Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Togo, you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. Persons violating Togo’s laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Togo are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Buying or using drugs may result in an indefinite period of detention. Illicit drugs, particularly marijuana, cocaine, and some pharmaceuticals, are regularly seized by drug enforcement entities. In Togo, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain buildings. The importation of any security equipment, including binoculars and toy weapons, is generally prohibited though irregularly enforced. In Togo, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. If you break local laws in Togo, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

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.

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 that country, others may not. 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.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Currency restrictions include a limit of up to US $10,000 for entry and exit into Togo. Photographing subjects affiliated with the government of Togo, including official government buildings, border crossings, checkpoints, police stations, military bases, utility buildings, airports, government vehicles, and government or military personnel, is strictly prohibited, and local authorities will confiscate film and cameras. Government buildings are not always clearly identifiable, as they vary from being very well marked to not being marked at all.

Power outages, voltage fluctuations, and water shortages happen occasionally throughout the country. Credit cards are rarely accepted in the country. Travelers planning to use credit cards should know which cards, if any, are accepted before they commit to a transaction. Travelers should keep all credit card receipts, because unauthorized card use and overcharging are common. Some major banks have Automatic Teller Machines that dispense local currency, but they will only accept Visa cards. Travelers will not be able to withdraw money using MasterCard. Well-known money transfer firms, including Western Union, operate in Togo.

WOMEN TRAVELER INFORMATION: Female genital mutilation (FGM) or female genital cutting (FGC) is practiced in four of Togo’s five prefectures, and it is estimated that four percent of girls and women between 15 and 49 years of age have been subjected to the procedure. The highest incidence is in the region around Sokode, Togo’s second-largest city. If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Togo. Penalties include fines and up to three years in prison, although it is rarely enforced. For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Togo, you may review the State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page. Open displays of LGBT affection, or affiliation with some LGBT issues, may draw unwanted attention or hostility.

ACCESSIBILITY: While in Togo, individuals with disabilities will find accessibility and accommodation very different from in the United States. While the law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical, mental, intellectual, and sensory disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, transportation, or in the provision of other state services, the Government does not effectively enforce these provisions and there are few accommodations made for the disabled. The Government does not mandate accessibility to public or private facilities for persons with disabilities, although some public buildings have ramps. There are very few sidewalks in the country, and handicapped access is not prioritized in construction or planning. U.S. citizens with disabilities that hinder mobility should consider this information when planning travel to Togo.