French Guiana is a French overseas department on the north-east coast of South America, between Suriname and Brazil, and part of the EU. Most people live along the coast, in Cayenne, Kourou, where Europe launches its rockets, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, while the interior is Amazon rainforest reached only by river or by air. Because it is part of the EU, French Guiana is covered by Roam Like at Home, so an EU SIM works as it does at home; UK and other non-EU SIMs follow their operator's own roaming terms.
Key facts for French Guiana
- EU roaming: covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Digicel (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 112; ambulance 15; police 17; fire 18
- Embassies: none; British and Canadian consular help comes from Paris
In the EU, but outside Schengen
French Guiana is not part of the Schengen area, so check that any visa you need is valid for it. British visitors can stay up to 90 days without a visa, with a passport that expires at least 3 months after they leave. Everyone must show a yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter, and you may need it again for onward travel to other countries. Meat and milk products cannot be brought in, customs rules are strict, and large sums of cash must be declared.
Where the signal fades
Canada warns that mobile service can be intermittent outside the towns and does not exist at all in some parts of the rainforest, so do not rely on your phone in an emergency there. Along the Maroni river, the border with Suriname, and the Oyapock, the border with Brazil, phones may also pick up foreign networks, where EU roaming rules stop and charges can climb, so check the network name on your screen. Rivers and planes are the only ways into the interior: motorised pirogues are the main public transport on the rivers, and anyone organising a trip should hire an experienced guide, avoid overloading the boat, carry life jackets for everyone and take a VHF marine radio. Some parts of the rainforest require a permit, illegal gold miners operate in places, and expeditions should never split up.
Cayenne, roads and the rainy season
Crime is generally low, but robberies happen in parts of Cayenne, especially after dark. The UK Foreign Office suggests stepping into a shop or café to use your phone, taking a licensed or pre-booked taxi after using a cash machine, and keeping valuables in a hotel safe; Canada adds that pickpocketing is common at viewpoints, bus stations, airport terminals and hotel lobbies, and that card fraud occurs. The main roads are paved and well maintained, but remote roads are poorly lit and signed, and motorcyclists often ride recklessly. Priority to the right applies at junctions, a UK photocard licence is accepted, the alcohol limit of 0.05% is lower than in England, and many rental firms want drivers aged 25 or over with two years' experience. Buses mainly serve Cayenne and neighbouring communes, and a ferry crosses the Maroni to Suriname. The rainy season runs from around mid-December to June, with tropical storms possible until July, and floods and landslides can cut roads.
Health and money
Yellow fever, dengue and Zika are among the health risks. Hospitals and GP practices are of a standard equivalent to mainland France, but most are on the coast and the interior has few facilities; ambulances are not always available, so a taxi may be faster, and clinics may ask for payment up front. An EHIC or the UK's GHIC covers medically necessary state treatment, but you still need insurance, as an evacuation from the interior is very expensive. The currency is the euro, cash machines are rare outside the main towns, and small local businesses may only take cash.
Getting connected
With an EU SIM: your home plan works on French Guiana's networks just as it does in your own country; near the border rivers, keep an eye on which network you are using.
With a SIM from outside the EU: add a travel eSIM before you fly. The French Guiana plans run on Digicel, on 4G; a Caribbean plan also covers Suriname, Guadeloupe and Martinique, and a World plan adds Brazil for a trip across the Oyapock. Keep your usual SIM for bank texts with data roaming off, and carry a satellite or VHF option for the interior.
Consular protection: who to call in French Guiana
- Dial 112, or 15 for an ambulance, 17 for the police and 18 for the fire service.
- French Guiana is part of France, so there are no embassies: British nationals are covered by the British Embassy in Paris, and Canadians by the Embassy of Canada in Paris.
- Find in the Telcomia app the mission that looks after your nationality in French Guiana, and save its details before heading inland.
- French is the official language, and not every doctor speaks English.
Questions travellers ask about French Guiana
Will my EU SIM work in French Guiana?
Yes, as at home: French Guiana is part of the EU and is covered by Roam Like at Home. Near the borders with Suriname and Brazil, make sure your phone has not switched to a foreign network.
Do I need a yellow fever certificate?
Yes. You must show proof of yellow fever vaccination to enter French Guiana.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in French Guiana?
Digicel, on 4G.
Will my phone work in the rainforest?
Often not. Coverage is patchy outside the towns and absent in parts of the interior, so travel with a guide and a radio or satellite device.
The short version
Get your yellow fever certificate, check whether your visa covers French Guiana, install the eSIM if your SIM is from outside the EU, watch the network name near the border rivers, use your phone indoors in Cayenne at night, plan river trips with a guide and a radio, and save 112 and 15.
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