Guinea-Bissau
GNBGuinea-Bissau is a small Lusophone nation on West Africa's Atlantic coast, bordered by Senegal and Guinea. It is one of the world's least-developed economies, relying heavily on cashew-nut exports and subsistence farming. Portuguese is the official language and the country retains strong cultural and administrative ties to Portugal and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP).
Political instability has been a recurring feature since independence in 1974, with multiple coups and transitional governments. Infrastructure is extremely limited, healthcare is rudimentary, and per-capita income remains among the lowest globally. The GW passport offers ECOWAS free movement across fifteen West African states. Naturalisation requires five years of lawful residence and is rarely pursued by foreign nationals. No citizenship-by-investment or formal retirement-visa programme exists.
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Capital
- Bissau
- Region
- africa
- Population
- 2,060,721
- Cost-of-living
- 28 /100
Passport Rank
#101
Visa-Free
48
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Guinea-Bissau passport has visa-free access to 48 destinations. See the full Guinea-Bissau passport breakdown →
Passports that enter Guinea-Bissau without a prior visa (194)
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 Guinea-Bissau
Current IRCC processing times for Guinea-Bissau nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | No processing time available |
| 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
- Bissau
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF)
- Languages
- Portuguese, Creole (Crioulo)
- Population
- 2,060,721
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
- Naturalisation
- 5 years
- Schengen / EU
- No
- Climate
- Tropical wet-dry (savanna); wet June–November, dry December–May
- GDP per capita
- $1,124
- Life expectancy
- 64.25 yrs
- Population growth
- 2.16%/yr
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
28
Safety
45
Healthcare
22
Quality of Life
30
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No — worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 5 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
Cost of Living by City
← scroll the table →
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bissau | — | — | — | — | $15 |
| Bafatá | — | — | — | — | $10 |
| Gabú | — | — | — | — | $8 |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Climate
Bissau
Rainfall range: 0–430 mm/month · Daylight 11.5h (winter) to 13h (summer)
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Tourist (on arrival)
- Business
- Long-stay
- Work
- Family
- Student
- Authority
- Direção Geral dos Serviços de Migração e Fronteiras
- Official Portal
- www.gov.gw
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- Language Test
- No
- Civic Test
- No
- Oath Required
- No
- Dual Allowed
- No
- Fee
- —
- Processing
- —
Safety
GPI Rank
—
Global Peace Index ranking (lower is safer)
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Guinea-Bissau, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
Guinea-Bissau Migration Office
Migration OfficeElectronic visa application system and Migration Office guidance for Guinea-Bissau biometric visas, authorization letters, airport issue and published visa fees.
Related Guides
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Visa routes
Official visa and residence routes for Guinea-Bissau, indexed from Visa Atlas. Each links to its government source. This is a licensed external index, distinct from our own curated visa guides.
Residence
Multiple-Entry or Long-Stay Biometric Visa
ResidenceGuinea-Bissau multiple-entry and long-stay visa handling for frequent travellers needing longer or repeated entry.
Short-term / business
Biometric eVisa Pre-Enrolment
Short-term / businessGuinea-Bissau electronic visa pre-enrolment before biometric visa issue at the airport border crossing.
Short Stay Biometric Visa
Short-term / businessSingle-entry Guinea-Bissau biometric short-stay visa listed for 30 days.
Transit and Stop-Over Visa
Short-term / businessSingle-entry Guinea-Bissau transit and stop-over visa listed for 1 day.
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