Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in French Guiana, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. 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, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. 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. For example, one can be prosecuted under U.S. law for buying pirated goods. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if arrested in French Guiana, U.S. citizens have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. Embassy, located in Paramaribo, Suriname, of your arrest. U.S. citizens arrested in French Guiana also may request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities forward communications from you to the nearest U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: French customs authorities enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into or export from France of items such as firearms, antiquities, medications, business equipment, sales samples, and other items. It is advisable to contact the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., or one of France's consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements.

Customs authorities encourage the use of an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) Carnet for the temporary admission of professional equipment, commercial samples, and/or goods for exhibitions and fair purposes. ATA Carnet Headquarters, located at the U.S. Council for International Business, 1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, issues and guarantees the ATA Carnet in the United States. For additional information call (212) 354-4480, or visit USCIB website.

Accessibility: While in French Guiana, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what is found in the United States. However, as a member of the European Union, French Guiana has obligations to provide proper handicap access and parking for the disabled. In French Guiana’s main cities there are access ramps and parking spaces, but no accommodations exist for the blind. Outside the main cities, there are no facilities or infrastructure to support accessibility for the disabled.

LGBT rights: There are no legal restrictions on same-sex sexual relations or the organization of LGBT events in French Guiana. For more detailed information about LGBT rights around the world, you may review the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012. For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our Information for LGBT Travelers page.