ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: A passport, visa, and evidence of  yellow fever vaccination are required for entry.  It is your responsibility to obtain a visa from a DRC embassy and arrange onward travel before arriving in the Congo.  U.S. citizens entering the country without visas have been detained and deported.  Likewise, travelers arriving in the DRC without proper proof of yellow fever vaccination have been temporarily detained, fined, or had their passports confiscated.. 

All journalists working in the Congo must obtain permission from the Congolese Ministry of Information in Kinshasa.  The U.S. Embassy recommends that journalists enter the Congo 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 to the DRC frequently 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.”  All resident foreigners, including U.S. citizens, are required to register at the office of the Direction General of Migration (DGM) in the commune of their place of residence. 

For departure from the DRC, airlines will require a valid visa for all destination countries before they will issue a ticket or allow a passenger to board.  All departing travelers, including U.S. officials, must pay a $50 airport fee, in cash.  Airlines also require that passengers have the correct entry stamp in the passport they wish to use to exit the country.  Dual nationals arriving in the DRC should carefully consider which passport they use to enter the DRC.  Passengers who are unable to leave the country on the passport they used to enter the DRC may not be able to continue on their travel itinerary. 

You may obtain additional information about visas from the  Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1726 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20036, tel. (202) 234-7690, or the  DRC's Permanent Mission to the UN, 866 United Nations Plaza, Room 511, New York, NY 10017, tel. 212-319-8061, fax: 212-319-8232.  Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Congolese embassy or consulate.

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

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