ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:  A valid passport, visa, evidence of yellow-fever vaccination, and current immunization records are required.  Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon, 2349 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. 20008, tel: (202) 265-8790, fax: (202) 387-3826.  Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Cameroonian embassy or consulate. Visit the Embassy of Cameroon’s web site at http://www.ambacam-usa.org/ for the most current visa information.

Cameroon is a developing country in central Africa.  Facilities for tourism are limited.  The capital is Yaoundé, though Douala, the country's largest city, is its main port and commercial center.  Official languages are French and English, though French predominates in most of the country.  English may be used in Cameroon's two Anglophone provinces and the larger cities.

MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Medical facilities in Cameroon are extremely limited.  Even in large cities, emergency care and hospitalization for major illnesses and surgery are hampered by the lack of trained specialists, outdated diagnostic equipment, and poor sanitation.  Medical services in outlying areas may be completely nonexistent.  Doctors and hospitals often require immediate payment for health services.  Pharmacies in larger towns are well stocked, but in other areas many medicines are unavailable.  Travelers are advised to carry their own supply of needed prescription medicines with them. 

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease.  Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in Cameroon, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine.  Because travelers to Cameroon are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that travelers should take one of the following anti-malarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam - TM), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone -TM).  Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what anti-malarials they have been taking.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747)

MEDICAL INSURANCE:  The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.

REGISTRATION / EMBASSY LOCATION:  Americans living or traveling in Cameroon are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Cameroon. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.  The U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé is located on Avenue Rosa Parks in the Mbankolo Quartier, adjacent to the Mount Febe Golf Club; mailing address P.O. Box 817; embassy tel. (237) 220-1603, fax: (237) 220-1572.  The Embassy Branch Office in Douala is located on Rue Flatters, in the Citibank building, tel.: (237) 342-5331, fax: (237) 342-7790.  Further information, including the U.S. Embassy's business hours, is available at the U.S. Embassy's website, http://yaounde.usembassy.gov.