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Guinea-Bissau visa options for United Kingdom passport holders

Tourist / short stay

Visa on arrival

Get the visa at the border on entry.

Visa types & longer-stay routes for Guinea-Bissau

Rules are written for non-ECOWAS foreign nationals; citizens of the 14 ECOWAS member states (and certain Portuguese-language-country diplomatic/service passport holders) enter visa-free and are exempt from most of these visa routes.

  • Most nomadsTourist

    Tourist Visa / e-Visa (short-stay)

    Up to 90 days; e-visa is single-entry (approx 30-90 days) or multiple-entry (validity reported up to 90/180/365 days) - verify current terms

    Insurance
    RecommendedNot required - no travel health insurance mandate found in sources; travel medical cover strongly recommended given limited local healthcare
    Good for
    Leisure travelers, sightseers and visitors from non-ECOWAS countries; can be applied for via consulate or the online pre-enrolment (e-visa).
    Requirement
    Passport valid 6+ months, yellow fever vaccination certificate (mandatory, given at least ~10 days before travel), plus photos, itinerary/accommodation and supporting documents
  • Tourist

    Visa on Arrival

    Up to 90 days (approx)

    Insurance
    RecommendedNot required - none documented; travel medical insurance recommended
    Good for
    Nationals of eligible non-exempt countries arriving at a Guinea-Bissau entry point (reported available to citizens of ~63 countries); note some sources dispute its reliability, so pre-arranging a visa is safer.
    Requirement
    Passport valid 6+ months; some sources require a prior authorization letter from the Migration Office of Guinea-Bissau and yellow fever certificate - verify before relying on it
  • Business

    Business Visa

    Typically up to 90 days

    Insurance
    RecommendedNot required - none documented; travel medical insurance recommended
    Good for
    Foreign nationals attending meetings, conferences, investment/estate matters or short temporary assignments (not local employment).
    Requirement
    Business invitation/authorization letter (sources also cite a letter of authorization from the Migration Office) plus standard passport, yellow fever certificate and supporting documents
  • Work

    Work / Long-Stay Visa (VLS) + Work Permit

    Approx 1 year, renewable annually while employment continues; tied to a specific employer

    Insurance
    OptionalNot required - no insurance mandate documented in sources (private/health cover advisable; verify)
    Good for
    Foreign nationals taking up employment in Guinea-Bissau for more than 3 months; the long-stay entry visa pairs with a separate work permit (Autorizacao de Trabalho) issued via the Ministry of Labour. ECOWAS citizens skip the entry visa but still need the work permit.
    Requirement
    Approved employment contract, professional qualifications, yellow fever certificate, criminal-record clearance and medical fitness certificate; employer must be registered with Ministry of Labour and INSS - verify current document list
  • Residence

    Residence Authorisation (long-term)

    Long-term; qualifying period and renewal conditions decided case-by-case by the Immigration Service (figures not reliably published - verify)

    Insurance
    OptionalNot required - none documented; verify locally
    Good for
    Foreign nationals who have legally lived and worked in Guinea-Bissau for an extended continuous period and seek longer-term residency; assessed case-by-case by the Immigration Service and generally linked to a work permit.
    Requirement
    Prior lawful residence/work, valid work permit/employment, and registration with the Immigration Service; exact criteria are not clearly published
  • Transit

    Transit Visa

    Short transit period (specific duration not reliably published - verify)

    Insurance
    OptionalNot required - none documented
    Good for
    Travelers passing through Guinea-Bissau en route to another destination.
    Requirement
    Passport valid 6+ months, onward travel documentation and yellow fever certificate; available via consulate or online pre-enrolment

Guinea-Bissau's published visa rules are thin and sources sometimes conflict (e.g. on visa-on-arrival availability); confirm with a Guinea-Bissau diplomatic mission or the Migration Office before travel. Last checked: 2026-06.

Last verified June 2026

Visa-free isn’t insurance-free

Whatever route you take into Guinea-Bissau, your entry stamp never includes health cover. Many longer-stay visas also require proof of insurance before they’re granted. That part is on you — and it’s what we actually do.

Get a quoteVisa insurance requirements

United Kingdom → Guinea-Bissau: frequently asked

Do United Kingdom passport holders need a visa to visit Guinea-Bissau?
Visa on arrival. Get the visa at the border on entry. Always confirm with the official source before booking.
Can a United Kingdom passport holder live or work long-term in Guinea-Bissau?
Yes, via a long-stay visa. Guinea-Bissau has 6 documented visa types covering work, study, residence and — where it exists — digital-nomad routes.
Do I need travel insurance for Guinea-Bissau?
Entry to Guinea-Bissau never includes health cover, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.
United Kingdom passportFull visa-free ranking & mapCompare passportsTwo passports, side by side

Last updated

Visa rules can change at short notice and depend on your purpose of travel, length of stay and onward tickets. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or the IATA Travel Centre before you book. Visa-free entry never includes travel health insurance. That’s still on you.