Congo, Republic of the (P) – Travel Visa, UK passport and legalisation services

CONGO, REPUBLIC OF THE

VISA REQUIREMENTS

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SELECT PURPOSE OF TRAVEL

– No current scheduled consular closures.

CONSULAR CLOSURES

TBC.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

PLEASE CLICK / HOVER ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Name: Lake Tele
Location: Epena District, Republic of the Congo

Lake Tele is a freshwater lake in Epena District, Republic of the Congo. Located in the north-eastern area of the Republic of the Congo, Lake Tele was formed in Pliocene alluvial sediments by an unknown geological process. It is elliptical, almost round, in shape and is surrounded by the Likouala swamp forests which are gradually covering it.

There are no significant inlets or outlets in the lake. The water of Lake Tele is turbid, it has high content of organic materials and is acidic (pH < 4). The swamp forests around the lake have not yet been exhaustively explored.

Lake Tele is the best known home of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé (purportedly a large, unidentified reptilian creature), and is also supposedly the spot where pygmies killed and ate one of the creatures, around 1959.

The 1996 book Congo Journey, by British travel writer Redmond O'Hanlon, describes in some detail his journey through Congo to Lake Tele in search of Mokèlé-mbèmbé, as well as giving a rich description of local fauna, flora and Congolese cultural practices and relations with the indigenous Pygmy peoples.

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Tele

Name: Basilica of St. Anne of Congo Brazzaville
Location: Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

The Sainte-Anne-du-Congo basilica is a minor basilica located in Brazzaville, capital of Congo. It is one of the emblematic monuments of the city.

Roger Erell conceives the plans and gets the collaboration of the engineer William Barnett of radio Brazzaville, one of the first companions of the general de Gaulle, then the engineer Grandmaitre of the Society of the Batignolles, for the calculations of the structures in concrete, including the foundations and the cantilever cantilever.From a classical Latin cross point of view, it is a building of vast proportions using a very sharp pointed arch inspired by the spearheads of the North of Congo, the hulls shelled in Chad and the giant bamboo tunnels. Mayombe.

The 240,000 green tiles refer to the generous nature of the equatorial environment; those in the form of snake scales evoke, like the gargoyles of medieval cathedrals, the evil one who remains outside the church. The interior lighting is zenithal, and is done by the stop of the roof where the ceramic tiles are replaced by tinted glass blades.

SOURCE: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_Sainte-Anne-du-Congo_de_Brazzaville

Name: Congo River
Location: Congo

The great Congo River, formerly known as the Zaire River under the Mobutu regime, is the second longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the second largest river in the world by discharge volume, following only the Amazon. It is also the world's deepest recorded river, with measured depths in excess of 220 m (720 ft). The Congo-Lualaba-Chambeshi River system has an overall length of 4,700 km (2,920 mi), which makes it the world's ninth-longest river. The Chambeshi is a tributary of the Lualaba River, and Lualaba is the name of the Congo River upstream of Boyoma Falls, extending for 1,800 km (1,120 mi).

Measured along with the Lualaba, the main tributary, the Congo River has a total length of 4,370 km (2,715 mi). It is the only river to cross the equator twice. The Congo Basin has a total area of about 4,000,000 km2 (1,500,000 sq mi), or 13% of the entire African landmass. The Congo river basin is notable for the lack of bridges crossing the main rivers, although there are a number of ferries available for crossing the great Congo river and the major tributaries. The main reasoning is the mere width of the Congo river and main rivers, and the second is the lack of funds to set up permanent river crossings, this is however slowly changing to the better.

SOURCE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_River

FLIGHT TIMES / MAJOR CITIES

PLEASE SEE BELOW MAJOR CITIES IN REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / CLICK OR TOGGLE BELOW FOR FASTEST AVERAGE FLIGHT TIMES FROM UK.

BRAZZAVILLE (Maya Maya Int Airport)

London: TBC

POINTE-NOIRE (Agostinho-Neto Int Airport)

London: TBC

COUNTRY INFORMATION GUIDE

PLEASE SEE BELOW FACTS, USEFUL UK GOVERNMENT TRAVEL LINKS AND BUSINESS VISITOR ACTIVITIES, FOR TRAVEL TO REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

FACTS:

Official Languages: French

Currency: Central African CFA Franc (XAF)

Time zone: WAT (UTC+1)

Drives on the right

Calling code: +242

Local / up-to-date weather in Brazzaville (and other regions): BBC global weather – click here

UK GOVT TRAVEL LINKS:

For more useful information on safety & security, local laws / customs, health and more, please see the below official UK .gov (FCO) web link for Congo travel advice. NB: Entry requirements herein listed are for UK nationals only, unless stated otherwise.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/congo

You can also find recommended information on vaccinations, malaria and other more detailed health considerations for travel to Congo, at the below official UK government Travel Health Pro weblink.

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/55/congo

BUSINESS VISITOR ACTIVITIES*:

Activities you may undertake on a business visa / as a business visitor:

PERMISSIBLE

ATTENDING MEETINGS / DISCUSSIONS: TBC

ATTENDING A CONFERENCE: TBC

RECEIVING TRAINING (CLASSROOM-BASED): TBC

NON-PERMISSIBLE

AUDIT WORK: TBC

PROVIDING TRAINING: TBC

PROJECT WORK: TBC

*This information does not constitute legal advice and is not an exhaustive list. For a full legal assessment on business visitor activities, please revert to your internal company legal team / counsel.

TRAVEL INFORMATION**

It is highly recommenced that you access the above official UK .gov (FCO) web link and read all safety & security information prior to making your travel arrangements / planning your trip.

PLEASE CLICK / TOGGLE BELOW FOR USEFUL TRAVEL INFORMATION TO REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

MONEY EXCHANGE

The currency of the country is the Central African CFA franc, denoted FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It’s also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro = 655.957 CFA francs.

The U.S. dollar is not widely accepted.

ATMs:

All Ecobank ATMs in the Republic of the Congo take Mastercard and Visa card for cash withdrawal.

LOCAL TRAVEL SERVICES

BY SHARED TAXI OR MINIBUS:

Ridiculously cheap shared taxis and minibuses run on an ad hoc basis between towns and villages, crammed with Congolese villagers taking all sorts of livestock for sale in Brazzaville.

BY TAXI:

In Brazzaville, taxis are green. FCFA 700 generally gets you around a neighborhood. This goes up to FCFA 1000 at night. Drivers are generally fair with prices, and haggling is not required before getting in.

BY TRAIN:

The Congo-Ocean Railway (COR, or CFCO) links the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noire (now in the Republic of Congo) with Brazzaville, a distance of 502km.

From the start of the civil war in 1997, the line was closed for six years. In 2007 the BBC reported it to be in a “decrepit state with the majority of trains now broken”. UNICEF organised a train in August 2007 to distribute malaria nets vital in the prevention of the disease.

LOCAL CUISINE

EAT:

There is good and healthy Chinese food at Osaka Restaurant, in Pointe Noire. The average price for a meal is US$12-18. All meals are served in nice clean dishes, the restaurant is indoors and has AC, with a back-up generator, just in case. Some of the workers speak English and French.

There are several great restaurants in Brazzaville. Any taxi driver can take you to one of these nicer places (FCFA 5000-15 000). Most places are closed on Sundays. Expect beers to be overpriced here (FCFA 1000-2000).

DRINK:

Palm wine is a local favorite in the village. Beer is the favorite in town next to Fanta, Coke etc. There is also a local red wine (SOVINCO) imported from Gabon and the “brique”, a liter of imported, mostly Spanish wine from the box.

There is a big price range on beer (FCFA 500-5,000) depending on what neighborhood and type of bar or estaurant you’re in.

Produced in Congo under Heineken supervision: N’Gok (meaning “Crocodile”, blond, Congolese), Primus (blond, Belgium, Central Africa), Mütsig (blond, French Alsace Region), Guinness (dark, Ireland), and Turbo King (dark, Central Africa).

Imported: Heineken and Bavaria.

If the above is too much there is also water of various local and imported brands sold in 1.5 litre plastic bottles.

ACCOMMODATION

TBC.

SHOPPING

There is an artisan mart and boutiques in the market near the BDEAC (Banque Developpement pour les Etats de l’Afrique Centrale). Really beautiful jewelry, masks, paintings, and other artwork.

All business is conducted in cash. Small change is very scarce and hard to come by. Do not accept torn or taped banknotes.

**All travel information has been sourced from wikivoyage. However like wikipedia, wikivoyage is an open platform editable by any member of the public. Therefore, although very useful, all above information IS INDICATIVE ONLY and must be verified prior to personal use. Moreover, if you wish to see more information please visit: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Republic_of_the_Congo

TOP ATTRACTIONS

PLEASE CLICK / HOVER ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Name: Lake Tele
Location: Epena District, Republic of the Congo

Name: Basilica of St. Anne of Congo Brazzaville
Location: Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

Name: Congo River
Location: Congo

FLIGHT TIMES / MAJOR CITIES

PLEASE SEE BELOW MAJOR CITIES IN REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / CLICK OR TOGGLE BELOW FOR FASTEST AVERAGE FLIGHT TIMES FROM UK.

BRAZZAVILLE (Maya Maya Int Airport)

London: TBC

POINTE-NOIRE (Agostinho-Neto Int Airport)

London: TBC

...WHO ARE WE?

…WHO ARE WE?

My name is Manny and I would like to personally welcome you to Global Visas.

Our team is dedicated to providing a consular service which focuses on attention to detail, delivering a personal approach and with a high focus on compliance. Feedback is very important to us, therefore any comments you provide about our service are invaluableI have provided some of my own personal testimonials over my years in immigration below; working and leading on very large projects...

I have provided some of my own personal testimonials over my years in immigration below; working and leading on very large projects.

Please do also view our introductory video at the following web link:

https://globalvisas.co.uk/personal/more/about-us

We look forward to working with you and meeting all your expectations.

Global Immigration Leader, Big 4

“Manny. You have really gone the extra mile in supporting the US Business Visitor Service. You have demonstrated real commitment and energy, working a late shift night while we try and find others to fill the position. I know that the other night you stayed until 4am. You are always so positive and your cheerful disposition and attention to detail has resulted in excellent client feedback. On Monday the key client came to London and she was effusive about the service. This is largely due the cover you provide.”

Internal stakeholder, Big 4

“Manny is a big reason why the move from (external provider) to the UK firm’s passport and visa provision has been so smooth. He’s an extremely likeable honest hard working guy who takes his role very seriously. We’re very fortunate to have him leading our dedicated team”

External client, Private practice

“Most of my contact was with Manpreet Singh Johal. He did the best job someone could imagine. Extraordinary service from his side.”

Team member, Big 4

“Working on two priority accounts is naturally pressurised especially where he has also been responsible for billing on both accounts; yet Manny delivers every time and this I believe is an exceptional quality.”