Capital: Niamey
Time zone: GMT + 1
Telephone services: Country Code: 227
Outgoing Code: 00
Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.
Tourist information: Office Nationale du Tourisme, Bp 612, avenue du Président H Luebke, Niamey, Niger Tel: 732 447 Fax: 733 940
Passport information: Valid passport required by all travellers. Return Ticket Required. Requirement may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.
Visa information: Visa required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.
Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists throughout the country in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by all travellers arriving from all countries over one year of age.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia Cholera and Rabies.
Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.
Currency: CFA Franc. (CFA Fr) = 100 centimes
Access and MasterCard are accepted on a limited basis. Hotels, restaurants and most shops exchange travellers cheques. French francs are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Unavailable.
Cost of living: Moderately expensive for tourists.
Languages: French, Hausa – spoken widely in addition to other African languages
Weather: Summers are very hot from Oct – May. Heavy rains and high temperatures are common from July to Aug.
Electricity: 220/380 Volts Ac, 50 Hz
Post: Up to 2 weeks. Poste Restante operates.
Transport: ROAD: Many are impassable during the raining season. It is prohibited to travel on any other route than the one entered on your passport by the police in the previous town. BUS: Daily buses operate between the cities although can be unreliable. DOCUMENTATION: IDP, Carnet de Passage and 2 photos are required. The min age to drive is 23.
Special information: HIGH RISK: Following the coup in early April all travel to Niger should be avoided. For essential travel contact the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit for up to date information. Niger remains politically unstable and travellers should be careful when visiting rural areas. Those travelling outside the capital should contact the Embassy first. Traditional Muslim beliefs prevail and should be respected. PHOTOGRAPHY: Permits are required from the police.