General visa information
Visitors to Côte d’Ivoire require a visa except for nationals of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) member countries and countries that have signed special agreements with Côte d’Ivoire. Furthermore, to enter Côte d’Ivoire, a valid passport is mandatory. A national identity card is sufficient for ECOWAS nationals. Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Côte d’Ivoire.
As part of the hospitality extended to all participants of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank, the Côte d’Ivoire authorities intend to facilitate visa issuance for all duly registered participants.
Participants, including those from countries without Ivorian diplomatic or consular representations, can apply for their visa online for a fee of approximately 50 euros. After paying the fee, applicants will receive a payment receipt in their email inbox, which does not constitute the visa. The electronic visa, issued within eight business days, must be printed by the participant to be presented both at check-in before departure and upon arrival in Abidjan.
Participants that are nationals of certain African Development Bank member countries and who wish to obtain an entry visa to Côte d’Ivoire before arrival in Abidjan are requested to contact Ivorian diplomatic missions with the following documents:
Exigences et documentation
- A passport valid for at least six months
- A completed application form
- A recent photo ID (45mm x 35mm)
- Proof of travel (invitation letter)
- Hotel reservation in Côte d’Ivoire
- Proof of airline ticket reservation or a copy of round-trip airline ticket
Visa fees, from which diplomatic and service passport holders are exempt, may be required depending on the case.
Before traveling to Côte d’Ivoire, please ensure you have an international vaccination card and your vaccines are up to date. Make an appointment with your primary care physician at least one week before your trip to obtain the necessary information on travel-related vaccines, health, and traveler safety. This is particularly important if you are taking long-term medication.
General information
Several infectious diseases can be prevented through vaccination. In general, vaccines are recommended for everyone, and particularly for travelers. In fact, unvaccinated travelers have an increased risk of contracting potentially serious or fatal infectious diseases.
Mandatory vaccine for entry into Côte d’Ivoire: YELLOW FEVER
In accordance with International Health Regulations (IHR), the yellow fever vaccine is the sole MANDATORY vaccine for visitors entering Côte d’Ivoire. Upon entry to Côte d’Ivoire, visitors must present a valid international vaccination card showing vaccination against yellow fever.
Travelers who do not have a valid yellow fever vaccination card or proof of yellow fever vaccination will be required to get vaccinated (with the yellow fever vaccine) at Félix Houphouët-Boigny airport or other points of entry (land, sea, etc.), for a fee (XOF 7,000, approximately 11 euros) and will receive an international vaccination card.
As a reminder, following World Health Organization recommendations dating to July 2013, a new yellow fever vaccination is no longer indicated, even after ten years as previously recommended. In fact, a single vaccination is sufficient and provides lifelong immunity.
If you have not been vaccinated due to allergies or contraindications, don’t forget to bring an explanatory medical letter when you travel.
Other recommended vaccines for travelers staying in tropical zones
The following vaccines are recommended but not mandatory:
- Vaccin contre la méningite: The tetravalent vaccine against the four strains A + C + Y + W135 is recommended and protects for three years. The disease is transmitted by inhaling bacteria present in tiny droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes into the air.
- Vaccin contre l'Hepatite A: A single dose of hepatitis A vaccine provides protection for six months, while a two-dose series will provide protection for about ten years. Infection is related to ingestion of food or water contaminated with the virus.
- Vaccin contre l'Hepatite B: A single dose of hepatitis B vaccine protects for six months. For optimal immunization, three doses are necessary, which provides protection for ten years or more. As a reminder, it is useful to have a screening test before any vaccination. Exposure to hepatitis B virus occurs through contact with contaminated blood or body fluids and/or materials, or through unprotected sexual contact, and from mother to child.
- Typhoid fever vaccine: The vaccine is valid for three years. Exposure occurs through ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Malaria prevention through medication
Malaria prevention through medication or chemoprophylaxis is indicated for people coming from malaria-free zones and planning to stay in malaria-affected areas for at least one week.
The proposed medication of choice is atovaquone/proguanil 250/100 mg tablets (Malarone or Malanil, etc.). Take one tablet per day in the evening. Treatment should begin on the day of arrival in the malaria zone, continue throughout the stay, and then for another 7 days following return to a malaria-free zone.
Mefloquine 250 mg (Lariam or Mephaquin) is no longer used due to its significant neurological side effects.
In addition to taking medication, it is recommended to avoid or reduce exposure to bites from Anopheles mosquitoes, including those that are vectors for dengue fever and yellow fever transmission:
- Use insect repellent cream or lotion on exposed parts of the body.
- Wear pants and long-sleeved clothing to avoid bites.
- Sleep in well air-conditioned rooms with screened openings (doors and windows) or under insecticide-treated mosquito nets preferably.
- Spray the inside of rooms with insecticides effective against flying insects.
As a reminder, malaria is transmitted by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
Malaria symptoms include fever, chills, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, etc. These symptoms appear roughly seven to nine days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Therefore, you should consult a doctor immediately if you experience symptoms suggestive of malaria or any other illness during your stay in a tropical zone.
Malaria, which occurs in simple and severe forms, responds to effective curative treatment provided that care (diagnosis and treatment) is provided early. Multi-organ complications (neurological, renal, hematological, etc.) make it life-threatening.
Similarly, don’t hesitate to consult a doctor immediately if you have a fever or other symptoms upon your return, while notifying the doctor of your stay in a tropical environment.
Prevention of hemorrhagic fevers: Mpox (monkeypox) and dengue
Dengue, also called “tropical flu,” is an infectious disease caused by the virus of the same name. The virus is transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquitoes. The incidence of dengue is currently increasing very significantly, making it a re-emerging disease. Dengue prevention measures are the same as those for malaria.
Monkeypox is a viral disease transmitted to humans through contact with an infected person, animal, or object carrying the virus. It can be contracted through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, or skin lesions of an infected animal. The disease is so named because it was detected in several monkeys in a laboratory in 1958. However, the likeliest animals to transmit the disease to humans are rodents, such as Gambian giant rats, dormice, or prairie dogs. To prevent the spread of monkeypox in Côte d’Ivoire, authorities request that the population refrain from consuming bushmeat and physical contact with wild animals.
General measures:
Animals from third countries must have an international veterinary health certificate (CVI) duly signed by the official veterinary services of the country of origin:
Domestic carnivores (dogs and cats) must be vaccinated against rabies and have a vaccination certificate more than one month old and less than eleven months old.
Phytosanitary formalities
Plants and plant products from third countries must comply with Decree No. 63-457 of November 7, 1963, establishing the conditions for the introduction and export of plants and other materials likely to carry organisms dangerous to crops.
This includes:
- Prior authorization for importation into Cote d’Ivoire must be requested from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (DPVCQ).
- A phytosanitary certificate must be presented at the point of entry (land, air, and sea borders).
- Any wood-based packaging (pallet, dunnage wood, crate, packing board, drum, crate, loading tray, box rings or sled) must be treated and must bear the IPPC mark of ISPM 15.
Medication kit and health insurance
When preparing for a trip, please ensure the following:
- Have your prescribed daily medications (antihypertensives, oral antidiabetics, insulin, etc.) in sufficient quantity for the entire stay. Keep them in their original prescription packaging and always in your carry-on luggage. Follow safety instructions if medications are liquid;
- Have a basic medical kit to address minor health issues: paracetamol tablets (pain and fever), attapulgite powder for oral suspension (anti-diarrheal and digestive dressing), etc.;
- Obtain your international health insurance card and update it before traveling or obtain one if you don’t have one.
- After your return
Upon returning to your country, if you have a fever or any other symptoms, you should immediately consult your doctor, remembering to mention that you recently traveled to a tropical zone (Côte d’Ivoire). Do not hesitate to consult your doctor if you have been bitten or scratched by an animal, or if you have had wounds or open injuries during your stay in a tropical environment.
For more information, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
You can also contact the doctors of the African Development Bank Group Medical Center by email.
