Travelling to Cameroon from France: e-visa, yellow fever, flights, budget and what to eat

Cameroon is "Africa in miniature": beaches, rainforest, mountains and savannah in a single country. For a French traveller, preparing the trip comes down to a few steps: a visa, a mandatory vaccine, a flight and a budget. Here are the essentials, checked as of 1 October 2026.

Do you need a visa for Cameroon with a French passport?

Yes. You apply online, before you leave, on the official Cameroon e-visa portal (evisacam.cm).

• Price: 100,000 FCFA, about €152, for a short stay (a more expensive express option exists).
• Processing time: about 72 hours.

Where is the visa stamped?

It depends on the city where you live:

• you live in a city where Cameroon has a consulate or an embassy (Paris, Marseille…): you are called in to give your fingerprints, and the visa is affixed there, before you leave;
• otherwise: you receive a QR code, and the visa is stamped on arrival, at Douala or Yaoundé airport.

Documents to prepare

• a passport valid for 6 months after your return;
• your return ticket;
• proof of accommodation (hotel booking or invitation letter);
• and the document everyone forgets: the yellow fever vaccination certificate.

The flight

Air France connects Paris-Charles de Gaulle with Douala and Yaoundé. Some flights are direct (about 7 h 20 for Paris–Douala), others make a stop (Malabo, N'Djamena): check the itinerary when you book. On the Air France website, return fares started at €659 when we searched.

Money

Everything is paid in Central African CFA francs (XAF). The rate has been fixed since 1999: €1 = 655.957 FCFA. Bring cash for markets and taxis; bank cards are mostly accepted in hotels and large stores.

The budget

According to Travora, as a backpacker, expect around 252,000 FCFA a week (about €385), excluding flights.

When to go?

From December to February, during the dry season in the south of the country. Avoid July to September in Douala, among the rainiest months.

Where to go?

• Kribi: the beaches and the Lobé Falls, which flow straight into the ocean, a rare sight in the world;
• Douala, for the atmosphere of the economic capital;
• Yaoundé, the capital, and the Mefou primate sanctuary, to see great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees).

Regions to avoid

France Diplomatie strongly advises against travel to the Far North and North-West regions. Check the up-to-date travel advice map before you leave, and register on Ariane.

What about the food?

In the video, it's Tchopi, from the recipe app Tchopé, who takes the mic:

• ndolé, the national dish (bitter leaves, peanuts, prawns or meat);
• poulet DG, the "managing director" chicken, with fried plantains;
• in Kribi, grilled fish by the sea.

Tchopé brings together 140 recipes from Cameroon's 10 regions, with no ads.

Visa, budget and a day-by-day itinerary: the Cameroon guide for travellers departing from France is on Travora. Are you Ivorian? Read Cameroon visa for Ivorians instead.