Practical Information for visiting Guyana

The currency is the Guyanese dollar, GYD, the unit of account since 29 January 1839; the US dollar is widely accepted, the Canadian advisory says, only major hotels take credit cards, only a few ATMs accept international cards, and foreign currency should be exchanged only at banks -- the UK advisory adds to go inside the exchange or shop and to use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, because people have been robbed after withdrawing money. Iwokrama takes US and Guyanese dollars, Visa, Mastercard and American Express with a 5 per cent fee. Carry enough cash for the interior, where there are none of these. The exchange rate is not stated here because the central bank publishes it as a PDF the script could not read; tipping is not summarised because no authority page opened for this page spoke to it.

Canada advises a high degree of caution and the UK calls crime levels significant and police capacity low. Violent crime is prevalent and often linked to drug trafficking: homicides, assaults, break-ins, armed robberies, theft from cars and carjackings are common, criminals travel in groups and watch their targets for days, muggings with knives or firearms happen in daylight and more at night, and foreigners have been robbed at gunpoint after withdrawing money. Georgetown's named hotspots are Stabroek Market, Bourda Market, the Botanical Gardens, the National Park and the sea wall, and the neighbourhoods of Tiger Bay, Albouystown, Agricola, Sophia and the area south of Brickdam; outside the capital, Buxton Village and Friendship Village on the East Coast, the East Bank and the New Amsterdam area. Gangs have followed cars from the airport to their destinations. Do not walk alone after dark, show no wealth, exchange money indoors, use ATMs inside banks, and visit the Botanical Gardens with a group.

Scams and borders: scammers offer free tickets to Guyana and then demand the visitor carry a package, usually cocaine; the airport searches foreigners who fit the profile. The Venezuelan border is tense with organised crime, there is no official crossing, and the New River Triangle in the south-east is disputed with Suriname; check with the authorities before travelling near either. Armed attacks on fishing boats occur in Guyanese, Surinamese and Venezuelan waters.

Roads, rivers, hotels: dangerous roads, especially at night and on the airport highway; registered boats with life jackets only, never after dark; hotel fires have occurred and some hotels have poor procedures, so check the exits. Demonstrations occur and can turn violent. Women alone may face harassment.

Call 913 for an ambulance. Medical facilities are very limited even in Georgetown and extremely limited in remote areas, the UK advisory says, standards are low, and any serious or invasive treatment should be by evacuation, so insurance must cover it and helicopter rescue for the interior. The listed risks are yellow fever -- a certificate if arriving from a risk country -- dengue, Zika, oropouche and malaria in the interior, with rabies common in dogs and wildlife including bats; take antimalarials for the Rupununi and the forest on a clinic's advice, and repellent everywhere. UNAIDS put HIV prevalence at about 11,000 people in 2024. Pharmacies and tap water are not summarised here because no authority page opened for this page spoke to them.

Drugs: a minimum of three years in prison for any drug offence, heavy fines, and sentences served in Guyana; never carry anyone's package. Same-sex relations are illegal, and the Canadian advisory notes related offences including being in a same-sex marriage; the UK advisory says the laws are rarely enforced and local support is growing, but public affection draws negative attention. Overstaying the entry period can bring a year's prison, a fine and deportation. Wildlife: exotic birds may not be exported without a year's residence and the ministry's permission; firearms and restricted goods need permits. Driving: left-hand traffic, licence or IDP, and stay at the scene of any accident.

Manners are Caribbean and direct: greet, banter, and dress for the heat but not for the temple or mosque. In the Amerindian villages ask the village council or lodge before photographing people. Tipping and drone rules are not summarised here until they have been read on an authority's page.

Emergency numbers: police 911 or +592-225-8196; fire 912 or +592-226-2411; medical 913. Services exist but, the Canadian advisory says, may be limited and slow.

Consular: the High Commission of Canada at High and Young Streets, Georgetown, 1-592-227-2081, and Global Affairs Canada's emergency line at any hour. Natural hazards: flooding year round on a coast below sea level with poorly maintained drainage, worst in May to July and November to January; no hurricanes.