Guyana Travel Requirements: Visa, Vaccines, and Customs

To enter Guyana, most travelers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and roughly 70 other countries need only a passport valid for at least six months beyond arrival with one blank page; no advance visa is required for short tourist stays.¹ The rest of the Guyana travel requirements you should plan around involve yellow fever proof if you route through certain countries, antimalarial medication for travel outside the two main cities, a strict cash-declaration threshold at US$10,000, and firm rules on cannabis, drones, and firearms. The U.S. State Department currently rates Guyana at Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) due to crime, so preparation matters on more than one front.

Passport and Visa

Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive and carry at least one blank page for the entry stamp.¹ Airlines check this at boarding, so a passport within six months of expiration will likely get you stopped at the gate before you ever reach Guyanese immigration.

Citizens of more than 70 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and the UK, do not need a tourist visa for short visits.² UK passport holders get 30 days on arrival and can apply for one-month extensions through Guyana’s immigration office.¹ Permitted duration varies by nationality, so check with the nearest Guyanese embassy if you hold another passport.

If your nationality does require a visa, apply through a Guyanese embassy or consulate before you travel. Applications typically require a copy of your flight itinerary showing return or onward travel.³ Even visa-exempt travelers should carry proof of a return ticket, since officers have discretion to ask for evidence you plan to leave.

Overstaying

Guyanese authorities can arrest visitors who exceed their permitted stay. Penalties include a fine of up to GYD$50,000 (roughly US$250), imprisonment of up to one year, and deportation at the traveler’s own expense.¹ Track your date, and if you need more time, file for an extension before it lapses.

Yellow Fever Vaccination

Guyana requires an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis for yellow fever from any traveler aged one year or older arriving from a country the World Health Organization designates as having yellow fever transmission risk.⁴ The rule also applies if you had a layover or transit longer than four hours in an airport in a risk country.⁵

Travelers flying directly from the U.S., Canada, or the UK are not required to show the certificate, since those countries are not on the WHO risk list. But if your itinerary routes through somewhere like Brazil or Colombia with a long layover, you’ll need proof. The yellow fever vaccine is considered valid for life, so no booster is required.

Malaria and Dengue

Malaria is present across nearly all of Guyana. The CDC recommends prescription antimalarial medication for travelers going anywhere outside Georgetown and New Amsterdam, where transmission is rare. Two species circulate: P. vivax accounts for about 60 percent of cases and P. falciparum for 40 percent. The parasites in Guyana are resistant to chloroquine, so a doctor will typically prescribe atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, or tafenoquine instead.⁵ Some of these need to be started days before arrival, so see a travel medicine provider well before your trip.

Dengue is a year-round risk, with outbreaks cycling every two to five years. There is no preventive medication. Protection means avoiding bites: repellent, long sleeves, and screened or air-conditioned rooms.⁵ The same measures reduce exposure to other mosquito-borne viruses in the region.

Cash Declaration

Anyone carrying more than US$10,000 in cash (or the equivalent in any other currency) into or out of Guyana must file a Foreign Currency Declaration Report. This is a Guyanese requirement under the Foreign Exchange (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, and it’s separate from whatever declaration rules apply in your home country.⁶

Failing to declare, or making a false declaration, is a criminal offense. Penalties on conviction include a fine of GYD$250,000 (roughly US$1,250), up to six months in prison, and forfeiture of the undeclared currency found on you or in your baggage.⁶ Customs officers enforce this at the airport.

Customs and Duty-Free Allowances

Travelers aged 18 and older can bring limited quantities of alcohol and tobacco without paying duty. Under the Customs Regulations, the allowances are:⁷

Spirits: up to 1 litre.
Wine: up to 758 millilitres.
Tobacco: up to 250 grams of manufactured tobacco, or 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 100 cigarillos.

For other non-commercial goods in your baggage (gifts, souvenirs, personal purchases), the duty-free threshold is the Guyanese dollar equivalent of US$200.⁸ Anything over these limits must be declared on arrival, and you’ll owe duty on the excess.

Cannabis, Drones, and Firearms

Cannabis in every form, including vape cartridges, edibles, CBD oil containing THC, and cannabis resin, is illegal in Guyana under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Possession, importation, and trafficking all carry criminal penalties. Legal status where you live has no bearing on the rule at the Guyanese border.

Camera-equipped drones need written authorization from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority before you can fly one in the country. The application requires a mandatory security clearance from the Guyana Police Force and takes a minimum of 30 working days. Flying without GCAA authorization is a criminal offense carrying fines of up to GYD$1,000,000 and up to two years in prison.⁹ Start the authorization at least two months before your trip.

Firearms and ammunition cannot be brought into Guyana without a valid Guyanese firearm licence. Any firearm arriving by air must come in through a prescribed port, and it will be held in a customs warehouse until the owner or a licensed dealer presents a valid licence.¹⁰ For casual travelers, that effectively means leaving personal firearms at home.

Departure

Plan to arrive at Cheddi Jagan International Airport at least three hours before an international flight. Guyana charges a departure tax of GYD$3,500 and a security fee of GYD$2,500, totaling GYD$6,000 (about US$30). This is built into your airline ticket price, so you should not need to pay separately at the airport.¹¹ Travelers aged 65 and older are exempt from the travel tax portion and pay only the GYD$2,500 security fee.¹²

If you’re leaving with more than US$10,000 in cash, the same Foreign Currency Declaration Report you’d file on arrival applies on the way out. Confirm with your airline that departure taxes are included in your ticket, especially if you booked through a third-party site or a smaller regional carrier where the fees are sometimes collected separately.

1
GOV.UK. Guyana Travel Advice – Entry Requirements
2
Embassy of Guyana. Countries Whose Nationals Do Not Require Visas to Enter Guyana
3
Consulate General of Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago. Visa Application – Advisory
4
World Health Organization. Countries with Risk of Yellow Fever Transmission and Countries Requiring Proof of Vaccination
5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guyana – Traveler View
6
Financial Intelligence Unit Guyana. What Is a Foreign Currency Declaration Report
7
Guyana Revenue Authority. Customs Act Chapter 82:01 – Customs Regulations
8
Ministry of Finance Guyana. VAT Exempt Supplies Schedule
9
Department of Public Information Guyana. GCAA Issues Firm Warning on Drone Safety
10
Parliament of Guyana. Guyana Code Chapter 345 – Firearms Ordinance
11
Cheddi Jagan International Airport. FAQs
12
Guyana Revenue Authority. Travel Airport