitored and protected in the course of ecological projects.

(c) Djebi Abraham Philippe - unsplash

Culture

The Ivory Coast reflects the cultural and religious diversity of Africa like hardly any other country. More than 60 tribes with their own languages live in the West African country. They are famous for their traditional mask and stilt dances as well as their artisanship. The festival of the masks takes place in the city of Man every year in February and a carnival with colorful costumes, dance, music and traditional food is celebrated in the city of Bouaké in March.

(c) Abubakar Balogun - unsplash

Cities

The cities are witnesses to the history of the country. In the capital Yamoussoukro one can visit the presidential palace with the lake of the holy crocodiles or the gigantic basilica, which was modeled based on the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The old town of Grand Bassam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Abidjan is called the „Pearl of the Lagoon“ and is considered the most modern West African city while Bondoukouo is one of the oldest places.

Tourist infrastructure

The Ivory Coast has a well-developed road network. However, it is in a poor condition, especially in the north and west. It is therefore not advisable to travel in the main rain season, as the gravel roads are difficult to pass then. Public transport consists of rail and bus connections as well as shared taxis.

High-quality accommodation is available in all cities, outside of the city the standard and comfort is lower.

Climate and travel season

Due to its proximity to the equator, the Ivory Coast has a tropical climate. This leads to year-round warm temperatures of around 30°C. The best time to travel is between November and April as the whole country has dry season. In the south, the dry season is divided into August and September and December to May while in the north there is only one dry season from November to May. There temperatures can reach over 35°C in the hottest period in January and February.

Visa and entry

Citizens from Germany, Austria and Switzerland need a passport and a visa to enter the Ivory Coast. The visa can either be applied for in person at the responsible embassy in the respective country before the trip or upon entry after prior online registration. The online visa upon entry must be registered and paid for at the respective embassy at least three days before the planned departure so that the visa can be issued on arrival at Abidjan International Airport. The proof of payment must be printed out and carried on the flight. Upon arrival in Abidjan, travellers need to go to the e-visa counter in front of the official passport control. Depending on the length of the stay, the visa costs between €50 and €110. The passport must be valid for at least six months.

ATTENTION: There are fraudulent websites that mimic the visa application for Côte d’Ivoire and request payment but do not issue a visa afterward. Therefore, only use the service provider ‚Snedai,‘ whose link is provided on the website of the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire.

Since the regulations can change at any time, all information are non-binding and without guarantee. Please observe the visa regulations and the current information of the Federal Foreign Office / Federal Ministry European and International Affairs / Federal Department of Foreign Affaires at all times.

Impressions from the Ivory Coast

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Stories

Our partners for the Ivory Coast

Visa, Entry, and Updates

Federal Foreign Office ➝

Federal Ministry European and
International Affairs ➝

Federal Department of
Foreign Affairs ➝

Information of the
Embassy ➝

Country Information

Current accessibility

  • Information on entry:

    Entry into the Ivory Coast is possible for travelers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland by air. The national and sea borders remain closed. The trip must be registered  here online in advance with entering a mobile phone number. The online registration costs around €3. Entry requirements are a negative PCR test result not older than 72 hours as well as the downloaded or printed electronic registration form.

    The body temperature is checked upon entry and the health authorities reserve the right to monitor travelers via geolocation within 14 days of arrival and to contact them if necessary. If the body temperature is below 38°C, one is allowed to enter the country and move around freely. If the body temperature is above 38°C upon entry, travelers are tested for Covid-19 and must stay at a state quarantine facility until the test result is available. If the test result is negative despite the increased temperature, travellers have to remain in quarantine for another 14 days. If the test is positive, the transfer to the „Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales (SMIT) du Center Hospitalier et Universitaire (CHU) de Treichville“ in Abidjan takes place. The travelers have to pay the costs for the test and the quarantine themselves.

    The departure must also be registered online here and another negative PCR test is required. Online registration and the additional PCR test cost around € 37. The temporal validity of the PCR test must correspond to the regulations of the target country.

  • Information on return:

    Since March 30, 2021, all travellers, no matter from which country they are coming and which means of transportation they use, must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection, which was completed at least 28 days ago and is maximum 6 months old, before entering the Federal Republic of Germany. The PCR test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. In addition, travellers must register their entry at the entry portal www.einreiseanmeldung.de➝ before arriving in Germany and carry proof of the corresponding registration with them. For stays in high risk areas classified by the RKI➝ there is a 10-day quarantine obligation. The quarantine can solely be prevented when a proof of complete vaccination or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection, which was completed at least 28 days ago and is maximum 6 months old, was submitted on the entry portal. After five days at the earliest, travellers who are not vaccinated or did not recover from a Covid-19 infection can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early. For stays in virus mutation areas a negative PCR-test, which must be performed at the earliest 72 hours before entering, needs to be shown before return and a fourteen-day quarantine must to be entered without possibility to shorten it.

    All travellers older than 12 years, must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection before entering Austria. The PCR-test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. Since January 15, 2021, travellers must register their entry here ➝ („Pre-Travel-Clearance“) before arrival. With the above mentioned certifications a quarantine can be fully prevented when entering from a country classified as safe. The certifications can be handed in 24 hours later if no hotel stay is planned. For vaccinated people arriving from countries not classified as safe or from virus mutations areas the quarantine does not apply neither. Non-vaccinated people however need to present a negative Covid-test or a proof of recovery as well as enter a 10-day quarantine. After five days at the earliest, travellers can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early.

    All air as well as transit passengers who are not fully vaccinated or did not surpass a Covid-19 infection within the past 6 months must register their entry on www.swissplf.admin.ch before or during arrival in Switzerland and need to carry the generated QR-code with them. Air passengers older than 16 years must present a negative PCR or PoC test, a proof of complete vaccination, for instance the digital Covid-Certificate from the EU (Green Pass), or a proof of recovery from a Covid-19 infection before entering. The PCR-test must be performed at the earliest 72 hours and the PoC-test 48 hours before the start of the return journey. Air as well as transit passengers who are not fully vaccinated or did not surpass a Covid-19 infection as well need to enter a 10-day quarantine and present a PCR-test. In addition, they need to inform their corresponding cantonal authority latest within two days after arrival. After seven days at the earliest, travellers can undergo a Covid-19 test. With a subsequent negative result, the quarantine obligation can be ended early. The obligation to test or enter quarantine does not apply to fully vaccinated people who can present a certificate such as the EU Digital Certificate or a Swiss Covid certificate.

Für Einreisende in die Bundesrepublik Deutschland, die sich in den letzten 10 Tagen vor Einreise in einem Risikogebiet aufgehalten haben, besteht seit dem 08. November 2020 die Pflicht, sich unverzüglich in eine zehntägige Quarantäne zu begeben. Darüber hinaus müssen Reisende vor ihrer Ankunft in Deutschland ihre Einreise unter https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de ➝ anmelden und den Nachweis über die entsprechende Anmeldung mit sich führen. Nach frühestens fünf Tagen können sich die Reiserückkehrer Covid-19 Test unterziehen. Mit einem anschließenden Negativergebnis kann die Quarantänepflicht frühzeitig beendet werden.

ACHTUNG: Wer sich in den letzten 10 Tagen vor Einreise in Deutschland in einem Hochinzidenz-Gebiet oder einem Virusvarianten-Gebiet aufgehalten hat, muss bereits bei Einreise einen ärztlichen Nachweis oder ein negatives Testergebnis bei sich tragen und diesen bei Aufforderung der zuständigen Behörden vorlegen können. Der Test darf nicht älter als 48 Stunden vor Einreise sein. Darüber hinaus ist das negative Testergebnis auch vor Antritt der Rückreise dem entsprechenden Beförderer vorzulegen. Sollte es den Einreisenden aus etwaigen Gründen in einem Hochinzidenzgebiet oder einem Virusvarianten-Gebiet nicht möglich sein, sich vor Abreise testen zu lassen, können die entsprechenden Beförderer vor Abreise einen Schnelltest durchführen und bei Negativergebnis die Beförderung vornehmen. Der Beförderer darf den Test maximal 12 Stunden vor Abreise durchführen. Dieser Test muss den Anforderungen des RKI entsprechen: https://www.rki.de/tests ➝

Covid-19

Corona precautionary measures

  • Restrictions in the country:

    The country is currently still in a state of health emergency, but there are no longer any curfews. Hotels, restaurants, cinemas, bars and nightclubs are open again and operate under hygienic conditions.

  • Mouth and nose protection:

    Mouth and nose protection is compulsory throughout the country. Frequent hand washing and disinfection is recommended.

  • Hygiene measures in the country:

    There is currently no information available on a uniformly applicable catalog of measures.

Status: 05.11.2021

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