Good deals, mistakes to avoid and common beliefs: Chad

Save the country's emergency numbers

According to the UK: ambulance and fire 1212, police 2020. Canada lists medical assistance on +235 225 17728.

• Reliable service
• Save time

Card or cash: what works here

The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF). ATMs are rare and cards are accepted only at major hotels in N'Djamena.

• Save money
• Avoid a mistake

Health insurance is essential here

Insurance covering care, hospitalisation and repatriation is essential. No facility meets European standards; the Renaissance hospital (N'Djari district) is the best equipped.

• Avoid a mistake
• Save money

Choose a safe home

Theft, assault and burglary are rising in N'Djamena; armed robbery is common in some residential areas.

• Avoid a mistake

Accredited French schools in the country

The AEFE lists 2 accredited French-curriculum schools in Chad: N'Djamena: Académie royale (partner school), Lycée français Montaigne (under agreement with the AEFE).

• Reliable service

On the road: risks to know

Traffic rules are little respected and an incident can escalate quickly: a Chadian driver is strongly recommended. After an accident, a report must be drawn up by the police or gendarmerie.

• Avoid a mistake

Pension: the annual life certificate

Anyone receiving a French state pension while living here must prove they are alive every year: the life certificate is completed by a competent local authority or validated in the "Mon certificat de vie" app, without travelling. Without a reply within 2 months, pension payments are suspended. For this country, the listed authority is an authorised French consulate.

• Simpler formalities

Know how many months you can last before you leave

Before committing, enter your savings, your income on site and your planned expenses in the My project budget: AfriPilot calculates how many months you can last at that pace. Many returns fail after six to twelve months because this calculation was never done.

• Avoid a mistake
• Save money

Keep an untouchable reserve

Set aside several months of expenses that you will not use for settling in: health emergencies, a delayed income, an early return.

• Avoid a mistake

Start with a modest lifestyle, then adjust

In the first months, people often overestimate their needs: housing, car, staff, outings. Start simply, watch your real spending for three months, then step up if your budget allows. The reverse is much harder.

• Avoid a mistake
• Save money

Start with temporary accommodation

Book temporary accommodation (furnished flat, residence, family) for the first weeks, so you can visit several neighbourhoods at different times of day before choosing.

• Avoid a mistake
• Save money

Do not sign a long lease before testing the neighbourhood

Check rush-hour journeys, water and power cuts, noise, safety at night, and access to schools and healthcare. A long lease signed too quickly is one of the costliest mistakes.

• Avoid a mistake

Keep rent to a reasonable share of your budget

Starting with a high rent is a frequent cause of running out of savings. Compare several neighbourhoods and standards; the My project budget warns you when housing exceeds the ServAfrica benchmark of 35% of monthly expenses.

What changes the gain: Depends on the neighbourhood, the standard and the length of the lease.

• Save money
• Avoid a mistake

Insist on a written lease and a receipt for every payment

The contract should state the term, rent, deposit, advance requested, charges and repairs. Pay nothing before visiting and checking that the person is really the owner or their authorised agent.

• Avoid a scam
• Simpler formalities

Plan for and negotiate the rent advance

Several months of rent in advance are often requested when moving in. This amount can frequently be negotiated; include it in your one-off expenses rather than discovering it at signing.

• Save money

Compare several schools, not just the most expensive

Most countries have good schools at reasonable fees. Visit at least three, ask about results, class sizes and all fees (registration, canteen, uniforms, transport). Price alone does not guarantee quality.

• Save money
• Avoid a mistake

Count transport in the cost of school

A distant school also costs morning and evening journeys. Compare the school bus, a private taxi booked for school hours or a closer school before hiring a driver.

What changes the gain: Depends on distance, number of children and timetables.

• Save money

No full-time driver as soon as you arrive

For regular journeys (school, work, errands), first try private taxis booked by the hour or half-day. A full-time driver is only justified if your real needs call for one.

What changes the gain: Depends on the number of daily journeys and waiting time.

• Save money

Do not buy a car in the first month

First try local transport and your real journeys. A car also costs insurance, maintenance, fuel, parking and sometimes a driver.

• Save money
• Avoid a mistake

Have any used vehicle inspected

Before buying, have the vehicle checked by an independent mechanic and verify the papers (registration, owner, customs clearance, insurance, roadworthiness) with the relevant offices.

• Avoid a scam
• Avoid a mistake

Group your errands with a booked taxi

For several errands on the same day, compare single rides with a taxi booked for several hours. Before leaving, agree on the price, duration, stops, waiting time and return.

What changes the gain: Depends on the number of stops and waiting time.

• Save time
• Save money

Get a local SIM card on arrival

A local line cuts roaming costs and makes taxis, deliveries, mobile payments and contacts easier. Bring your passport: SIM registration is often mandatory.

• Save time
• Save money

Open a mobile money account

In many countries, mobile money is used every day (shopping, bills, transfers). Compare operator fees and keep some cash for places that do not accept it.

• Save time

Prepare your means of payment before you leave

Check withdrawal and payment fees abroad with your bank, tell it about your trip, take two cards from different networks and some cash. Each destination's Money guide says where cards are accepted.

• Avoid a mistake

Locate ATMs and exchange offices near your home

Find the ATMs that accept your card and the authorised exchange offices near your home. Only change money in official places, never in the street.

• Save time
• Avoid a scam

Compare money transfer fees

Pension, salary or savings: compare fees and exchange rates between your bank, transfer services and local accounts. A small difference per transfer adds up over a year.

What changes the gain: Depends on the amount, frequency and exchange rate applied.

• Save money

Prepare to open a local account in a single visit

Find out which documents are required (passport, residence permit, proof of address, sometimes proof of income) and bring them all at once to avoid several trips.

• Simpler formalities

Locate a pharmacy, clinic and hospital before you need them

In the first days, locate a pharmacy, a medical centre and a hospital near your home, and note the emergency numbers from the Health guide. If something happens, you will not lose time.

• Save time

Do not leave without health and repatriation insurance

Check what your current insurance covers abroad and for how long. A hospital stay or evacuation without cover can be very expensive.

• Avoid a mistake

Take your treatments and their prescriptions

Bring a supply of your usual medicines in their packaging with the prescription, and ask your doctor for advice before leaving. Some medicines are hard to find or need authorisation depending on the country.

• Avoid a mistake

Cut your food budget in the first weeks

When you do not yet know the neighbourhood, compare the options: ready meals from supermarkets, local restaurants, the market, delivery, cooking at home. Restaurants mainly used by expatriates are often the most expensive.

What changes the gain: Depends on the neighbourhood and your habits.

• Save money

Find your nearby market and supermarket

The market is often cheaper for fresh produce, the supermarket handy for the rest. Note delivery days and compare a few basic prices before settling into habits.

• Save money
• Save time

Plan for drinking water

Depending on the country and neighbourhood, tap water is not always safe to drink. Plan for bottled water or a suitable filter and ask how often water is cut in your area.

• Avoid a mistake

Ask about power cuts

Before choosing a home, ask how often the power goes off and whether there is a generator, an inverter or solar panels. Protect your appliances with voltage regulators.

• Avoid a mistake

Put domestic staff arrangements in writing

Guard, cleaning, gardening: set out duties, hours, pay and leave in writing, find out the country's declaration obligations and do not hire more staff than you need at first.

• Simpler formalities
• Avoid a mistake

Ask for written quotes and references

Tradesperson, mover, agency: ask for several written quotes and client references, and pay only a reasonable deposit, with the balance at the end of the job.

• Avoid a scam
• Reliable service

Scan all your important documents

Passport, civil status records, diplomas, contracts, prescriptions: keep a digital copy in the My project vault and paper copies kept apart from the originals.

• Save time
• Avoid a mistake

Start residence procedures early

Residence permit, resident card, work permit: find out before leaving which documents are required, often legalised or translated, and file without waiting for your visa to expire.

• Simpler formalities
• Avoid a mistake

Use official sites for visas and authorisations

Private sites imitate official visa portals and charge much more. Use the official address given in the Entry and residence guide.

• Avoid a scam

Sort your belongings before moving

Freight and customs duties are expensive. Compare the cost of shipping an item with buying it locally, and read the customs rules in the Entry and residence guide before shipping.

What changes the gain: Depends on volume, shipping method and customs duties.

• Save money

Never pay for land without a title check

Check with the competent land office that the title exists and who holds it, involve a notary and a surveyor, and be wary of rushed sales or unusually low prices. Pay nothing to an intermediary without proof of their mandate.

• Avoid a scam
• Avoid a mistake

Do not fund a construction remotely without checks

Pay in instalments tied to verified progress (dated photos, a visit by a trusted third party), keep every receipt and allow a margin for the unexpected. AfriPilot's Remote control tool lists useful measures.

• Avoid a mistake
• Avoid a scam

Test your business before investing heavily

Start small and measure real demand and your costs for a few months before buying equipment or signing a long commercial lease. AfriPilot's Invest Check and profitability calculator help you work out the figures.

• Save money
• Avoid a mistake

Put any local partnership in writing

Partner, manager, supplier: define roles, money contributed, account access and how to part ways in writing. Never give all access to a single person.

• Avoid a scam
• Avoid a mistake

Register your business through the official one-stop shop

Use the one-stop shop or official registry listed in Start a business rather than an unauthorised intermediary, and keep the receipt for each formality.

• Simpler formalities
• Avoid a scam

Do not depend on a single person on site

Family, friend or manager: entrusting all your errands, money and keys to one person creates a risky dependency. Keep control of your accounts, get several opinions and keep proof of every payment.

• Avoid a mistake
• Avoid a scam

Adopt a few safety habits on arrival

Read the destination's Safety guide, avoid travelling at night off main roads, do not show valuables and share your movements with someone close in the first weeks.

• Avoid a mistake

Prefer local leisure to expatriate venues

Beaches, markets, cultural events, local outings: ask residents for advice. Places mainly used by expatriates are often much more expensive.

• Save money

Check the internet connection before choosing where to work

If you work remotely, test the connection at home, compare providers and find a coworking space as a fallback.

• Avoid a mistake

Prepare for your pension to be paid abroad

Ask your pension funds about payment abroad, the annual life certificate and social security agreements. The destination's Retirement guide summarises what exists.

• Simpler formalities

Set a daily travel budget

Plan an amount per day for accommodation, meals, transport and visits, and track it. Agree on the price of transport and purchases before committing.

• Save money