Chad Travel Guide

Everyone, except citizens of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, needs a visa to enter the country.

The currency of the country is the Central African CFA franc, denoted FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It's also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of €1 = 655.957 CFA francs.

In N'Djamena there are both vehicle taxis and motorcycle taxis. In some major towns, such as Moundou and Sarh, there might be only "clandos" - motorcycle taxis - or rickshaws (more towards the east of the country) for getting around town.

The main languages of Chad are Arabic and French. Few Chadians other than the educated and well-travelled speak literary Arabic; however, a dialect of Arabic known as "Chadian Arabic" is much more widely spoken and is the closest thing the country has to a trade language. Chadian Arabic is significantly different from literary Arabic, but similar to the dialects of Sudan and Egypt. Literary Arabic speakers can typically understand Chadian Arabic but the reverse is not true. Over one hundred indi…

There continues to be potential for instability in Chad, particularly in its border regions and in the run-up to and during major political events. The Lake Chad region (threat of Boko Haram jihadists) and the other border areas are considered the most dangerous due to potential for armed conflict and minefields.

Officially, Chad has the worst tap water quality in the world. Drink water brands you recognize from stores. Eat at restaurants recommended to you by friends and locals you trust. Eat food that has been freshly prepared and cooked well. If you are eating local dishes, make sure the food was freshly prepared, cooked well, and still warm from the grill or cooking pot. Wash your hands often.

The rate of internet use is low – 10% of the population as of 2020 but steadily increasing. Mobile telecommunication is the easiest way to connect while travelling. You can buy SIM cards of one of the bigger telecommunication enterprises (Airtel & Moov) almost everywhere on the streets. Recharging Minutes to call or MB for internet connection is pretty simple and the way to go, since there is not many places that offer stable Wifi connections.

There are 200 distinct ethnic groups. In the north and center: Arabs, Gorane (Toubou, Daza, Kreda), Zaghawa, Kanembou, Ouaddai, Baguirmi, Hadjerai, Fulbe, Kotoko, Hausa, Boulala, and Maba, most of whom are Muslim; in the south: Sara (Ngambaye, Mbaye, Goulaye), Moundang, Moussei, Massa, most of whom are Christian or animist; about 1,000 French citizens live in Chad.