Travel Smart
Honest, sourced guidance so you travel confident. Most of any country is calmer than the headlines suggest.
Safety
Countrywide advisory (Government of Canada)
Do not travelAvoid all travel
Source: Government of Canada · Verified 2026-07-26
Bangui (with extreme caution)
Reconsider travelThe capital is volatile; armed groups, banditry, and inter-communal violence are ongoing. Carjackings and armed robbery occur. Avoid at night; stick to main areas.
Avoid: PK5 district, certain suburbs, central markets after dark, military checkpoints (often sources of harassment).
Common scams: Fake currency; armed robbery; extortion at checkpoints.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
Eastern CAR (Bambara-Bangoran, Haut-Mbomou)
Do not travelArmed groups control vast areas; banditry and conflict are constant. No meaningful state presence; violence against civilians is routine. Avoid entirely.
Avoid: All eastern provinces.
Source: US State Department · Verified 2026-07-06
Northern and western regions
Reconsider travelBanditry, armed group activity, and minimal government control. Travel is dangerous; permits are often required. UNHCR and NGO presence indicates instability.
Avoid: Remote border areas; travel only with armed escort if absolutely necessary.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
South-central (Ombella-Mpoko, Lobaye) to protected areas
Exercise increased cautionSafer than north/east but still volatile. Dzanga-Sangha Reserve is accessible; hire reliable guides and travel in groups. Security can deteriorate rapidly.
Avoid: Night travel; isolated areas without guides.
Source: UK FCDO · Verified 2026-07-06
5 zones rated separately against Government of Canada, UK FCDO, US State Department. Oldest check on this page: 6 July 2026.
Emergency Contacts
Police, general emergency line
police · Bangui
UK FCDO gives 117 as a general line covering ambulance, fire and police, and the second number for the gendarmerie. It states plainly that emergency numbers in the Central African Republic are unreliable and that the services are unlikely to respond outside Bangui.
SourceAmbulance
ambulance · Bangui
The ambulance number published by UK FCDO, with the general emergency line as the fallback. The number 15, widely quoted for CAR, is not what the Foreign Office gives. Expect no response outside Bangui and call a hospital directly instead.
SourceSapeurs-Pompiers
fire · Bangui
The fire number published by UK FCDO, with the general emergency line as the fallback.
SourceHopital Communautaire
hospital · Bangui
The main public hospital a visitor in Bangui would be taken to, from the British Embassy list of medical facilities in the Central African Republic. Hopital de l'Amitie on +236 505 953 is the other public option on the same list.
SourceMedical Centre of the French Embassy
hospital · Bangui
Listed first on the same British Embassy list and staffed to a standard the public hospitals cannot match. Every facility on that list is in Bangui, which is the practical point: outside the capital there is effectively nothing, and anything serious means evacuation.
Source