Living in Cameroon
Advice for British people living in Cameroon, including information on health, education, benefits, residence requirements and more
This guide sets out essential information for British national residing in Cameroon, including advice on health, education, benefits, residence requirements and more. We are unable to provide any guidance on general lifestyle enquiries apart from the information and links listed below. See our ‘Our services’ section for British nationals. This information supplements the travel advice for Cameroon
Supporting guidance
Health
Health services in Cameroon are offered by public and private clinics. The services on offer are often rudimentary outside major population centres and private clinics are often better equipped. All health care is based on a user pays system. Experience shows that credit cards are not accepted
Coronavirus
You should follow the advice of Cameroon’s government and your local authority. You can also read Cameroon travel advice for our latest guidance.
For information on vaccines abroad, see our COVID-19 travel guidance.
Education
Public schooling is available, but most expatriates send their children to private school
Employment and recognised qualifications
Foreign workers need a work permit before being obtaining salaried employment. This can be obtained from the Délégation Générale de la Sureté Nationale (DGSN). The headquarters are in Yaoundé but all regions should have branches.
Workers are also expected to obtain a “certificate of equivalence” from the Ministry of Higher Education for all qualifications, although this is often not an impediment to working. Applications for this certificate have been known to take several years.
Entry and residence requirements
A valid visa is required to enter Cameroon (please see the FCDO Travel Advice page). Visitors planning to stay in Cameroon for longer than 3 months should obtain a residence permit from DGSN. The minimum payment for a residence permit is 250,000F CFA
Benefits
There is no benefit system in Cameroon Please see the pages on UK benefits to see what you may be entitled to whilst living abroad
UK retiring abroad advice on mainstream
Driving licences and vehicles
Visitors are allowed to use driving licences from their own countries for 3 months. After this time, visitors should obtain a Cameroonian driving licence from the Ministry of Transport.
All vehicles, by law, must be left-hand drive.
Importing vehicles can be very difficult, expensive and take a long time. Delays at customs could take several months to resolve.
Finance
Visitors should contact the Ministry of Finance about what tax arrangements are in place for them in Cameroon.
Please see our Doing Business in Cameroon guides for information about investing in Cameroon.
Social ethics and traditions
Cameroon is a secular society and, generally, does not have requirements from visitors to meet specific social or traditional customs.
Please visit the FCDO Travel Advice pages for information about laws and customs that may affect your visit
Leaving Cameroon
All visitors should ensure they have a valid visa which covers the whole of their stay. The penalty for overstaying a visa is 5,000F CFA per day.
Last updated 23 March 2021 + show all updates
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Coronavirus section added with a link to guidance on vaccines.
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Major update on "Leaving Cameroon". Travellers need not pay any amount at the airport.
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First published.