🇹🇬 Togo
Is Togo Safe for Travel?
Togo has two different risk pictures depending on where you go. In Lome and the south, the main concerns are violent and non-violent crime, poor road conditions, and the chance of getting caught up in a demonstration. In the north, Sahel-linked terrorism spilling over from Burkina Faso changes the picture completely.
Political tension has also risen since mid-2025, when youth-led protests over the cost of living and governance were met with a violent crackdown that left several people dead. Restrictions on public dissent, including online speech, have kept tightening since and were still in force as of late 2026.
The key regional exceptions are Northern Border Zone with Burkina Faso and Rest of Savanes Region. If you are travelling by boat or using the port, treat Coastal Waters and Port Approaches differently too, because piracy and armed robbery at sea are reported nearby.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Avoid the northern border area near Burkina Faso entirely.
- Reconsider non-essential travel elsewhere in Savanes Region, and be aware some governments extend the same caution into the far north of Kara Region.
- Stay well away from demonstrations. Since mid-2025, protests in Lome have been met with lethal force, and the definition of illegal dissent keeps expanding, now including some online activity.
- Avoid Lome's beaches and seafront after dark, and don't travel alone at night.
- Keep valuables out of sight. Pickpocketing, scams and armed robbery are common, especially around beaches and markets.
- Malaria prevention is essential everywhere in the country, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter.
- Same-sex relationships are illegal, and LGBTQIA+ travellers face a real risk of arrest, extortion or violence.
Personal Security & Public Safety
Crime, unrest, and the public-order risks that shape day-to-day safety.
Traveler Situations & Contexts
How risk shifts for solo travelers, nighttime transit, LGBTIQ+ travelers, and public transport.
Solo travel
Don't travel alone after dark. Use a known, trusted driver, keep valuables hidden, and take extra care around markets, beaches, taxi stands and the seafront.
Solo female travel
Sexual harassment and gender-based violence are recognised problems in Togo, and cases often go unreported or unprosecuted in practice. There isn't good public data on how often this affects travellers specifically, but conservative routing, trusted transport and avoiding isolated areas at night matter more here than in lower-risk destinations.
LGBTQIA+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Togo's penal code, carrying up to 3 years in prison plus a fine, and promoting or advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights is separately restricted. Enforcement is inconsistent: prosecutions specifically under this law are rare, but police have used other charges, extortion and detention against LGBTQIA+ people, including arrests over clothing choices, demands for payment before release, and a recent conviction for 'public indecency' linked to online content. In 2022, a mob attacked a group of LGBTQIA+ beachgoers in Lome, forcing them to flee. Discretion is strongly advised, and dating apps have been used elsewhere in the region to target and extort LGBTQIA+ people.
Demonstrations and civil unrest
Avoid protests and political gatherings. Since June 2025, youth-led demonstrations against the cost of living and the government have been met with serious force, including killings, arbitrary arrests and reports of torture. Sokode, Bafilo and Mango have a longer separate history of unrest turning violent. Authorities have also widened what counts as punishable dissent, including some social media activity, so be cautious about discussing local politics online while you're there.
Ratings for these appear once you pick a situational context in the sidebar.
Environmental & Natural Hazards
Weather extremes, seismic activity, and natural disaster exposure.
Togo doesn't sit in a major earthquake or cyclone zone, so environmental risk here is mostly seasonal and manageable. Heavy rain during the rainy season can raise river levels quickly: flooding in the Maritime Region in October 2022 caused a dam's water level to spike after days of uninterrupted rain, and similar events can block minor roads or cut off low-lying areas.
The coast has strong currents in places, and drownings occur because beaches are often unpatrolled and unmarked. Ask locally before swimming.
Named Regional Exceptions
Specific geographic areas where risks significantly deviate from the national baseline (2 active).
This strip along the Burkina Faso border is where the country's terrorism risk is concentrated. Armed groups linked to al-Qaida, mainly JNIM, have crossed from Burkina Faso and attacked military positions, including an assault on a border base in July 2024 that overran Togolese troops and seized weapons and vehicles. Kidnapping is also a real risk here, and foreign nationals could be seen as targets.
Do not plan ordinary travel through this area. If you have essential business here, get current guidance from local authorities and professional security advice first, and expect a heavy military presence and checkpoints.
Away from the immediate border strip, the rest of Savanes Region is still more dangerous than southern Togo. Foreign travellers need written authorization from Togo's Ministry of Armed Forces to enter parts of this area. Some governments extend a similar level of caution a bit further south, into the Dankpen and Keran districts of neighbouring Kara Region, though not every government draws the line in the same place.
Check current authorization requirements, curfews and any military activity before travelling here, and be ready to leave if local authorities advise it.
Togo's waters and the sea routes nearby have a different risk profile from the mainland. Piracy and armed robbery against vessels have been reported in Togolese waters and in neighbouring parts of the Gulf of Guinea.
If you are on a commercial or private vessel, follow port and shipping security guidance, keep a proper watch, and avoid moving in small boats after dark.
Health & Diseases in Togo
Strict tripartite separation: endemic disease threats, recommended travel vaccines, and legally mandatory entry certificates.
Malaria protection is essential across the entire country, year-round, including in Lome. The dominant strain is resistant to chloroquine, so use one of the newer prophylaxis options and combine it with mosquito bite avoidance from dusk to dawn.
Mosquito-borne viruses
Dengue and chikungunya both circulate in Togo, with dengue more common in urban areas. Neither has a vaccine that helps most travellers, so daytime bite avoidance is your main protection. Zika is also present; if you're pregnant or planning to be, discuss this with a doctor before you travel.
Food, water and animals
Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination are recommended. Rabies has been reported in domestic animals, and post-exposure care can be hard to reach quickly outside Lome, so consider pre-exposure vaccination if you'll be in rural areas, working with animals, or staying for an extended period. Avoid contact with rodents and rodent-contaminated food and surfaces, since Lassa fever is a recognised risk.
Meningitis belt
Togo sits in the African meningitis belt. If you're travelling during the dry season (roughly December to June) or spending time in crowded settings, discuss ACWY meningococcal vaccination.
Other notes
Togo has had periodic measles resurgences in recent years, linked to vaccination coverage gaps, so make sure your MMR vaccination is up to date before you go. A case of vaccine-derived poliovirus was also confirmed in early 2026, the country's first since 2022, so keep your polio vaccination current too.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Togo, and vaccination is recommended for everyone aged 9 months and over. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for the whole country. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccination are recommended for most travellers.
Meningococcal ACWY vaccination is recommended if you're travelling in the dry season or spending time in crowded areas. Rabies vaccination should be considered for animal exposure, rural work, long stays, or children. Dengue and chikungunya vaccines exist but only help narrow groups: the dengue vaccine only benefits travellers with a confirmed prior dengue infection, and the chikungunya vaccine is only considered for adults visiting outbreak areas or staying long-term. For most visitors, bite avoidance matters more than vaccination for these two.
Endemic Disease Risks
Vector-borne and water-borne pathogens present in territory.
Recommended Vaccinations
Advised medical prophylaxis for general travelers.
Worth considering, depending on your trip.
Mandatory Entry Regulations
Legally enforced entry documentation required at border control.
Government Advisory Comparison
How the major government advisories compare, and where they genuinely disagree rather than just draw the boundary differently.
The UK, US, Canada and Germany broadly agree on the shape of the risk: increased caution nationally, with a much sharper warning for the area along the Burkina Faso border and the rest of Savanes Region. Japan's guidance extends that sharper warning a bit further south into northern Kara Region, an area the UK, US and Canadian advice don't call out separately, so treat the exact southern edge of the higher-risk zone as somewhat unsettled between governments.
New Zealand has no Togo-specific advisory at all, a notably weaker signal than the other governments. Singapore's guidance focuses mainly on entry requirements and notes it has no diplomatic presence in Togo, which limits what help it can offer in an emergency. Togo isn't covered by Hong Kong's outbound alert system at all. For practical planning, treat the consensus as clear: extra caution everywhere, and avoid the northern border area entirely.
Common Safety Questions
Is Togo safe to visit in 2026?
Togo holds an overall risk rating of "Moderate" based on synthesized sovereign government advisories. Note that peak risk reaches "High" in specific domains such as Civil unrest, Violent crime, Road safety, Terrorism.
Is Togo safe for solo female travelers?
Solo female travel in Togo is assessed at moderate risk. Travelers are advised to use situational awareness, reputable transportation, and avoid poorly lit areas late at night.
Is Togo safe for LGBTIQ+ travelers?
LGBTIQ+ safety in Togo is assessed at high risk, based on the country's legal treatment, social attitudes, and documented safety incidents affecting LGBTIQ+ people. Risk can vary between groups and regions; see the Traveler Situations section for detail.
What vaccines do I need for Togo?
Required to enter: Yellow fever. CDC and TravelHealthPro both state a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for entry to Togo for travellers aged 9 months and older. Recommended: Hepatitis A, Malaria and Typhoid. Worth considering depending on your trip: Chikungunya, Dengue, Meningococcal disease and Rabies.
Sources
Official advisories and health surveillance bodies consulted for this brief.
- SafeTravel New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1% bias contribution)
- Government of Canada Travel Advice and Advisories Global Affairs Canada (24% bias contribution)
- Auswärtiges Amt Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office) (28% bias contribution)
- UK FCDO travel advice Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (27% bias contribution)
- U.S. State Department travel advisories U.S. Department of State (4% bias contribution)
- TravelHealthPro National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC)
- ECDC communicable disease threats European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- CDC Travelers' Health U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (6% bias contribution)
- Robert Koch-Institut
- WHO International travel and health World Health Organization
- STIKO Ständige Impfkommission (STIKO) am Robert Koch-Institut
- Outbound Travel Alert Security Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong SAR (1% bias contribution)
- MOFA Overseas Safety Website Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (1% bias contribution)
Additional sources
News, research and NGO reporting used to fill gaps the official sources leave. Each item is credited to the organisation that published it.
- Global Voices 1% bias contribution
- Amnesty International 1% bias contribution
- PubMed Central (peer-reviewed research) U.S. National Library of Medicine
- ReliefWeb UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (3% bias contribution)
- Stimson Center 1% bias contribution
- The Jamestown Foundation 1% bias contribution
Last reviewed: Sep 23, 2026
Plan your next trip with confidence
Browse evidence-backed safety briefs for every destination we cover.
Explore All Destinations