ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:  The Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) is a developing nation in central Africa.  The official language is French.  The largest cities are the capital, Brazzaville, on the Congo River, and Pointe Noire on the coast.  Civil conflict in 1997 and again in 1998-99 damaged parts of the capital and large areas in the south of the country.  The last rebel group still engaged in armed struggle signed a cease-fire accord with the government in March 2003.  Facilities for tourism are very limited.

A passport, visa and evidence of yellow fever vaccination are required for entry.  Additional information on entry requirements may be obtained from the Embassy of the Republic of Congo, 4891 Colorado Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.  20011, telephone (202) 726-5500, or from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Congo to the United Nations, 14 E. 65th St., New York, NY, 10021, telephone (212) 744-7840.  Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Congolese embassy or consulate.

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MEDICAL FACILITIES AND HEALTH INFORMATION: Medical facilities are extremely limited.  Some medicines are in short supply, particularly outside the larger cities.  Travelers should carry their own supply of properly labeled medications.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease.  Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the type that predominates in the Congo, is resistant to the antimalarial drug chloroquine.  Because travelers to the Congo are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that travelers should take one of the following antimalarial 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 antimalarials 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 the Republic of the Congo are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within the Republic of the Congo.  Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa or at the interim offices in Brazzaville.  By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. 

The Brazzaville U.S. Embassy office is co-located at the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa.  Although the U.S. Embassy in Brazzaville is not yet open for normal operations, one or more American officers and some local staff members are normally available in Brazzaville to provide information and guidance to American citizens.  .

The Embassy in Brazzaville has interim offices located in the B.D.E.A.C Building, 4th Floor, Place du Gouvernment, Plateau de Centre Ville, Brazzaville.  The telephone number during regular business hours (7:30 am until 4:30 pm, M-F) is 242-81-14-81.  The Embassy in Kinshasa is located at 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Gombe; tel. 243-081-225-5872 (do not dial the zero when calling from abroad into the Congo), and the mailing address from the U.S. is Brazzaville Embassy Office, American Embassy Kinshasa, Unite 31550, APO AE, 09828-1550.  Entrance to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is on Avenue Dumi, opposite Ste. Anne residence.  The Consular Section of the Embassy in Kinshasa may be reached at cellular tel. 243-81-8844609, 243-81-884-6859 or 243-81-225-5872; fax 243-81-301-0560.  For after-hours emergencies, use 243-81-225-5872.  (Cellular phones are the norm, as other telephone service is often unreliable); website: http://kinshasa.usembassy.gov.