Gabon
GABGabon is a small, oil-rich state on Central Africa's Atlantic coast, long regarded as one of sub-Saharan Africa's more stable and prosperous nations due to petroleum revenues. In August 2023 the military ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a coup following a disputed election, installing a Transitional Committee for the Restoration of Institutions under General Brice Oligui Nguema, who later won a presidential election in April 2024 under a transitional framework.
Despite the political change, daily life and business operations have remained largely uninterrupted. French is the official language and the CFA franc ties the economy to the West African monetary zone. Naturalisation requires ten years of legal residence; dual citizenship is not recognised.
- Naturalisation
- 10 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- XAF
- Dual citizenship
- Not allowed
- Capital
- Libreville
- Region
- africa
- Population
- 2,341,000
- Cost-of-living
- 48 /100
Passport Rank
#88
Visa-Free
55
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Gabon passport has visa-free access to 55 destinations. See the full Gabon passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Gabon without a prior visa (9)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) — verify with the embassy before travel.
Immigrating to Canada from Gabon
Current IRCC processing times for Gabon nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | 41 days |
| Super visa | No processing time available |
| Study permit | No processing time available |
| Work permit | No processing time available |
| Sponsor a dependent child | No processing time available |
| Adopted child (citizenship) | Not enough data |
| Government-assisted refugees | Not enough data |
| Privately sponsored refugees | sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data |
Your application may take longer than the times shown here. They’re not a maximum or a guarantee.
As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times →
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — “Check processing times”. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canada’s non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.
Sources & last verified
Government of Canada — non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)
Country Details
- Capital
- Libreville
- Currency
- XAF
- Languages
- French
- Population
- 2,341,000
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
- Naturalisation
- 10 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical; always hot and humid
- GDP per capita
- $8,263
- Life expectancy
- 68.51 yrs
- Population growth
- 2.11%/yr
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
48
Safety
45
Healthcare
35
Quality of Life
38
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No — worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 10 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Not allowed
Cost of Living by City
← scroll the table →
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libreville | — | — | — | — | $30 |
| Port-Gentil | — | — | — | — | $28 |
| Franceville | — | — | — | — | $20 |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Climate
Libreville
Rainfall range: 5–395 mm/month · Daylight 11.9h (winter) to 12.4h (summer)
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Tourist eVisa
- Business
- Long-stay
- Work
- Family
- Student
- Investor
- Authority
- Direction Générale de la Documentation et de l'Immigration
- Official Portal
- www.dgdi.ga
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- Language Test
- Yes (level n/a)
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- No
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- $200
- Processing
- ~24 months
Safety
GPI Rank
#62
Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Common Risks
- ⚠roadblock extortion by police
- ⚠fake charity workers
- ⚠overprice taxi scams
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Gabon, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Direction Generale de la Documentation et de l'Immigration
DGDIOfficial Gabon immigration authority operating the eVisa platform; the stable public category endpoint is used while the root eVisa URL is not reliably reachable.
eDGDI
eDGDIOfficial DGDI digital services portal; use for authenticated or direct DGDI follow-up where public eVisa pages do not publish a residence checklist.
Related Guides
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Gabon, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Residence
eVisa Extension
ResidenceDGDI Libreville extension route for eligible Gabon eVisas, with strict limits on which initial visa durations can be extended.
Medical eVisa
ResidenceGabon eVisa purpose route for medical travel, with medical-documentation evidence in the official eVisa flow.
Short-term / business
Business or Event eVisa
Short-term / businessGabon eVisa purpose route for business visits and events, with invitation-letter evidence in the official eVisa flow.
Multiple-Entry eVisa
Short-term / businessSix-month multiple-entry Gabon eVisa category for eligible short-stay travellers entering by air through Libreville.
Professional or Mission eVisa
Short-term / businessGabon eVisa purpose route for professional visits and missions, with mission-order and hotel-booking evidence in the official flow.
Single-Entry eVisa
Short-term / businessGabon electronic visa category for one, two or three months with a single entry through Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville.
Tourism eVisa
Short-term / businessGabon eVisa purpose route for tourism, with hotel-booking evidence and ETA support in the official eVisa flow.
Family
Family or Friend Visit eVisa
FamilyGabon eVisa purpose route for family and friendly visits, with hosting-certificate evidence in the official eVisa flow.
Sources & last verified
Route index from Visa Atlas (CC BY 4.0), as of 2026-09-12. Each route links to its official government source.
Sources & last verified
- Last verified