Practical Information for visiting Venezuela

The economy is effectively dollarised. Years of hyperinflation destroyed confidence in the bolivar, and US dollars in cash are used for most significant transactions, including by Venezuelans.

Bring cash dollars for the whole trip. International cards frequently do not work, ATMs generally will not dispense against a foreign account, and sanctions complicate banking. Bring clean, undamaged, small-denomination notes; worn or torn bills are refused.

Bolivars are still used for small purchases and change is often given in them; treat any bolivar amount as approximate, since it can shift week to week.

Some businesses accept local debit and mobile payment systems that a visitor cannot use.

Tipping is customary and, given the economic situation, significant: around ten per cent in restaurants and generously for guides, drivers and boatmen.

Connectivity is unreliable and has deteriorated with the wider infrastructure. Coverage for mobile networks from Movistar, Digitel and Movilnet exists in the cities and along main roads, mostly 4G, with frequent interruptions.

Power cuts are the underlying problem and are frequent and sometimes prolonged, taking networks and internet down with them. Internet speeds are among the slowest in the region.

In Canaima, the Gran Sabana, Los Llanos and on Roraima there is effectively no signal. Camps run generators for part of the evening if at all. Assume you will be out of contact for the duration of any trip into the interior, and tell people at home so.

Local SIMs are cheap; foreign roaming is unreliable and expensive.

Bring several large power banks.

Most governments advise against all, or all but essential, travel to Venezuela, and several warn specifically of the risk of wrongful detention of foreign nationals. Such advice normally invalidates travel insurance, and consular support is limited — some countries have no embassy operating in Caracas.

• Violent crime rates have been among the highest in the world. Armed robbery, carjacking and express kidnapping occur, and Caracas in particular requires real caution. Do not walk after dark, do not display phones or jewellery, and do not resist a robbery.
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• Wrongful detention. Several governments warn that foreign nationals, including dual nationals, have been detained arbitrarily and held without proper access to consular help.
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• Border areas with Colombia and parts of the mining regions in the south are dangerous, with armed groups operating and effectively no state control.
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• Shortages and unrest. Fuel, power and water shortages are routine, and protests can occur with little warning.
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• In the wilderness, there is no rescue capacity to speak of; a serious injury on Roraima is a multi-day carry.

The health system is in severe difficulty. Hospitals face shortages of medicines, equipment and staff, power cuts affect them directly, and treatment for anything serious should not be assumed. Private clinics in Caracas are the best option and require payment in cash dollars upfront.

Insurance covering Venezuela is difficult to obtain and standard policies exclude travel against government advice. Specialist cover with medical evacuation is essential.

Bring everything you need — a full supply of prescription medication in original packaging with a doctor’s letter, and a comprehensive first aid kit. Do not count on buying medicines locally.

Vaccinations: routine cover, plus hepatitis A and B, typhoid, rabies and yellow fever, which is required or strongly advised for much of the country and needed for onward travel to some neighbours.

Malaria has resurged substantially, particularly in the mining areas of Bolivar state and the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Take prophylaxis and use repellent and nets. Dengue, chikungunya and Zika are all present.

Water: drink bottled or treated water only.

Photography: never photograph military, police, checkpoints, airports, government buildings or the presidential palace. This is taken seriously and has led to detention.

Carry identification at all times — a passport or a good copy — as checkpoints are common on the roads.

Politics. Avoid discussing it in public or with strangers, avoid demonstrations entirely, and be aware that what you post online can affect the Venezuelans you were with.

Greetings are warm: a handshake, and a single cheek kiss between women or between a man and a woman who are acquainted. Venezuelans are physically expressive and stand close.

Punctuality is loose socially and expected for transport.

Indigenous land: in the Gran Sabana and the delta you are on Pemon and Warao territory. Permits and guides are required, and asking before photographing people is essential.

Drug offences carry long sentences.

Emergency number: 911 covers police, ambulance and fire in most of the country, though response is limited and may be slow or absent outside the cities.

Consular assistance is limited. Some governments have no embassy operating in Caracas and provide support from Bogota or elsewhere. Establish before travelling which mission covers you and what it can realistically do — for several countries, the honest answer is very little.

Medical. Private clinics in Caracas are the realistic option and want cash dollars upfront. Outside the capital, capacity is very limited.

In the interior, your guide and operator are the whole emergency system. There is no organised mountain or jungle rescue; evacuation from Roraima or upriver from Canaima takes days and is done on foot and by boat.

Before you go: leave a full itinerary and passport copies with someone at home, agree a check-in schedule, and register with your foreign ministry if it offers the service.