Is it safe to withdraw cash in Guinea-Bissau or not?
I never withdrew at night. Everyone, including my hotel staff, told me it’s smarter to do banking before sunset. Most areas don’t have reliable street lighting or a police presence after dark.
ATMs in Bissau can be unpredictable - even the ones inside petrol stations go offline randomly. I didn’t feel unsafe at night, but there’s little lighting, few people, and machines are temperamental. Best to go out with local friends if you need to use one late.
I stayed near the city center and found only one ATM that worked with foreign cards. It was locked inside a bank lobby that closes at 8 PM. Locals recommended withdrawing cash early and avoiding the machines late at night.
In Bissau, I used a BAO (Banco da África Ocidental) ATM around 7:45 PM. The power flickered while I was withdrawing, and the street outside was poorly lit. Withdrawing money after dark in Guinea-Bissau isn’t ideal - I got lucky, but others said outages are common.