Best Bitcoin Exchange for Central African Republic
A special mixture of African traditions and the fascinating nature of Africa can be experienced in the Central African Republic. In addition to an excursion to a national park to observe the African wildlife, a visit to the Boali waterfalls, whose thundering water masses plunge 50 meters into the depth, is also recommended. Exotic customs, ritual dances and drum plays can be experienced very closely in the midst of the rain forests. Some pygmy tribes still live here, which preserve the old cultures and take the visitor on a journey to a completely different world.
The market in the capital Bangui is also colourful, lively and loud. During a visit to the capital, one should not miss to refill the travel money. In the following article, all questions concerning cash, EC- and credit cards and whether money can be withdrawn in the Central African Republic are dealt with.
CFA-Franc BEAC (XAF) – the local currency
Overview Banknotes Central African Republic CFA franc BEACIn the Central African Republic, the CFA franc BEAC is the national currency and therefore the official means of payment.
The currency is available in coins and banknotes, the denominations of which are shown in the table below:
- Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 CFA francs BEAC
- Notes: 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10,000 CFA francs BEAC
The national currency may be imported and exported up to an amount of 75,000 CFA francs. Foreign currency, on the other hand, is not subject to any restrictions, but must be declared upon entry.
Changing money in the Central African Republic
A previous exchange into the local currency at the house bank is not necessary. In the Central African Republic, money can easily be exchanged in the banks of the cities of Bangui and Berbérati. In addition, the exchange rate on the spot is always better than at the house bank.
Usually the banks in the Central African Republic are open from Monday to Friday between 07:00 am and 11:30 am. It is advisable to take sufficient cash with you for the entire duration of the trip, as there is no possibility of withdrawing money in the Central African Republic. It is also advisable to have exchanged enough cash in the cities before travelling to the surrounding area.
Cashing traveller’s cheques in the Central African Republic
As an additional means of payment for a trip to the Central African Republic it is also possible to take traveller’s cheques with you. Please note that traveller’s cheques should be issued in euros. It is also worth noting that an exchange fee is charged when exchanging travellers’ cheques and that the exchange rate is generally worse than when exchanging cash. Traveller’s cheques are generally only recommended as a supplement on journeys, as they are returned worldwide.
Cashless payment in the Central African Republic
In some larger hotels credit cards are accepted as cashless means of payment. Otherwise, cashless payment is not common in the Central African Republic. Whether the credit card can be used as a means of payment can already be clarified when booking the hotel. You should also know that a foreign assignment fee is always charged when you use your credit card. This fee for the foreign assignment is added by the credit card institute and usually varies between 1 and 4 %. Further information can be found in the contract documents or obtained directly from the credit card institute.
Withdrawing money in the Central African Republic by EC card
Withdrawing money is not possible in the Central African Republic as there are no ATMs. It is therefore advisable to take sufficient cash with you when travelling to the African country. Those who use their EC card during the travel preparations or enter the Central African Republic from another country should know that when withdrawing money from the house bank a fee is due when using a non-bank ATM.
Outside Europe, a foreign assignment fee is added instead of a third-party bank usage fee. In most cases, this fee is between 5 and 10 euros. This can be quite expensive in the long run, which is why it is advisable to use a credit card during a trip or while preparing for the trip. If you choose the right bank, the credit card is free of charge and you can withdraw money free of charge, no matter in which country you are. More information can be found in the section on credit cards.
Withdraw Money in the Central African Republic by Credit Card
In the Central African Republic, there are no ATMs available that could supply you with cash during your trip. Nevertheless, a credit card should not be missing on any trip, because on the one hand it can be used for cashless payment and on the other hand it is useful during the travel preparations. In almost all countries, money can be withdrawn with a credit card.
If you use a credit card from the following list, it is possible to withdraw money worldwide free of charge. An application for such a credit card can be made within a few minutes and can also be filled out directly online. If you go to the nearest post office with the printout, you can complete the account identification process directly on site using the Postident procedure. All you need is an identification document.
When planning your trip, you should definitely allow for a processing time of about two weeks if you want to take your credit card with you on your next trip. Only after the PIN, which is sent separately from the card, has arrived can the new credit card be used to withdraw money.
Safety when withdrawing money in the Central African Republic
Although it is not possible to use neither your EC nor credit card to withdraw money in the Central African Republic, the credit card can be used as a means of payment in isolated places. It is important that the PIN is always entered in a concealed manner. If you also carry your PIN with you, it should under no circumstances be stored together with the card. Regular checks on statements of account and account movements help to detect card misuse quickly.
As soon as you discover a loss of your travel funds or card misuse or are even stolen on your journey, quick action is necessary to protect yourself from major financial losses. To do this, contact the blocking emergency call number, which can be reached via the following link. The 24-hour availability of the hotline enables those affected to have their cards blocked immediately at any time of day or night, even from countries with large time differences to Germany. Further helpful tips and links for travel preparation are listed below.