Travelling soon and looking for best ATMs in Guinea that work well with foreign debit/credit cards and dont charge crazy fees. Any recos will be highly appreciated.
During my trip to Guinea, I mostly used BICIG bank ATMs in Conakry’s Quartier Almamya area. Withdrawal limits were adequate for my daily expenses, and fees were manageable around 15,000-20,000 GNF. I avoided ATMs near tourist spots because those tended to impose higher charges. For budget travelers, consider a travel card with free international withdrawals to save on extra costs.
In Guinea, ATMs aren’t super widespread outside Conakry, so plan your withdrawals accordingly. Ecobank and BICIG are your best bets for foreign card acceptance and reasonable fees. I was able to withdraw up to 400,000 GNF per transaction with my Mastercard debit. Always check for surcharge notices on the ATM screen before confirming-you can cancel and try another if fees seem high. Small towns often rely heavily on cash.
I tried withdrawing cash in Guinea and found that most ATMs in Conakry accept Visa and Mastercard, but expect fees of around 15,000 GNF per transaction plus your bank’s charges. BICIG ATMs near the downtown area are reliable though, and daily limits are around 450,000 GNF. Budget tip: take out a good chunk of cash at once to reduce repeated fees and keep some local currency handy for smaller vendors.
If you’re heading to Conakry, Banque Internationale pour le Commerce en Guinée (BICIG) and Ecobank have the best ATMs for foreigners. I used my Visa debit card at Ecobank ATMs around Kaloum and didn’t face crazy fees. The withdrawal limits were about 300,000 to 400,000 GNF per transaction. Just avoid random street ATMs, as they often charge hidden fees or reject foreign cards. Also, Wise or Revolut cards helped me save on currency conversion costs.