Guidance

Living in Sudan

Information for British citizens moving to or living in Sudan, including guidance on residency, healthcare and driving.

This guide sets out essential information for British citizens moving to or living in Sudan. Read about our Embassy in Khartoum.

This information is provided as a guide only. You should get definitive information from the Sudanese authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.

Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide sets out how British nationals can stay safe abroad and how the FCDO can help if you do get into difficulty.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad - GOV.UK.

To stay up to date follow the British Embassy Khartoum on Facebook and Twitter.

Before you go

See Sudan travel advice for up-to-date information on entry requirements, local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.

Coronavirus

You should follow the advice of the Sudanese authorities and your local authority. You can also read Sudan travel advice for our latest guidance.

Visas and residency

Check entry requirements in our travel advice. More details about Sudanese visas and residency can be found on the Sudanese Ministry of the Interior website.

Passports and travel

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Sudan through the following link Overseas British passport applications.

Check entry requirements in our travel advice for passport validity requirements.

It is more important than ever to get travel insurance and check it provides sufficient cover. See the FCDO’s foreign travel insurance.

Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Sudan. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See terrorism section of our travel advice.

Healthcare in SUDAN

UK Travel insurance providers will not generally cover your healthcare costs if you live overseas.

As a general rule, GP facilities in Khartoum are adequate but the hospitals are not suitable for more serious medical problems. Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad, medical evacuation and repatriation.

You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.

See list of healthcare providers in Sudan.

Medicine

If you are on a prescription for any medication, you should ensure you have a supply of it, or are able to obtain it when in Sudan. Certain medicines may not be available in Sudan (including major brands readily available in the UK), and you may be prohibited from taking them into the country.

You should consult your GP before travelling to Sudan to find out about any alternative medication. You may bring in medication for personal use, and you should ensure it is clearly labelled. For further details contact the Republic of Sudan Embassy in London.

Read this guidance if you need to travel abroad with medicines.

Working in Sudan

If you are planning to move to SUDAN and work, you may need a visa. Read working and getting a job in Sudan/InterNations.

Studying in Sudan

If you plan to study in Sudan, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel. For further details contact the Republic of Sudan Embassy in London.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Sudan to check what fees you will be required to pay.

Tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Sudan so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Sudan. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Sudan.

Read guidance on:

Benefits

Check UK benefits if you’re going or living abroad and how to claim them.

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

There is no benefits system in Sudan.

See the information and advice on moving or retiring abroad.

Pensions

Read guidance on State Pension if you’ve lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

Pensions in Sudan are governed by the Social Insurance and Pensions Act of 2016. There is a mandatory Social Insurance Scheme in place for those resuming employment under the conditions of the Local Labour Law 1996 (excluding diplomatic spouses). The scheme mandates a 25% monthly contribution per employee, the employee sacrifices 8% of their monthly salary which is then topped up by the employer by 17%. The pension age in Sudan is 65 years (there are some conditions which enable early retirement), and you must have 20 years of contributions in the scheme to be eligible for pension payments after retirement.

In Sudan it is the employer’s duty to manage pension contributions and send timely payments to the fund. If an employee is changing between jobs and has completed 3 full years of contributions they can withdraw their contributions.

If you retire in Sudan, you can claim your State Pension if you retire abroad or the new State Pension: eligibility.

Contact International Pension Centre for further information.

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service you must respond as soon as possible - State Pension if you retire abroad: Report a change in your circumstances. Your payments may be suspended if you do not.

Money and banking

Unless you have a Sudanese bank account, it is not possible to withdraw cash against credit cards at banks. Credit cards are not accepted at hotels to settle bills. Make sure you have enough hard currency with you, preferably in US dollars dated 2006 onwards (older notes will not be exchanged).

Foreign nationals with a residence permit in Sudan are permitted to open bank accounts with Sudanese banks and may use their debit or credit cards issued by Sudanese banks. The requirement for opening a bank account is determined by the banks but usually it will include a form of Identification and proof of income from the employer.

Accommodation and buying property

See guidance for buying property abroad.

Foreign Nationals living legally in Sudan are permitted to buy property in Sudan. The first step in this process is to submit a request to the Ministers Council (Cabinet) and provide the required documentation. If the request is to buy a commercial building or for commercial reasons this will be sent to the Ministry of Investment after the approval of the Council of Ministers. If the request is for purposes other that commercial the approval will be directly by the Council of Ministers. Once the foreign national obtains permission to buy, they will follow the normal buying procedure in Sudan.

Driving in Sudan

Read guidance on what actions you must do to drive legally in Sudan and driving abroad.

If you are asked for a letter authenticating, certifying or validating your UK driver’s licence, you should contact your UK issuing office (eg the DVLA).

See also:

Disabled drivers

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Sudan, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

Births, deaths, marriage and civil partnership

Births

If your child is born in Sudan, you should register the birth with the local authorities. You can then register with the UK authorities and apply for a UK birth certificate.

Register a birth abroad.

If your child has British nationality, you do not need to register the birth with the UK authorities to apply for a British passport.

Get a passport for your child.

Deaths

If someone dies in Sudan read our guidance on:

For English-speaking funeral directors in Sudan (If you decide to arrange a funeral in Sudan) you can find a list of funeral directors.

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral, you may need to appoint an international funeral director. The FCDO produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

Marriage and civil partnership

Read our guidance on marriage in Sudan.

Pets

Importation and exportation of pets is a straightforward process requiring a copy of the Passport if they have this or the Electronic chip certificate; a copy of the vaccination Book (with last vaccine); and a copy of the owners passport.

Upon arrival of the pet, the airport vet should issue an import certificate after checking the general health condition of the pet and the fees for this are about SDG2500 per certificate.

For exportation, the pet should go to the Vet Hospital (Khartoum National Vet Hospital or Police Vet Hospital) for the health certificate one week before their departure and the certificate fee should be about SDG 3000.

Once the flight ticket has been booked for the pet with the airline, on the departure day the airport vet should issue an export certificate after checking the general health condition of the pet and the fee is about SDG2500 per certificate.

For more details, see Sudan pet passport and import regulations.

Emergencies

In an emergency, call:

  • +249 (0) 183 774309 / 776977 / 784788 for the police
  • 333 from a mobile or landline for the central ambulance service
  • 999 from a mobile or landline for the fire brigade

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault in Sudan, read guidance for rape and sexual assault in Sudan.

Also see victim of rape and sexual assault abroad and find an English-speaking lawyer in Sudan.

If you’re the victim of a crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis, contact the British Embassy Khartoum.

Read the guidance on international parental child abduction if your child may be at risk of this.

Returning to the UK

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on bringing family members, tax and access to services.

Published 31 December 2013
Last updated 27 March 2023 + show all updates
  1. Reviewed and updated guidance in full.

  2. First published.