Contents
Summary
Entry and exit requirements
Safety and security
Local travel
Laws that apply to you
Health issues
Where to get help
Additional information
Summary
- We strongly advise you not to travel to Chad at this time, and to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena, due to risk of violence, kidnapping and high levels of serious crime and lawlessness.
- If you are in Chad, you should consider leaving unless you have compelling reasons to stay.
- You should avoid all large gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
- We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena at this time due to the risk of violence. If you do decide to travel to N’Djamena, you should exercise extreme caution.
- Police can carry out random checks of documentation. You should carry identification documents (local working permit or a copy of passport) at all times. Failure to present identification may result in being detained.
- There are minefields along the borders with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic. Borders may be closed with little or no warning. We advise against travel to border areas with all neighbouring countries.
- We strongly recommend all Australians travelling to Chad register their travel and contact details with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, so we can contact you in an emergency.
- Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Chad. The Australian Embassy in Paris provides consular assistance to Australians in Chad.
- Be a smart traveller. Before heading overseas:
- organise comprehensive travel insurance and check what circumstances and activities are not covered by your policy
- subscribe to this travel advice to receive free email updates each time it's reissued.
Entry and exit
Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, customs and quarantine regulations) change regularly. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate of Chad for the most up to date information. The closest Chadian embassy to Australia is located in Beijing, China (telephone: 0086 10 65321296).
A valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate is required for entry into Chad.
Chad 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 Chad 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.
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.
Safety and security
Terrorism
Terrorism is a threat throughout the world. You can find more information about this threat in our General Advice to Australian Travellers.
Civil unrest/political tension
We strongly advise you not to travel to Chad at this time, and to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena, due to risk of violence, kidnapping and high levels of serious crime and lawlessness. We advise you to monitor the local media for possible new risks to your safety and security.
Fighting between Chadian government forces and rebel groups can occur without warning throughout the country.
You should avoid all large gatherings, protests and demonstrations as they may turn violent.
The security situation is particularly dangerous in border areas. Armed groups are active especially along the border with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic.
There are a large number of displaced people throughout Chad, especially in areas adjacent to borders with Sudan and Libya. The large numbers of displaced people may lead to an increased strain on scare resources, increase in disease and an increased risk of crime.
There is a risk of kidnapping in remote areas of Africa, including Chad. Humanitarian workers may be a target for kidnappers. For more information about kidnapping, see our Kidnapping Threat travel bulletin.
The Australian Government's longstanding policy is that it does not make payments or concessions to kidnappers. The Australian Government considers that paying a ransom increases the risk of further kidnappings, including of other Australians. If you do decide to travel to an area where there is a particular threat of kidnapping, you should ensure you have personal security measures in place, seek professional security advice and take out kidnapping insurance.
N’Djamena: We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to the capital N’Djamena at this time due to risk of violence and high levels of crime. Outbreaks of violence can occur with little warning. We advise you to monitor the local media for possible new risks to your safety and security.
We recommend you do not travel around the city at night, as the risk of being a victim of crime increases at night. We recommend that you travel in private vehicles were possible, as local taxis can be unreliable and in a poor state of roadworthiness. Local security forces or people posing as them may attempt to exhort money from travellers through bogus fines or intimidation.
Crime
Banditry and crime are common throughout Chad. Petty crime, including pickpockets, occurs in market and commercial areas. The risk of being a victim of crime increases at night. Violent attacks do occur.
Banditry and carjacking is a risk across the country.
Money and valuables
Before you go, organise a variety of ways to access your money in Chad. Credit cards and other electronic forms of accessing cash are generally not accepted in Chad. Only two hotels in N’Djamena and Air France accept credit cards or travellers cheques. There are few ATM machines in Chad. Euros and US dollars are accepted. Travellers carrying large amounts of cash are an attractive target for criminals.
The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), also used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Make two photocopies of valuable documents 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.
If you are carrying significant amounts of cash, be extremely careful and, if possible, consider sharing the holding of it with your travelling companions. 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 dry place. It is recommended you carry certified copies of your passport. 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, see below for contact details.
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.
Local travel
Authorisation from the Ministry of Interior is required to travel outside of N’Djamena.
Road travel is dangerous because of the presence of armed groups and bandits.
Roads in Chad are in a very poor condition, with large ruts and potholes, and have insufficient lighting making driving dangerous, especially at night. Other driving risks include dust storms, high speed, poorly maintained vehicles and high number of road users including pedestrians, animals and non-motorized vehicles. For further advice on road safety, see our bulletin on Overseas Road Safety.
The rainy season is June to September when flooding may occur and some roads become impassable.
There are large numbers of minefields present along the border with Libya, Sudan and Central African Republic. You should not stray off of marked tracks.
Borders may be closed without warning.
Be aware that telecommunications systems outside of N’Djamena can be unreliable. Chadian authorities recommend travellers using satellite phone systems. These phone systems should be registered with local authorities.
Airline safety
Please refer to our travel bulletin for information about Aviation Safety and Security.
Laws
When you are in Chad, 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.
Homosexuality is not widely accepted in Chad, although homosexual acts between adults (of either sex) are not illegal in Chad. However, local political structures (including some Muslim ones) may intervene and enforce certain prohibitions regardless of official national law.
Police checks are common and failure to produce identity documents (or notarised copies) can lead to detention.
Unauthorised photography around military zones, military assets, military or police personnel and government buildings is prohibited and may lead to detention, fines and the confiscation of cameras.
A licence is required to buy or sell precious gems and there are heavy penalties for illegally exporting precious gems.
Some Australian criminal laws, such as those relating to money laundering, bribery of foreign public officials, terrorism, child pornography, 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 and child pornography laws. These laws provide severe penalties for up to 25 years imprisonment for Australians who engage in child sexual exploitation while outside of Australia.
Information for dual nationals
Our Travel Information for Dual Nationals brochure provides further information.
Health issues
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.
The standard of medical facilities throughout Chad is extremely limited. Pharmaceuticals are in short supply and hygiene standards are poor. Doctors and hospitals generally require up-front payment before commencing treatment. In the event of a illness or accident, medical evacuation to a destination with the appropriate facilities would be necessary. Medical evacuation could cost over a hundred thousand dollars depending on circumstances.
Malaria occurs widely and throughout the year in Chad. Other insect-borne diseases (including yellow fever, filariasis and African sleeping sickness) also occur. We encourage you to take prophylaxis against malaria and take measures to avoid insect bites, including using insect repellent at all times, wearing long, loose-fitting, light coloured clothing, and ensuring your accommodation is mosquito proof.
Water-borne, food-borne and other infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cholera, polio, typhoid, hepatitis, meningitis and rabies) are prevalent with more serious outbreaks occurring from time to time. We encourage you to consider having vaccinations before travelling. We recommend you boil all drinking water or drink bottled water, avoid ice cubes and raw and undercooked food. Do not swim in fresh water to avoid exposure to certain water-borne diseases such as bilharzia (schistosomiasis). 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.
Where to get help
Australia does not have an Embassy or Consulate in Chad. You can obtain consular assistance from the Australian Embassy in Paris:
Australian Embassy, Paris
4 rue Jean Rey
Paris, France
Telephone: (33 1) 40 59 33 00
Facsimile: (33 1) 40 59 33 10
Email: consular.paris@dfat.gov.au
Website: http://www.france.embassy.gov.au/
If you are travelling to Chad, whatever the reason and however long you'll be there, we strongly recommend that you register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. You can register online 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.
Additional information
Wildlife
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.
For parents
For general information and tips on travelling with children see our Travelling Parents brochure.
Ideas on how to select childcare providers are available from the smartraveller Children's Issues page, Child Wise and the National Childcare Accreditation Council.