Immigration
Tight entry control despite CEMAC free-movement obligations
Entry and residence are controlled by national legislation administered by the immigration authorities, with work permits tied to authorised employment. Equatorial Guinea implemented CEMAC free movement later and more restrictively than its neighbours.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The immigration authorities control entry and status.
- Deadline — Residence permit: applied for after arrival
- Deadline — Work permit: required before commencing employment
Governing law
- Ley sobre régimen de extranjería
- CEMAC free movement protocol
- Decretos on residence and work permits
In practice
Equatorial Guinea's restrictive practice on entry — including periodic expulsion campaigns directed at West African migrants — has repeatedly sat uneasily with its CEMAC free-movement obligations, making the gap between treaty commitment and national practice the salient feature.