Arrival in Gabon

Check the passport, purpose of stay, accommodation or address, sufficient funds and return or onward travel before departure. Apply for the appropriate visa through the Gabonese Directorate General of Documentation and Immigration (DGDI), a consulate or embassy, or another approved process. The online e-Visa process uses an ETA application, meaning an electronic travel authorization request, with the passport data page and a recent 35 x 45 mm photograph whose image is less than six months old. Processing is stated as 72 hours for the e-Visa process, which is limited to air travel through Léon Mba International Airport in Libreville. A single-entry e-Visa for one to three months is listed at EUR 70 or XAF 45,000 plus a EUR 15 application fee; payment is made on arrival when the visa sticker is issued. Do not travel without the ETA or travel authorization receipt. Official pages differ on passport validity, so use the stricter requirement of six months and confirm it with DGDI, the relevant consulate or the carrier before departure. Consular processing normally takes 15 days but can take longer. Visa on arrival is available only when an entry authorization was issued beforehand, and CEMAC, bilateral or other exemptions must be checked for the traveller's nationality rather than assumed. At Léon Mba International Airport, international passengers, except Afrijet passengers, generally pass through a health check, the Police of the Air and Borders (PAF), baggage collection, customs and the terminal exit. These steps take about 45 minutes under normal conditions. The airport information desk operates around the clock. Transit passengers must collect their baggage and check in again for the connecting flight. Afrijet uses Terminal 2, about a five-minute walk from the main hall level. Customs may require the passport and flight ticket, declarations for goods or purchased quantities, and permits for restricted plants, animals, cultural property or other controlled items. Cash, foreign currency or securities above XAF 5,000,000 must be declared when entering or leaving the CEMAC region. A household move uses the personal effects regime and requires a customs declaration, a dated and signed inventory, a municipal certificate of change of residence and consular validation. This relief is limited to used personal belongings owned for at least six months and one shipment made at the time of the change of residence; vehicles, boats and aircraft are excluded. For stays longer than 90 days, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directs applicants to request a residence card from DGDI about one month after arrival. The e-DGDI service accepts applications online or through an agency and allows status tracking. Published information does not reliably establish the current fee or processing time. A residence certificate can provide a functional address record where no separate municipal registration service is available. The DGDI form lists a completed form, valid identification or passport or a residence card, a recent SEEG utility bill, two recent passport photographs and a XAF 10,000 fee. When another person provides the accommodation, the file additionally needs the host's sworn statement, identity document and SEEG bill; confirm the current documents and deadline locally. Obtain yellow-fever vaccination advice before travel and carry the certificate: proof is required for entrants aged nine months or older, and vaccination should take place at least ten days before departure. Malaria occurs throughout Gabon throughout the year, so discuss preventive medicine with a clinician, check routine vaccinations and use mosquito protection. Medical access can be limited, which makes travel or evacuation insurance and documented personal medication useful. Keep the passport and visa, or certified copies where appropriate, accessible. At checkpoints, officials may request a passport, driving licence or vehicle documents. Emergency numbers include ambulance 117, SOS Médecins 1300, 0174 or 0880, and police or fire services 177, but availability is not guaranteed and French may be needed. Taxis at Libreville airport operate around the clock, do not generally use meters and require the fare to be agreed before boarding. The city centre usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes depending on traffic. Rental-car desks are on the ground floor, and advance reservation is advisable. Arrange and document the first accommodation before arrival. Requirements differ outside Libreville and Léon Mba airport, especially at land or sea borders and under regional or bilateral arrangements. Confirm the current process, documents, fees, health rules and carrier requirements with DGDI, a Gabonese consulate or embassy and the carrier shortly before travel.