Marrying and Sponsoring a Guinea Bissauan Citizen
Listen to this article- Western African country bordering North Atlantic Ocean between Senegal and Guinea
- Hazards in Guinea Bissau are hot, dry and dusty Harmattan winds that reduce visibility and bush fires.
- The weather is tropical, hot and humid, with a monsoon-type rainy season that starts from June to November and is accompanied by Southwesterly winds. The dry season is from December to May with Northerly Harmattan winds.
Marriage to a Guinea Bissauan Citizen
Every country has laws that apply to its citizens marrying a person from a different country. Getting married to a Guinea-Bissauan citizen with the goal of eventually bringing them to Canada to live is a process with many steps.
You must demonstrate to Guinea Bissauan officials that they are not currently married to anyone else – either you have never been married or all divorces are finalized – that your identity is proven and that you have never committed any crimes in Guinea Bissau. This is done by providing various documents, including an Affidavit of Single Status, to the Guinea Bissau government either in or via a Guinea Bissauan embassy.
If you want to bring your Guinea Bissau spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for a visitor visa. For more information, please see our family sponsorship page and our visitor visa page.
Guinea Bissauan Marriage Basic Requirements
In order to marry a citizen of Guinea Bissauan, you must demonstrate to the Guinea Bissau government that you are eligible to do so. This includes:
- Proof of country of birth
- Proof of single status
- Proof of age requirement
Family Members
If your Guinea Bissauan spouse has dependent children, this does not affect the Guinea Bissauan Marriage document application.
If you have dependent children, they have no effect on the application to marry a Guinea Bissauan citizen.
List of Guinea Bissauan Consulates in Canada
Permanent Mission of Guinea Bissau to the United Nations
Calling Guinea Bissau from Canada
The country code is 245 so to call you dial 011 – 245 – prefix – local number. There are no area codes in Guinea Bissau.
Landlines and Cells have different prefixes:
- Landlines: 3
- Cells: 5 / 6 / 7
Calling Canada from Guinea Bissau
Dial 00 – 1 – area code – local number
List of Canadian Area Codes
| Province | Code | Province | Code |
| Alberta | 403 / 587 (southern Alberta)
587 / 780 (central and northern Alberta) |
Nunavut | 867 |
| BC | 236 / 250 / 778 (majority of BC)
236 / 604 / 778 (Metro Vancouver) |
Ontario | 226 / 519 (southwestern Ontario)
249 / 705 (northeastern Ontario) 289 / 365 / 905 (Greater Toronto Area) 343 / 613 (eastern Ontario) 416 / 647 (Toronto) 807 (northwestern Ontario) |
| Manitoba | 204 / 431 | PEI | 782 / 902 |
| New Brunswick | 506 | Quebec | 418 / 581 (eastern Quebec)
438 / 514 (Montreal) 450 / 579 (Greater Montreal) 819 / 873 (remainder of Quebec) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 709 | Saskatchewan | 306 / 639 |
| Northwest Territories | 867 | Yukon | 867 |
| Nova Scotia | 782 / 902 |
Time Difference
Guinea Bissau uses GMT. The country does not participate in Daylight Saving Time.
| Canadian Time Zone | # of Hours Guinea Bissau is Ahead | # of Hours during DST |
| Pacific (BC, Yukon) | 8 hours | 7 hours |
| Mountain (Alberta, western Nunvaut, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan) | 7 hours | 6 hours |
| Saskatchewan | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Central (Manitoba, Northwest Territories, central Nunavut, northwestern Ontario) | 6 hours | 5 hours |
| Eastern (most of Ontario, most of Quebec) | 5 hours | 4 hours |
| Atlantic (Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, eastern Quebec) | 4 hours | 3 hours |
| Newfoundland | 3.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
Emergency Contact Information for Canadians in Guinea Bissau
There is no Canadian Diplomatic Mission in Guinea Bissau. In emergencies, contact the Canadian Embassy in Senegal, about a 13 hour drive away, weather permitting.
Embassy of Canada in DakarCorner of Galliéni and Amadou Cissé Dia Streets Telephone: 221 33 889 4700 |
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Sponsoring Your Bissauan Spouse to Canada
Want to know more about marrying in Guinea Bissau? Let us know!
