All about your Arrival and Khartoum in General

a. Hotels — There are three large chain hotels in Sudan, i.e. Grand Holiday Villa, Palace and Hilton Hotels plus some small ones like Acropole, Dandas, 5M and Inaam.

b. Housing — Finding a place to stay is probably the number one priority for settling in.  Housing in Khartoum is usually located with the assistance of real estate agents. The standard fee for the agent is one month’s rent of which the tenant pays 50% and the landlord pays 50%.  To avoid misunderstandings, confirm this arrangement with the agent at the beginning of your relationship.

For your own convenience, you should consider housing that has generator facilities as well as air conditioning.  Without these, your stay in Khartoum may be significantly more difficult as the electrical cuts are numerous.  Water in Khartoum needs to be filtered and it would be more convenient if this was physically installed at your home.

c. Telephone Lines — Getting a telephone line at home if there is not one at your chosen accommodation can take a few months.  Different types of telephone lines are available – namely for local only, national and then international.  Telephone bills need to be collected from the company and paid before the 15th of each month.

d. Electricity — Local current is 220 volts, 50 cycles.  Power supply is erratic particularly during summer and sometimes-extensive load shedding is applied.  Fluctuations and power spiking are common and use of stabilizers for delicate/sensitive equipment is advised. Sudan uses a prepaid card system and as such one would purchase electricity on a monthly basis in advance.  The more you use, the higher the price is.

e. Vehicles — International staff members are allowed to import one vehicle (Left Hand-Side at least 3 years old model) for personal use during their assignment in Sudan.  Importing through UNIPAC generally takes 3-6 months.  Other options for purchasing vehicles may be somewhat more expensive but are generally quicker.  An office vehicle may be made available to you for use after office hours until your personal vehicle arrives for up to a maximum of 3 months.  The charge for personal use of a vehicle is stipulated by the UN and at present is $ .08 per km.  Please confirm the amount at the time. In addition, you must also purchase a comprehensive insurance policy to cover your personal use of the vehicle.  The Administration and Supply Sections will assist you in ordering your vehicle.

In Sudan, it is required that you have 3rd Party Liability Insurance.  Comprehensive insurance is optional.  The original policy (or at least a copy) should be kept in your car in case of an accident.  If you do not have a copy available at the time of an accident, you will probably be retained in custody until someone can produce the original policy on your behalf.

An important point — When you receive your vehicle, please keep all originals of your customs receipts.  You will need these when you sell your vehicle upon your departure from Sudan.

Public Transport:

Yellow Taxis

  • Airport Taxis usually have a red line on their vehicle and the charge would be a minimum of SD 1,500 (airport to office) to about SDG 30.
  • General Taxis would have a green line on their vehicle.  The charge from UNICEF to Khartoum 2 and /Amarat would be about SDG 3/4 and further trips SDG 10.
  • Tricycles/ Rickshaw – these are supposed to be for short distances only and cost about SDG 2/2.5 per trip.  They are generally not allowed on main roads.

f.  Schooling — Depending on the type of education there are six international schools (from primary to high) i.e. 1- American School, 2- Unity School (British curriculum) 3- the Khartoum Diplomatic (British curriculum) 4- French school 5- Khartoum International Community School (KICS) & 6- OXFORD School (British curriculum)

g. Electrical equipment — i.e. TVs, VCRs, Refrigerator, deep freezer, washing machines, iron etc. are available at the duty free shops.  A specific form is required for such purposes, which Admin processes on your behalf.  You need to get a Proforma invoice from the duty free store.  Based on this invoice, admin applies for the relevant permission.  Furniture is also available in the local market, but prices are normally on the high side.