Most visitors to Guinea come to Conakry for business, mining or aid work; travellers looking for nature head for the waterfalls and plateaus of the Fouta Djallon around Dalaba and Labé, or take a boat to the beaches of the Îles de Los off the capital. Guinea is outside the EU's Roam Like at Home area, so a European SIM roams there at its operator's own rates.
Key facts for Guinea
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: varies by plan
- Emergency numbers: police and emergency services 117 (very limited)
- Embassies: in Conakry
Conakry
Coverage is good in Conakry. Crimes of opportunity, such as pickpocketing, theft from vehicles and robbery, are common, especially at night, violent carjackings are a threat in the outlying suburbs, and break-ins are common, sometimes by armed burglars. If you land after dark, arrange your airport transfer in advance. Demonstrations can start without warning and turn violent, including protests over power cuts, so keep clear of them, especially near military sites.
Roads and the interior
Roads are poorly maintained and only partly paved, and travel is especially hazardous in the rainy season, from May to October. There have been occasional hold-ups and armed robberies on roads including those to Mamou and N'Zérékoré, police and military roadblocks are common and some officials ask for bribes, so avoid travelling at night outside populated areas. Coverage becomes patchy in the Fouta Djallon and in the forest region.
Laws to know
Do not get involved with illegal drugs of any kind. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, with prison sentences of six months to three years. Photographing or filming anything of strategic value, such as airports and bridges, is illegal.
Health and paying
Health facilities are poorly equipped and extremely limited, even in Conakry, and most providers want payment upfront in cash, so make sure your insurance covers medical evacuation. The currency is the Guinean franc, and Guinea runs on cash: some larger hotels and supermarkets in Conakry take cards, and the capital's cash machines are not always reliable.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM set up before departure connects when you land in Conakry, and your home SIM stays available for texts and bank codes. An Africa plan also covers Sierra Leone, Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire.
Guinean SIM cards from Orange and the other operators are sold in Conakry, and you need your passport to register one.
Consular protection: who to call in Guinea
- The UK warns that Guinea has no functioning emergency services. The US lists 117 for the police and emergency services, but note the numbers of a private clinic in Conakry, such as Clinique Pasteur or Clinique Ambroise Paré, before you need them.
- Embassies are in Conakry. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Guinea, the embassy of any other EU country must help you as it would help its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- The app has emergency phrases in French, the official language, ready to show on screen.
Questions travellers ask about Guinea
Does my EU plan work in Guinea?
No. Guinea is outside Roam Like at Home, so your operator's own roaming rates apply.
Is there an emergency number?
117 reaches the police, but emergency services are very limited, so keep a private clinic's number to hand.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Guinea?
It depends on the plan, with 4G where available.
Do cards work?
Only in some larger hotels and supermarkets in Conakry. Bring enough cash.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you fly, arrange your airport transfer, avoid night travel and demonstrations, carry cash, keep a clinic's number, and save 117.
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