The checklist as a PDF
Entry, health, money, transport and safety, laid out for print, with their sources and verification date.
South Sudan
East Africa
Mountains, Sahara desert, the White Nile, nature reserves and culture. Juba, the Sudd wetlands and the Boma–Badingilo landscape.
- On the map
CapitalJuba
When to goApril to September
Suggested length8 days min.
CurrencySouth Sudanese pound / South Sudanese pound
LanguagesEnglish
The Viafro verdict
For whom, and for which trip.
An editorial bearing, with no percentage and no rating: our criteria are written down, and every “good to know” links to its source.
- For which trip
- Djouba · Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo · Bor · Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo
- Best season
- April to September, from Juba’s normals
- Length
- Allow at least 8 days for these 4 essentials, one stop every two or three days. (Viafro’s rule of thumb)
Best time to visit
Twelve months, in colour.
Hover or tap a month: its reading and its source appear. Bars measure rain, the figure is the capital’s mean maximum.
Possible
November
Juba: mean maximum 36 °C, 71 mm of rain · hot.
- Mean maximum
- 36 °C
- Rain
- 71 mm
- Station
- Juba
Source: Wikipedia (climate normals)
Before you go
The essentials, tab by tab.
Entry, health, safety, money and facts: dated official extracts, never paraphrased.
Some regions are formally advised against by the authorities. Check the official advice before making any plan. Official travel advice
Visa, passport, customs
GOV.UK advice, written for British passport holders. French travellers: see France Diplomatie (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/information-par-pays/soudan-du-sud/conseils-aux-voyageurs-entree-sejour).
- To enter South Sudan, your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you arrive and have at least 2 blank pages. Check with your travel provider that your passport and other travel documents meet requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
- You must have a visa to enter or travel through South Sudan.
- To enter South Sudan, you must have a certificate to prove you’ve had a yellow fever vaccination. For details about medical entry requirements and recommended vaccinations, see TravelHealthPro’s South Sudan guide.
Vaccines, malaria, water
This is not medical advice: talk to your doctor or an international vaccination centre before you travel.
- At least 8 weeks before your trip: The risk of malaria in South Sudan is high. You can find more information about malaria on TravelHealthPro.
- Health facilities are extremely limited throughout South Sudan. Many medical issues require medical evacuation to neighbouring hubs (Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda, are the most common). During the rainy season, flights are often forced to remain on the ground for hours.
Per the ministries
Viafro gives no safety rating: here are the zones and advice published by the French ministry (in French) and the official extracts, with their dates.
Vigilance zones published by France Diplomatie (in French) · page updated on 15 Sept 2026 · see the official map
- Red · Zones formellement déconseillées
L’ensemble du territoire sud-soudanais, à l’exception de sa capitale et des villes de Wau, Yambio et Aweil, est placé en zone formellement déconseillée.
La situation sécuritaire globale constitue un risque pour les voyageurs dans un pays dont l’État n’est en mesure d’assurer ni la sécurité des biens et des personnes sur un territoire qu’il ne contrôle pas intégralement,…
- Orange · Zones déconseillées sauf raison impérative
À Djouba, ainsi que dans les villes de Wau, Yambio et Aweil, la situation est dans l’ensemble calme et le niveau de criminalité est contenu.
Dans ces zones, il est recommandé de veiller à la sécurité de ses lieux de vie et de travail et de ne se déplacer qu’en véhicules motorisés (les deux-roues sont à exclure).
- There is a high threat of terrorist attack globally affecting UK interests and British nationals, including from groups and individuals who view the UK and British nationals as targets. Stay aware of your surroundings at all times.
What the country’s law provides
Photography, alcohol, drugs, relationships: the rules published by the ministries, quoted as they stand, without comment.
- There are severe penalties for using or trafficking drugs in South Sudan, including the death penalty and life imprisonment.
Currency
South Sudanese pound / South Sudanese poundViafro publishes no price or budget range without a source: amounts will come from our own expenses recorded on the ground, dated and itemised.
- There are strict rules about goods you can take into or out of South Sudan. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Contact the South Sudanese Embassy in the UK for information.
Express card
Structured data from Wikidata and the CIA World Factbook, re-checked at every site update.
- Population · 2025
- 12,188,788
- Time zone
- +1 h from Paris
- Driving side
- Driving on the right
- Calling code
- +211
- Languages
- English
- Area
- 644,329 km²
- Highest point
- Kinyeti, 3,187 m
- Main religions
- Christian 60.5%, folk religion 32.9%, Muslim 6.2%, other 1%, unaffiliated 1%
Getting there and around
Airports, roads and transport.
- HGIPaloich Airport
- WUUWau Airport
- JUBJuba International AirportDjouba official site
- MAKMalakal AirportMalakal
Direct flights from Paris are to be checked on the airport’s or airline’s website.
On the road
- It is extremely dangerous to drive in South Sudan due to armed robbery, violent attacks and poor driving standards. Driving standards are well below those in the UK and other European countries. Very few roads are surfaced and maintained, particularly outside Juba.
Destinations
The essentials.
Djouba
Juba is the capital and largest city of South Sudan.
Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo
Boma–Badingilo Migratory Landscape or Great Nile Migration Landscape (GNML) is the largest land mammal migration in the world.
Bor
Bor is a historic city in the Bor region of Jonglei State, located in the central region of South Sudan.
Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo
Boma–Badingilo Migratory Landscape or Great Nile Migration Landscape (GNML) is the largest land mammal migration in the world.
Diego Delso
Must-try food
Six dishes, and where to taste them.
Kisra
Kisra, also spelled kissra (Sudanese Arabic: [ˈkisra] ), is a Sudanese popular thin fermented bread made in Sudan, Chad, South Sudan, Algeria and some parts of Uganda and Kenya. It is made from durra or wheat. There are two different forms of kisra: thin bake
Asida
Asida (Arabic: عصيدة, or Maghrebi ġsydë, pronounced [ˈʕs(ˁ)iːdə]), a common dish in the Arab world, is a lump of dough made by stirring wheat flour into boiling water, sometimes with added butter or honey. Similar in texture to fufu, it is eaten mainly in Midd
Ful Medames
Ful medames (Arabic: فول مدمّس, romanized: fūl mudammas, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈfuːl meˈdæmmes], lit. 'buried favas'; other spellings include foule mudammes), or simply ful, is a stew of cooked fava beans served with olive oil, cumin, and optionally
Bamia
There is a variety of okra stews made in Middle Eastern, Balkan, North African, East African, Persian, and Central Asian cuisines and served as main courses. Besides okra, they often include lamb, olive oil, and tomatoes. There are also meatless variants (cf.
Molokhia
Mulukhiyah (Arabic: مُلُوخِيَّة, romanized: mulūḫiyya), also known as mulukhiyya, molokhiyya, melokhiyya, molohiya or ewédú, is a type of jute plant whose leaves are used to prepare a traditional Egyptian and Arab dish. Originating in Egypt, the dish became po
Mandazi
Mandazi is a form of fried bread that originated on the Swahili coast of East Africa. It is also known as bofrot or puff-puff in Western African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. It is one of the principal dishes in the cuisine of the Swahili people who inh
Culture and etiquette
Customs, dress, useful words.
- Hellohello
- Thank youthank you
- Pleaseplease
- Entries checked on Wiktionary.
- Religions: Christian 60.5%, folk religion 32.9%, Muslim 6.2%, other 1%, unaffiliated 1%.
- Languages: English (official), Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), ethnic languages include Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, Shilluk.
Festivals and events
The big dates.
- National holiday
Independence Day, 9 July (2011) ; independence: 9 July 2011 (from Sudan).
Fixed dates and moveable events, each with its source; moveable dates change every year and are to be checked on an official calendar.
Did you know?
Three things to remember.
The country’s highest point, Kinyeti, reaches 3,187 m.
12,188,788 inhabitants in 2025 on 644,329 km², about 19 per km².
Independence on 9 July 2011 (from Sudan).
Gallery
See it before you go.
Real photographs: free images under a verified licence and Viafro images. Never a generated image. Credits in the footer.
Share your trip with #viafro: the best images will join this gallery, with your credit.
Live, work, invest
A few key figures.
Sourced data (World Bank). No investment advice.
Inflation (consumer prices)91.4 %World Bank · 2024Unemployment (ILO estimate)12.4 %World Bank · 2023
World Bank data (World Development Indicators), consulted on 28 Oct 2026. Tourist arrivals are the latest year published.
The Viafro letter
The journey continues.
A short letter, when there is something to say. One-click unsubscribe.
Sources and verification dates · 20 sources, checked on 28 Oct 2026
Travel advice · GOV.UK (FCDO)Entry, visa, safety: the official page, kept up to date by the ministry. Travel health · US CDCVaccines and precautions from a reference medical source. World Heritage · UNESCOThe country’s inscribed sites and tentative list. WikidataCapital and currency, verified structured data.
- Wikidata · South Sudan (Q958)
- World Bank · World Development Indicators
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · South Sudan · Foreign travel advice · Entry requirements (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · South Sudan · Foreign travel advice · Health (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- GOV.UK (FCDO) · South Sudan · Foreign travel advice · Safety and security (page updated on 19 Oct 2026)
- Wiktionary · Checked entries (English)
- Wikipedia · Kisra (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Assida (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Ful medames (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Bamia (fr article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Mulukhiyah (en article, dish verification; Viafro description)
- Wikipedia · Mandazi
- Wikipedia · Djouba
- Wikipedia · Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo
- Wikipedia · Bor (Soudan du Sud)
- Wikipedia · Paysage migratoire de Boma–Badingilo
- CIA World Factbook · South Sudan (public domain) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- France Diplomatie · Soudan du Sud · Travel advice · Security (zones, in French) (page updated on 15 Sept 2026)
- Wikidata · Airports of the country (IATA code, traffic) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
- Wikipedia (climate normals) · Juba · monthly normals (''World Meteorological Organization'',{{cite web) (page updated on 29 Oct 2026)
Information checked on 28 Oct 2026. Check the official source before you travel. Viafro gives no safety rating and publishes no price without a source.