Entry/Exit Requirements

A passport, DRC visa, and World Health Organization card with yellow fever vaccination are required for entry. Airport visas are not available, and visitors to the Democratic Republic of the Congo will need to obtain their visas in advance of travel. Please note that the DRC is now requiring visa applicants to provide an invitation letter notarized in the DRC and legalized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kinshasa. For further visa information, contact the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Washington, D.C., telephone (202) 234-7690 or the Permanent Mission of the DRC to the United Nations, in New York City, telephone (212) 319-8061. Overseas inquiries should be made at the nearest Congolese embassy or consulate.

All journalists working in the DRC must obtain permission from the Congolese Ministry of Information in Kinshasa and should enter the DRC via Kinshasa. Visitors who wish to travel to any mining areas must first obtain government approval from the appropriate government agencies or ministries; a cumbersome and often time-consuming process.

Travelers may experience difficulties at the airport and other ports of entry, such as temporary detention, passport confiscation, and demands by immigration and security personnel for unofficial “fees.” If confronted with harassment, please ask to contact the U.S. Embassy’s Consular Section at +243 81 556 0151 or +243 97 261 6145.

All departing travelers must pay a $50 airport exit fee, in U.S. dollars (cash). Passengers must have the correct entry stamp in the passport they use to exit the country.

The DRC does not permit its citizens to hold dual nationality. Dual nationals arriving in the DRC should carefully consider which passport they use to enter the DRC. Before being permitted to depart the DRC, travelers who entered on a Congolese passport may be required to obtain a valid for visa for their destination country, even if they hold a second passport. Congolese authorities require resident foreigners to register at the office of the Direction General of Migration (DGM) in the commune of their place of residence.

Information about dual nationality or the international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

The United States Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of the DRC.