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Chad Information

Overview

There is much to recommend in Chad. Its capital, N’Djamena, is a friendly and laid-back city with a wonderful Central Market, where the whole experience of haggling for African produce is exceptionally good fun.

Lake Chad, once one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, is still a serene sight to behold, despite its gradual shrinkage due to climate change and increased demands. It is still of huge economic importance, providing water to millions of people in surrounding countries. Indeed, Chad itself, although one of the poorest of Africa’s nations, is still geographically staggering, ranging from desert in the north to fertile farmland in the south.

Chad was first defined as a national territory in 1910, as one of the four making up French Equatorial Africa. Chad achieved independence in 1960 with François Tombalbaye, leader of the Parti Progressiste Tchadien (PPT), as prime minister. Its history since then has been characterised by political instability and tensions, largely due to religious and cultural divisions between the Muslim north and Christian/animist south - a pattern that may be found in many other African countries, including Nigeria and Sudan.

Top Things To See & Do

N’Djaména, Chad’s capital, is slowly regaining its pre-war reputation as one of Central Africa’s liveliest cities. Bullet holes in buildings serve as a reminder of troubled times, but the atmosphere here is increasingly upbeat. The historic quarter, with its colourful daily market, is fascinating and a good place to pick up colourful Chadian rugs and jewellery. The National Museum has collections of the Sarh culture dating back to the ninth century. There is a distinctive difference between the Arab section of town (very quiet at night) and the area where the southerners live (lively and full of bars).

Zakouma National Park is located on an immense plain, across which the Bahr Salamat and its tributaries flow from north to south. The government and the EU have restocked and refurbished the park since it was ravaged by civil war and poachers. Visitors can now see huge flocks of elephants, giraffes and lions.

Lake Chad must be seen, not only since it was once the centre of Africa’s lucrative salt trade and one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, but also because you may be running out of time to see it: Lake Chad is shrinking. The lake is best seen during the August to December period, when the water level is highest and the occasional hippo or crocodile can be seen drifting by.

Take a glug of Moundou’s beer from the Gala Brewery, some of the best in the country.

Visit Abéché, a former capital of the powerful Ouadaï sultanate and surrounded by desert; the town has retained much of its oriental charm with interesting mosques, cobbled narrow streets and old markets.

Try and catch a glimpse of some of the best camel racing in the world in the Tibesti Mountains, home of the fierce Toubou tribe. The inhabitants are distantly related to the Tuareg of the Western Sahara, and were made famous by Herodotus as the ‘Troglodytes’ – stocky but immensely agile cave-dwellers. This astonishing region of chasms and crags has seldom been seen by non-Muslims and remains closed to travellers, so is best watched from afar. It is not be difficult to look out for, since it contains Emi Koussi, a high peak, 3,414m (11,200ft) above sea level.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Tourist Information

Going Out

Food and Drink

N’Djaména offers a fair selection of restaurants serving mainly French and African food. Standard European-style service is normal. Outside the capital, restaurants tend to be cheap and cheerful and there is an acute shortage of some foods. Visitors should exercise caution with street market food.

National specialities:
• Peanut sauce over rice, often eaten in Southern Chad.

National drinks:
• Chad’s excellent beer, Gala, is brewed in Moundou and is widely available in the non-Muslim parts of the capital.
• Karkanji, a drink made from Hibiscus flowers.

Tipping: 10% is normal for most services (US Dollars are the preferred currency).

Nightlife

Lively dancing and music is to be found in the capital, where there is an increasing number of nightclubs. Pari-matches take place on most Saturdays and Sundays in N’Djaména (non-Muslim areas): groups of women hire bars and sell drinks all day. Outside N’Djaména, nightlife is limited, although bars and open-air dancing can generally be found.

Shopping

Chad has an excellent crafts industry. Items include camel-hair carpets, all kinds of leatherware, embroidered cotton cloths, decorated calabashes, knives, weapons, pottery and brass animals.

Shopping hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1200 and 1600-1930. Food shops open Sunday morning. The market in the capital is open from 0730 until dusk.

Climate

Hot, tropical climate, though temperatures vary in different areas. The southern rainy season lasts from May to October and the central rains from June to September. The north has little rain all year. The dry season is often windy and cooler during the evenings.

Required Clothing

Linens and tropical waterproof clothing.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
24 Mar Easter Monday.
13 Apr National Day.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation).
11 Aug Independence Day. 
2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
28 Nov Proclamation of the Republic.
1 Dec Day of Liberty and Democracy. 
9 Dec Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day. 
13 Apr Easter Monday.
13 Apr National Day.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation).
11 Aug Independence Day. 
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
1 Nov All Saints’ Day.
28 Nov Proclamation of the Republic.
28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
1 Dec Day of Liberty and Democracy. 
25 Dec Christmas Day.

Note

Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: Yes

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: Yes

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Yes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: Yes*

Health Care

Medical facilities are poor, particularly in the north, and health insurance (to include emergency repatriation) is essential.

Note

* A yellow fever certificate is required from travellers over one year of age.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) Franc (XAF) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of XAF10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of XAF250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1.

Chad is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.

Currency Exchange

It is advisable to bring US Dollars or Euros rather than Sterling into the country. CFA Francs can be difficult to exchange outside the French Monetary Area.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted at two hotels in N’Djaména. It may not be possible to obtain cash advances at banks on credit cards.

Traveller's Cheques

May be exchanged at one or two banks in N’Djaména. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in Euros.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Mon-Sat 0700-1300, Fri 0700-1030.

Passport/Visa

British

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: Yes
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Australian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: Yes
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Canadian

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: Yes
Return Ticket Required: Yes

USA

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: Yes
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Other EU

Passport Required: Yes
Visa Required: Yes
Return Ticket Required: Yes

Passport Note

Single parents or adults travelling alone with children should be aware that documentary evidence of parental responsibility may be requested.

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months required by all nationals referred to the chart above.

Visas

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except those continuing their journey within 48 hours by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding tickets with reserved seats and valid travel documents. All visitors must register at the Sûreté (immigration department) within 72 hours of arrival; two passport photographs are also required.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Ordinary visa (includes visas issued for business or touristic purposes): US$100 (single-entry; one month); US$150 (multiple-entry; three month), US$200 (multiple-entry; six month).

Validity

One month.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at embassy); see Contact Addresses for details. In countries with no Chadian representation, French consulates may deal with applications.

Working Days Required

Three.

Contact Addresses

Direction du Tourisme

BP 86, N’Djaména, Chad
Tel: 522 303.

Embassy of the Republic of Chad in France

65 rue des Belles Feuilles, 75116 Paris, France
Tel: (01) 4553 3675.

Embassy of the Republic of Chad in the USA

2002 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 462 4009.
Website: www.chadembassy.org

Travel Advice

Warning

Visitors are advised against all travel to Chad. On 2 February 2008, rebel forces entered the capital N’Djamena and there has been heavy fighting with Government troops. Although the rebels retreated from N’Djamena, the political and security situation remains uncertain, and could change again rapidly. On 14 February 2008, the president of Chad announced a State of Emergency, which is expected to remain in place for at least 15 days and a country-wide curfew is in place. The curfew will run from 1830 - 0600.

Travellers in N’Djamena should make themselves known to the French authorities and follow any local instructions. Travellers in other parts of Chad should remain where they are and follow any local arrangements to evacuate.

Travellers should carry identification at all times (either a residence permit or a certified passport copy). Failure to produce such identification can lead to detention by the police.

Further rebel attacks, especially in eastern Chad, cannot be ruled out. There has been recent media reporting of violence in the Dar Tama region, around the town of Guereda. On 16 October 2007, the Government of Chad declared a state of emergency for 12 days in the Borkou, Ennedi Tibesti, Ouaddai and Wadi Fira regions in the north and the east of Chad following reports of inter-ethnic violence in the east resulting in 20 deaths on 15 October 2007. On 18 September 2007, there were media reports of violence near Adre, along the border with Sudan. Further rebel and army clashes cannot be ruled out. Those deciding to remain in eastern Chad or the areas near the borders with Sudan/the CAR, against this advice, should keep a low profile, seek local advice and continue to monitor travel advice.

The borders with Sudan, Libya and the CAR are subject to closure at little or no notice. The area bordering Libya remains heavily land-mined.

More than 900 cases of Cholera have been reported in Chad since April 2006, more than 200 of these in the capital N’Djamena. 

Travellers should also be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Tel: 0845 850 2829.
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel

• Chad Overview
• Chad Things to See & Do
• Chad Events
• Chad Climate
• Chad Public Holidays
• Chad Health
• Chad Currency
• Chad Passport & Visas
• Chad Contact Addresses
• Chad Travel Advice