French Guiana - Country Information

General Information

Location: South America
Local Time: GMT -3
Capital City: Cayenne
Population: 191,000
Area: 84,000 square km, 52,197 square miles.
Language(s): French, Creole
Dialling Code: 594
Emergency: Police: 17. Fire: 18
Driving: Driving is on the right. International Driving Permit or European Driving Licence recommended
Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz

Business & Currency

Currency: Euro (EUR 1 = 100 Cents)
Notes: EUR: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500
Coins: EUR: 1, 2. Cents: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50

Credit Cards/Travellers Cheques: Credit cards are widely accepted

Opening Hours
Bank: 0745-1130 & 1500-1700 Mon-Fri
Office: 0800-1300 & 1500-1800 Mon-Fri
Shops: 0900-1230 & 1600-1830 Mon-Sat

Public Holidays
2008
Jan 1 New Year's Day, To be confirmed* Mardi Gras, Feb 6 Ash Wednesday, Feb 28* Mi Careme (mid Lent), Mar 24 Easter Monday, May 1 Labour Day, May 1 Ascension, May 8 VE Day, May 12 Whit Monday, Jun 10 Abolition of Slavery, Jul 14 Bastille Day, Aug 15 Assumption, To be confirmed* Cayenne Festival, Nov 1 All Saints' Day, Nov 2 All Souls' Day, Nov 11 Remembrance Day, Dec 25 Christmas Day.
*Regional.

Business/Social Hints: Business is conducted in French, many executives speak English

Tipping: Service charge of around 10% is included in restaurant & hotel bills. Taxi fares include tips

Health

Reciprocal health:

Compulsory vaccinations: Yellow fever certificate required by all. Exempt infants under 1 year.

Recommended immunisations: Cholera*, diphtheria*, hepatitis A, hepatitis B*, malaria, TB*, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever, rabies
* recommended in some circumstances, travellers making 3 or more visits per year, stays of more than 3 months in a rural area, high-risk occupational groups & backpackers staying more than 1 month.

Risks: Malaria risk is high all year in areas bordering Brazil (Oyapock river valley) & Suriname (Maroni river valley). Risk is low or negligible in other areas. Rabies.

Airports

Passport & Visa

The following details relate to holders of adult normal passports (requirements for children may be different), if any other type of passport or travel document is held, entry requirements should be checked with the relevant embassy or consulate

Passports

Required, but NOT by the following:
1) For stays upto a max of 3 months
2) Nationals of United Kingdom
1) Holders of National Identity Cards expired a maximum of 5 years issued to nationals of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland Rep, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain & Sweden

Passport Validity: Passports must be valid for period of intended stay

Passport Notes:

Visas

The following DO NOT require a visa:
1) Unlimited stay for nationals of France
2) For stays up to 3 months
a)Nationals of British subjects being `Citizen of the United Kingdom & Colonies'
b) Nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darssalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China (S.A.R. passports only), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea (South), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, United States, Vatican City
3) Nationals holding consular, diplomatic or service passports:
a) Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Russian Fed, Turkey, Venezuela,
4) Nationals holding Normal Consular, diplomatic, official service passports
a) Ecuador, Estonia, Lativa, Lithuania, Peru, South Africa,
5) For stays up to 1 month by nationals of Australia holding consular, diplomatic or service passports

Air Transit

Required by all except those as noted above and:
1) Persons continuing their journey to a third country by the same aircraft without leaving the airport (except nationals of Guyana)
2) Persons continuing their journey to a third country by the first connecting aircraft without leaving the airport (except nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Congo Dem Rep, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia & Sri Lanka)

Exit Permits

Required for Nationals of
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Korea, (Dem Peoples Rep), Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Yemen Rep

Special Notes

All visitors must hold onward/return tickets, documents required for next destination & sufficient funds for length of stay or lodging certificate, except nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finalnd, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland Rep, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden & United Kingdom. If holding a one-way ticket documents must contain the endorsement `Coupon valant caution de rapatriment' (coupon serving as a repatriation surety)

Climate

Tropical (humid) type climate with the majority of the country having a main rainy season between Apr-Jun and an almost dry period between Aug-Dec. Humidity is high throughout the rainy season

Clothing

Lightweights or tropical clothes

Charts for Cayenne

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max Temp (C) 29 29 29 30 29 31 32 32 33 33 32 30 Min Temp (C) 23 23 23 24 23 23 26 23 23 23 23 23 Humidity am (%) 84 81 83 84 86 85 82 77 73 73 78 82 Humidity pm (%) 80 78 80 81 83 79 75 71 69 69 73 78 Rainfall (mm) 366 312 400 480 551 394 175 71 31 33 117 272

Temperature (C) Rainfall (mm) Humidity (%)

Representative

Embassy
Represented in the UK by:
Consulate General of France
Visa Office
P.O. Box 57, 6a Cromwell Place
London, SW7 2EW
tel: +44 20 7073 1250, 0906 550 8940* (visa enq)
hours: 0845-1130 (Mon-Fri)
* calls cost 1 per minute