Reality Brief: Thiès

Current alerts

• Diphtheria outbreak

  Outbreak in 24 districts across 11 regions, mainly Kédougou, Dakar and Thiès. Check your DTaP vaccination.

  Published on September 21, 2026 · France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, latest news and alerts

Alerts checked on October 2, 2026 against the sources cited.

Essentials before you arrive

• Passport: France, United Kingdom, Canada

  No visa is needed for stays under 3 months (90 days) for French, British and Canadian nationals.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: SenegalGuide: Entry and residence

• Border officials may ask for a return or onward ticket and proof of accommodation; without them, entry may be refused.

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: entry requirementsGuide: Entry and residence

• Your passport must be valid for more than 6 months (after arrival according to France and the UK, after exit according to Canada).

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, entry and residenceGOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: entry requirementsGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: SenegalGuide: Entry and residence

• A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a risk country, including after a mere airport transit there (babies aged 9 months or under are exempt). France strongly recommends vaccination for everyone.

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: entry requirementsFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, healthCDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Travelers' Health: SenegalGuide: Entry and residence

• Insurance covering care, repatriation and assistance is essential: medical facilities are inadequate outside major centres.

  SPF Affaires étrangères (Belgium), Senegal: practical informationFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, healthGuide: Health

• Malaria is present. Protect against bites and take preventive treatment as advised by a doctor; any fever requires prompt medical attention.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, healthCDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Travelers' Health: SenegalGuide: Health

• Ambulance (SAMU) 15, fire 18, police 17. The UK advises 123 (gendarmerie) in the countryside. SOS Médecin: +221 33 889 15 15.

  GOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: getting helpGovernment of Canada, Travel advice: SenegalFrance Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, useful contactsGuide: Health

• The currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF), pegged to the euro.

  Government of Canada, Travel advice: SenegalSPF Affaires étrangères (Belgium), Senegal: practical informationGuide: Money and banking

• Society is tolerant but conservative and mainly Muslim: dress and behave modestly in public, especially during Ramadan and at religious sites; public drunkenness is frowned upon.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, useful informationGOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: safety and securityGuide: Daily life and local laws

Living in Thiès

• Accidents are very frequent and many vehicles are poorly insured. Badly signed speed bumps, avoid tracks in the rainy season (July to October), no intercity journeys at night. Seat belts are compulsory in front.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• Assaults are not rare in tourist areas (from Somone and Saly to Joal, Lac Rose), notably during burglaries of rental villas. They increase before major holidays (Tabaski, Korité).

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, safetyGuide: Safety and emergencies

• A diphtheria outbreak affects 24 districts in 11 regions, mainly Kédougou, Dakar and Thiès (Health Ministry statement of 4 September). Make sure your vaccination (DTaP) is up to date and seek care immediately for fever, cough or difficulty swallowing or breathing.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, latest news and alertsGuide: Health

• Drink-driving carries one month to one year in prison and/or a fine of 20,000 to 500,000 CFA francs; drug-driving one to three years in prison.

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, useful informationGOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: safety and securityGuide: Getting around

Field experience

• Tip

  Pharmacies, clinics and hospitals

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): pharmacies (17), clinics (7), hospitals (5). Locate those near your home in the first days and check opening hours and on-call services locally.

• Tip

  Where to shop for food

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): markets (4), supermarkets (3). Compare a few basic prices between market and supermarket before settling into habits.

• Tip

  Banks, cash machines and exchange

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): banks (15), currency exchange (1). Withdraw and change money at these official places, preferably during the day, never in the street.

• Tip

  A shop for your SIM card

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): phone and internet (3). Go with your passport: SIM registration is often mandatory.

• Tip

  A furnished flat for the first weeks

  Listed in OpenStreetMap (not exhaustive): furnished apartments (1). A furnished flat gives you time to visit several neighbourhoods before signing a lease.

• Emergency numbers

  Ambulance 15, fire 18, police and gendarmerie 17, national gendarmerie +221 800 00 20 20.

  151718+221 800 00 20 20

  France Diplomatie, Travel advice: Senegal, useful contactsGOV.UK (FCDO), Senegal travel advice: getting help· Oct 2, 2026