Business trip to Yaoundé: ministries, appointments, traffic and where to stay

A business trip to Yaoundé: where your meetings will be

Distances are short on a map, but Yaoundé is built on hills and the main roads converge on the centre, so trips take longer than they look on weekdays. Weekends are much lighter.

Getting an appointment with a ministry or an institution

1. 1
   Ask in writing, earlyA meeting with a ministry or a public body usually starts with a written request (a letter or an email addressed to the right office), sent several weeks ahead. Your partner in Cameroon or your embassy can tell you to whom it should be addressed.
2. 2
   Follow it upCall or send a message a week before, then again the day before, to confirm the date, the time and the office. Keep the name and number of the assistant or secretary.
3. 3
   Plan for changesOfficial schedules can change at short notice. Leave a free half day in your programme, and avoid booking your flight home straight after your most important meeting.
4. 4
   Arrive earlyGive yourself time for the entrance check: you will often be asked for ID and may have to leave it at reception. Bring printed copies of the documents you are discussing.

Protocol and good manners

• Dress formally for official meetings: suit, or smart business clothes.
• Use titles (Monsieur le Directeur, Madame la Ministre, Excellence for an ambassador) and greet everyone in the room.
• French is the main working language in most ministries; English is also an official language. Bring a document in both languages if you can, or come with someone who speaks French.
• Business cards are expected; keep a stock.
• No photos of government buildings or the area around the Presidency: photographing government and military sites is illegal.

A driver who waits for you

Taxis are easy to find in the centre but harder near some institutions, and you do not want to arrive at a ministry out of breath. With a car with driver by the day, the driver drops you at the right gate, waits during the meeting and follows your changes of programme. Send us your list of addresses the day before.

Staying near your meetings

Bastos is calm and close to the embassies, the international organisations and many offices; Golf is residential and quiet. Both are a short drive from the centre outside rush hours. A furnished apartment gives you a place to prepare your meetings, receive a colleague and work in the evening. Our apartments have Wi-Fi; some have backup power, shown on each apartment page. See our furnished apartments in Yaoundé.

Visa, documents and receipts

• Visa: apply online at evisacam.cm in the business category; there is no visa on arrival. The supporting letters depend on the embassy covering your country. See preparing your trip.
• ID: carry a certified copy of your passport with the visa page, or your residence permit, at all times.
• Receipts: if your company or organisation pays, tell us when you book; we can put its name on the booking confirmation and the receipts. Tell us what your accounts department needs.

Arriving: Nsimalen or Douala

Yaoundé-Nsimalen airport (NSI) is about 20 to 25 km south of the centre: 40 minutes to over an hour by road, and longer to Bastos at busy times. See arriving at Yaoundé-Nsimalen. If your flight lands in Douala, the road to Yaoundé takes 3½ to 5 hours; read Douala to Yaoundé and avoid the road at night. Meetings in Douala too? See our guide to a business trip to Douala.