smartraveller.gov.au - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
It's a must see destination.
It's a must see destination.
Guyana
| Guyana overall | This Advice is current for Friday, 12 March 2010. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Be alert to own security | Exercise caution | High degree of caution | Reconsider your need to travel | Do not travel |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued. The overall level of the advice has not changed.
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Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Political tensions between principal political parties could lead to civil unrest.
You should avoid demonstrations, protests and political gatherings as they may turn violent.
We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Guyana because of the risk of serious criminal activity. Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
Violent crime (including armed robberies, kidnappings, indiscriminate shootings and carjackings resulting in serious injury or death) is a problem, particularly in the capital Georgetown. Crime rates are particularly high in the Stabroek Market, South Georgetown and Tiger Bay areas of Georgetown and in the village of Buxton, located on the highway between Georgetown and New Amsterdam. There has been an upsurge in violent criminal activity on the east coast, in Bartica and in the tourist resorts along the Essequibo River. Security risks are heightened after dark. You should avoid travelling or walking alone.
Travel after dark is dangerous along the road from the Cheddi Jagan Airport to Georgetown, the Timerhi/Linden Highway, and in the East Coast Demerara and East Bank regions where muggings and shootings have occurred.
Robberies and assaults occur in taxis. You should seek advice from airport authorities and hotel staff about official taxi services. Buses are often overcrowded and poorly maintained with poor security near bus stops.
Driving in Guyana can be hazardous due to poorly maintained roads and vehicles, aggressive driving practices, and inadequate street lighting. Fatal accidents involving mini-buses are common. For further advice, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
There is an ongoing border dispute with Suriname. You should only use official border crossing points and scheduled ferry services when travelling between countries.
Piracy occurs in the coastal areas of Guyana. See our travel advice on shipping and ports for more information. The International Maritime Bureau issues weekly piracy reports on its website.
Passengers on international flights to and from Australia are only allowed to carry a small amount of liquids (including aerosols and gels) in their carry-on baggage. You can find out more information at the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government website. Similar restrictions apply to flights in an increasing number of countries. Contact your airline for further information.
If you have concerns about the safety standards of a particular airline or aircraft, we recommend you research the airline or aircraft through organisations such as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government has published fact sheets on security for air travellers. When staff at Australia's overseas missions are advised not to use particular airlines due to safety concerns, this will be included in the travel advisory.
The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that are subject to operating bans or restrictions within the EU. The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through its foreign assessment program focuses on a country's ability, not the individual airline, to adhere to international standards and recommended practices for aircraft operations and maintenance established by ICAO.
The two rainy seasons are from May to August and from November to January. Flooding may occur, particularly in low lying coastal areas.
Information on natural disasters can be obtained from the Humanitarian Early Warning Service. If a natural disaster occurs, follow the advice of local authorities.
Australians are advised to respect wildlife laws and to maintain a safe and legal distance when observing wildlife, including marine animals and birds. You should only use reputable and professional guides or tour operators and closely follow park regulations and wardens' advice.
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money overseas, such as credit cards, travellers' cheques, cash, debit cards or cash cards. Australian currency and travellers' cheques are not accepted in many countries. Consult with your bank to find out which is the most appropriate currency to carry and whether your ATM card will work overseas. Credit cards are not widely accepted in Guyana.
Make two photocopies of valuables such as your passport, tickets, visas and travellers' cheques. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.
While travelling, don't carry too much cash and remember that expensive watches, jewellery and cameras may be tempting targets for thieves.
As a sensible precaution against luggage tampering, including theft, lock your luggage. Information on luggage safety is available from Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Your passport is a valuable document that is attractive to criminals who may try to use your identity to commit crimes. It should always be kept in a safe place. You are required by Australian law to report a lost or stolen passport. If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, report it online or contact the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate as soon as possible.
You are required to pay an additional fee to have a lost or stolen passport replaced. In some cases, the Government may also restrict the length of validity or type of replacement passports.
For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling Parents brochure.
If you are planning on placing your children in schools or child care facilities overseas we encourage you to research the standards of security, care and staff training within those establishments. You should exercise the same precautions you would take before placing children into schools or child care facilities in Australia.
Ideas on how to select child care providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.
When you are in Guyana, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.
Information on what Australian consular officers can and cannot do to help Australians in trouble overseas is available from the Consular Services Charter.
Penalties for drug offences, including possession, are severe and include lengthy prison sentences served in local jails.
Serious crime, such as murder, may attract the death penalty.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism and child sex tourism, apply to Australians overseas. Australians who commit these offences while overseas may be prosecuted in Australia.
Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas. Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 while outside of Australia.
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information for dual nationals.
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Guyana for the most up to date information.
If you are travelling to Guyana from a country where yellow fever is endemic, you are required to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate on arrival. The WHO provides a list of countries that are endemic for yellow fever.
Guyana is listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as endemic for yellow fever. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country. If in doubt, check with your airline.
If you have visited Guyana in the last six days prior to your date of return to Australia, Australian Customs officials will ask you to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate on entry into Australia.
If you are travelling to Guyana through the United States of America (USA), or if you are transiting in Honolulu or other USA points of entry, you are required to meet USA entry/transit requirements. Make sure you check with your nearest US Embassy or Consulate your visa requirements well in advance of your travel. You should also read our travel advice for the United States of America. For information about some recent changes to United States border entry procedures, including the use of Emergency Passports and Documents of Identity, please see our travel bulletin on entry into the United States.
Make sure your passport has at least six months' validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 has spread throughout the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides useful information for individuals and travellers on its website. For further information and advice to Australians, including on possible quarantine measures overseas, see our travel bulletin on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009.
We strongly recommend that you take out comprehensive travel insurance that will cover any overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation, before you depart. Confirm that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away and check what circumstances and activities are not included in your policy. Remember, regardless of how healthy and fit you are, if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. The Australian Government will not pay for a traveller's medical expenses overseas or medical evacuation costs.
Your doctor or travel clinic is the best source of information about preventive measures, immunisations (including booster doses of childhood vaccinations) and disease outbreaks overseas. The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information for travellers and our 'Travelling Well' brochure also provides useful tips for travelling with medicines and staying healthy while overseas.
Medical facilities in Guyana are severely limited. There is a lack of trained specialists and medical equipment, and hygiene standards are poor. In the event of an emergency, a medical evacuation to a location with suitable facilities may be required, usually the USA where the cost of medical treatment can be extremely high. Medical evacuation to Miami can cost upwards of $A35,000.
Malaria is a high risk in inland Guyana throughout the year. Other insect-borne diseases (including dengue fever, yellow fever, filariasis and leishmaniasis) are also a risk to travellers, particularly during the wet seasons (May to August and November to January). We recommend you take prophylaxis against malaria and take measures to avoid insect bites, including using insect repellent at all times.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, typhoid, hepatitis, leptospirosis and rabies) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We advise you to boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, and avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Seek medical advice if you have a fever or are suffering from diarrhoea.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has confirmed cases of avian influenza in birds in a number of countries throughout the world. For a list of these countries, visit the OIE website. For information on our advice to Australians on how to reduce the risk of infection and on Australian Government precautions, see our travel bulletin on avian influenza.
Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Guyana. You can obtain consular assistance from the nearest Australian High Commission which is in Trinidad and Tobago:
Australian High Commission
18 Herbert Street, St. Clair
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Telephone (1 868) 628 0695
Facsimile (1 868) 622 0659
Website www.trinidadandtobago.embassy.gov.au
If you are travelling to Guyana, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we encourage you to register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register on-line or in person at any Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The information you provide will help us to contact you in an emergency-whether it is a natural disaster, civil disturbance or a family issue.
In a consular emergency if you are unable to contact the above mission, you can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or 1300 555 135 within Australia.
In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.
While every care has been taken in preparing this travel information for travellers, neither the Australian Government nor its agents or employees including any member of Australia's consular staff abroad, can accept liability for injury, loss or damage arising in respect of any statement contained therein.
