International arrivals land at Conakry International Airport, locally called Gbessia Airport, nine kilometers from the city center on a peninsula extending into the Atlantic. The terminal handles Air France flights from Paris, Royal Air Maroc from Casablanca, Brussels Airlines from Brussels, and Turkish Airlines from Istanbul. Regional connections include Asky Airlines from Lomé and Dakar, and Air Côte d'Ivoire from Abidjan. The airport has one main terminal building where all international passengers clear immigration and customs in the same hall. No jet bridges connect to aircraft. Passengers walk across tarmac in all weather. Visa on arrival exists only for certain nationalities holding diplomatic or service passports. Tourist travelers from nearly all countries require a visa obtained before departure from Guinean embassies or consulates. The embassy website address for visa requirements is ambassadegparis.org. Processing times at embassies range from five business days to three weeks depending on location.
The national currency is the Guinean franc, abbreviated GNF. Exchange rates fluctuate but as of 2024 hover near 8,600 to 9,000 GNF per one United States dollar. Notes circulate in denominations of 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, and 25,000 francs. Coins exist but rarely appear in transactions. The Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea issues all currency. No subdivision of the franc currently circulates. Older references to centimes are obsolete. The franc replaced the Guinean syli in 1985 at a rate of one syli to one franc after President Ahmed Sékou Touré's monetary policies collapsed. Foreign currency exchange happens at banks, some hotels catering to expatriates, and informal street changers. Banks include Société Générale Guinea, Ecobank Guinea, and BICIGUI. Official exchange windows at Gbessia Airport offer rates approximately five to eight percent below market rates in central Conakry. Street changers congregate near major markets including Marché Madina and Marché Niger, offering better rates than banks but carrying risk of counterfeit notes or short-counting. Hotels that exchange currency typically match or slightly exceed bank rates. Credit cards see minimal acceptance. Only large hotels serving international business travelers and a handful of supermarkets accept Visa or Mastercard. ATMs exist in Conakry, Kankan, Nzérékoré, and Kindia but frequently run empty of cash or fail to connect to international networks. Ecobank ATMs show the highest success rate for foreign card withdrawals. Daily withdrawal limits range from 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 GNF depending on the bank and card type. Cash remains the dominant transaction method across all business types.
Cellphone connectivity requires a SIM card from one of Guinea's mobile operators. Orange Guinea covers the most territory, including Conakry, major highways to Labé and Kankan, and regional capitals. MTN Guinea offers similar coverage in urban areas but weaker signals in Fouta Djallon highlands and Forest Guinea. Cellcom Guinea operates primarily in Conakry and the coastal zone. SIM cards sell at operator shops, some pharmacies, and street vendors near major intersections. Prices start at 10,000 GNF for the SIM and initial credit. Registration requires presenting a passport and completing a handwritten form. Vendors photocopy the passport identification page. Data packages cost between 25,000 and 100,000 GNF for one gigabyte to five gigabytes valid for seven to thirty days. Voice calls cost approximately 250 GNF per minute to domestic numbers. International calls run 1,500 to 3,000 GNF per minute depending on destination. Network speed reaches 3G in most areas with 4G available in parts of central Conakry and near the airport. Internet cafes still operate in Conakry neighborhoods and regional cities, charging 500 to 1,000 GNF per hour for computer use. Connection speeds rarely exceed two megabits per second. Hotels above mid-range typically include WiFi but bandwidth remains insufficient for video calls or streaming. Power outages interrupt connectivity daily in Conakry and more frequently outside the capital.
The electrical system delivers 220 volts at 50 hertz through outlets accepting two round pins matching the French Type C and Type E standards. Type E sockets include a ground pin protruding from the outlet itself rather than the plug. Adapters for three-prong grounded European plugs work throughout Guinea. British three-prong and American two-flat-prong plugs require adapters sold at electronics shops in Conakry near Marché Madina and at some supermarkets. Power cuts occur daily in Conakry, usually lasting thirty minutes to three hours, though outages exceeding eight hours happen weekly. Outside Conakry, electricity remains unavailable for extended periods. Kindia receives power intermittently. Labé experiences multi-day blackouts during dry season months from November through March. Nzérékoré has grid electricity only in the city center and only during evening hours. Most hotels and businesses run diesel generators during outages. Generator power costs more than grid power, and some hotels surcharge for air conditioning use or limit hours of availability.