What You Need to Know When You’re Moving to N'Djamena

Relocating to N'Djamena

About the City

N’Djamena is the capital city of Chad, situated on the country’s south west border with Cameroon, directly facing the Cameroonian town of Kousseri. As well as being the capital, it is also the largest city both in size and population. This geologically diverse region covers an extensive area of 100 sqkm.

Of the 1.6 million inhabitants, the vast majority speak French and Arabic. These are the official and predominantly spoken languages of the city; however, there are more than 100 local languages and traditional tribal dialects are spoken throughout the city.

In addition to this, there are a number of historic religions practiced in the area, however, Islam is the dominant religion and there are a several mosques in the district. The most predominant ethnic groups in N’Djamena are Daza, Chadian Arabs and Hadjerai.

The Climate in N’Djamena

The climate of N’Djamena is tropical and temperatures remain consistently high throughout the year. Thanks to its close proximity to the equator, N’Djamena is one of the sunniest cities in the world, with bright daylight typically lasting around 13 hours per day. The hottest time of year is spring, particularly April. During this season, temperatures peak at around 40°C during the day, and 20°C at night. There is minimal rainfall during this time and the climate can seem extremely dry.

The weather is at its brightest during the winter months of December to February, when the sunlight lasts the longest. There is also very little precipitation in this season. During the summer, N’Djamena experiences a moderate rainy season. Between June and August, the weather drops to its lowest point, typically around 24°C and the city has around six inches of rain.

Visas for Chad

Foreigners moving to Chad must be in possession of a visa before entering the country. The only exceptions are anyone who holds a diplomatic visa from certain African nations including Benin, Djibouti, Egypt, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Sudan. All other foreigners who wish to relocate to N’Djamena must provide their Chadian embassy with all of the necessary documents and evidence. This includes a visa application form which has been signed, an original passport with at least six months remaining validity and three signed 2×2″ photographs.

In addition to this, the potential expat must present the embassy with either a business letter or a letter of invitation. The business letter should be from a senior executive of the company sending the employee to N’Djamena, stating the nature of business and reason for relocating and a guarantee of sufficient funds. The letter of invitation should be from a sponsor or host business in Chad, explaining the same details. Both of these should be addressed to the Chadian ministry of foreign affairs.