Border crossing | Customs and Immigration

November 29th, 2023 by Stefan M

Guinea-Bissau -> Guinea.

By the time we got to this point we were committed but man I was having second thoughts. The Guinean checkpoint officer asked for our visas and when we showed on our phone, he made a huge deal about needing a paper copy (for the dossier) and that we'd have to go back. Back means the awful wet rutted track 3 km back to the road, across the impossibly rickety and falling apart bridge - not to mention new G-B visa (was single entry). I offered 10k CFA and he feigned offense and got stern. When I pulled out all I had (30k) he said "that's not even 50k, and you hope that will be enough to facilitate?!" I really couldn't see a way out of paying and it chafed. He even had me sign in his register book that I asked him to facilitate. Anyway, finally got through, but not happy about it. The G-B guys helping us told us after that even if we had our visas printed, he would have contrived another excuse. He was not a friendly guy.

A few km later on (but before the river) is another checkpoint. This guy extorted us a fee for the bike. Again, I couldn't see a way out.

The river crossing was by pirogue, 15000 CFA and I felt it was totally worth it. The boatman and some other guys wrangled the GSA onto it and made it across. Squeaky bum time - not a lot of freeboard, quite tippy, and I had visions of the bike at the bottom of the river. The bigger car/truck barge is broken (and doesn't look like it will be fixed any time soon).

October 25th, 2023 by lorenzv03

No car can make this border crossing, beside that the "big" ferry to cross the river in Kandiafara is not working, there are hundreds of almost 1m deep waterholes, lots of mud, very very narrow parts...even by bicycle it was a nightmare. better to do this only in dry season.

June 26th, 2023 by at25550129

Bikes or motor bikes only. After Gandembel it's very narrow and muddy, rocky, bumpy road. And after crossing this border there is a river at the village of Kandiafara, this is small rawing boat with water leaking, and costs 5000 Franc Guinea including my bicycle. I only had 10000 note, but they didn't have change, but it was still very cheap.
I recommend to exchange money in Bissau village called Contabane or Quebo. There are many drivers of motorbike taxi connected to Guinea, Boke.

February 25th, 2023 by /blogs/225321

Guinea Bissau to Guinea! I did it with my VW T3 Syncro I forget the exit stamp in candembel after candembel is coming a short muddy part you have to winch locals helping until the border is full of bush after the border is less bush crossing ferry with porige or big ferry for car 15.000 cfa no carnet stamp. entry stamp 7 km after the ferry only 4x4 no big rig for motorbike nice experience defender etc. sometimes mush bush. From bissau to ferry 1 day from ferry to Boke 1 day 300 km les then the “normal way” boke is the first city where you get concrete under your car Police corrupt of cause you need high tide to cross the river for the car ferry good lock guys ;)

November 8th, 2022 by big_dave888

Firstly there is NO way for vehicle's to cross here. It's motorcycles ONLY. 9 hours to Boke in dry season. Extremely difficult through swamp land and impossible without locals assisting. Strongly recommend not using this border unless you really want a challenge. Beware the canoe across the river on the GC side are thieves. Local price 2000 FCFA. Tourist price 15,000 FCFA. Huge argument involving police who eventually told them to go away with 4000 FCFA. Be advised that if you start on this route and find conditions too difficult you cannot go back to GB.

June 9th, 2019 by cape2cape.org

We got the exit stamp in Candembel. After the village it is a thin gravel road. We traveled by bicycle. So it wasn't a problem for us. By car you need definitely a 4WD for this road. At the border is a small thatched hut with a friendly officer. The entry stamp we got some kilometer further after the river crossing in a village.