Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Comoros, you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States.  You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws.  Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well. 

Persons violating the laws of Comoros, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs in Comoros are strict, with convicted offenders receiving a mandatory minimum five-year jail sentence and heavy fines.

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in a foreign country, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas. Please note that there is no official permanent U.S. presence in Comoros – such official notification to U.S. authorities must be made to the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar, and may therefore be extremely slow.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: While religions other than Islam are permitted in Comoros, evangelization is illegal. Violators of this law can be fined or imprisoned. Few establishments accept credit cards in the Comoros; cash transactions are preferred, in Comorian Francs or Euros. U.S. Dollars are not accepted.

Maritime Safety: Avoid all but essential travel by boat. Boat travel between the Comoran islands is poorly regulated, if at all. U.S. government personnel are allowed only to utilize inter-island ferry services that are commercially licensed, running on regularly scheduled routes, and which are equipped with adequate safety devices and ship-to-shore communications capability. U.S. citizens considering boat travel should exercise extreme caution, even if traveling via the shortest routes. Small vessels routinely break down and capsize in rough seas, or are swept against reefs by strong currents that run between the islands. Boats can be overcrowded, in poor condition, and are often equipped with little or no safety equipment. Drowning deaths in these waters are common. The proximity of the Union of the Comoros to waters frequented by pirates also means that small craft on the open seas are particularly vulnerable to potential attack.

LGBT RIGHTS: Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in the Union of the Comoros. Although the U.S. Embassy is not aware of any recent arrests or prosecutions for such activities, they remain illegal and penalties can include imprisonment and fines. For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

ACCESSIBILITY:  Individuals with disabilities will find virtually no accommodation for accessibility while in Comoros.